Exercising in warm water is ideal for relieving the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Water workouts offer variety, safety and comfort while providing effective restoration and protection to joints. Water exercise is also known as hydrotherapy and can improve your ability to perform daily tasks, as well as improve your coordination, strength, endurance and even enhance your mood. Working out in the water can also be fun.
Why Water?
The buoyancy of water offers protection from joint impact that exercising on land often causes, making the water an optimal environment if you have arthritis. While the water adds support, it also adds resistance, which works your muscles. If the water you work out in is warm, immersion will also dilate your blood vessels, making your circulation increase, which can be a key factor in pain management.
The Basics
Before you begin to exercise, enter the pool and allow yourself time to acclimate to the water. Begin exercising slowly and gently, and when your workout begins, try to move your joints through their whole range of motion without forcing any movements. Watch out for signs of weakening due to the warmth of the water -- the University of Washington Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Department suggest water temperature between 83 to 88 degrees. Also, have someone is nearby to assist you in and out of the water if needed. Last, consult your doctor before beginning if you have any special medical needs.
Fun Exercises
Being in the pool might make you feel like you are a kid again. Use that liveliness to spice up your exercise regimen. After you have warmed up your muscles with gentle exercises like light jogging, begin by doing "hopscotch," where you jump on one leg twice, then both legs at the same time, then the other leg twice, etc. Another fun way to get your heart-rate up in the water while still maintaining the childhood theme is to skip from one end of the pool to the other. This exercise on land might wear you out quickly, but in the water you will find the resistance makes skipping much easier and fun. Other fun movements include galloping, kicking front and back, pretending to jump rope, leaping like a gazelle, jumping straight up and out of the water or even a good, old-fashioned game of tag.
Equipment
Using extra equipment is not necessary to get a good workout in the water, but it can add variety to your routine and keep things engaging. An interesting tool is a flotation belt. The belt adds buoyancy, but does not keep you completely afloat. You wind up with even less impact on your joints while working your core muscles to maintain your balance. Water weights are an excellent way to include more concentrated resistance training to your pool workout. An affordable water tool is a noodle. You can use noodles for resistance training, to sit on and ride like a bicycle, to float on and do abdominal crunches or to hold out in front of you while you float and do leg exercises.
