Swimming season is upon us, and it really is a great way to tone, strengthen, and improve cardiovascular fitness. Swimming uses all the muscles of the extremities and trunk and provides a comprehensive no-impact form of exercise that is safe and gentle on the joints. For those who are proficient swimmers at the crawl, breast, side, and back strokes, simply varying strokes can provide a great total body workout.

People with arthritis, osteoporosis, and back, knee, hip, ankle, and foot pain can achieve relief from swimming. Even if you don’t know how to swim, you can benefit from short sessions in the pool. If you are unsure where to begin, talk with your doctor about the possibility of participating in aquatic therapy where you can learn exercises specific to your condition. Here are some exercises I used with my aqua therapy patients that may also be helpful:

1. Water walking: walking in the shallow end at a good pace can help to strengthen the legs but in a very low impact situation, thereby reducing strain on the joints.
2. Kick board assisted kicking: Holding the kick board very close to the body for support, practice straight leg and bent knee kicking. This can be done on you belly and on the back in order to train the muscles on all sides of the legs.
3. Deep water leg bicycling on a noodle: straddle one of those inexpensive pool noodles (or 2 or 3 if you need more buoyancy) and pedal your legs as if you were on a bicycle.
4. Arm strengthening with water resistance: one of the great things about water exercise is that you can adjust the resistance by pushing or pulling in the water. You can perform bicep curls, chest press, arm rowing, and rotator cuff strengthening by moving the arms in the specific direction. The faster you move the arms, the greater the resistance.
5. Heel and toe raises: Standing in waist deep water, raise up on the tip toes and back on the heels. This works on balance and is a great exercise for anyone recovering from ankle injuries since the buoyancy of the water makes it easier to achieve your full range of motion.
6. Back float pelvic tilts: Using a kick board or noodles to help you stay afloat, perform gentle pelvic tilts to loosen your back and strengthen your abs. It feels great to do as you’re floating around.
7. Core strengthening with the kick board: Stand in waist deep water with your knees bent and push and pull a kick board forward and backwards. The resistance created by the water tends to make your body sway or tip. Use your core muscles to hold the body as still as possible while doing this exercise.
8. Plyometrics: jumping jacks and jumping up and down in the water help to retrain joint and muscle stretch receptors, but in a safer environment since the water’s buoyancy reduces your weight and overall impact on the joints. (This should only be done in later phases of rehab.)

Although often considered a safe form of exercise for any injury, there are certain conditions that can be aggravated by swimming. Rotator cuff injuries, for example, may be aggravated by overhead strokes. Low back pain caused by hyperextension and abdominal weakness may be worsened by swimming on the belly if the back overarches. It’s important to be aware of any discomfort as you swim. If you feel pain in the water, it’s likely doing more harm than good.

So get out your suit and head to the pool to cool off and get some beneficial exercise for your body. (Be sure to never swim alone and always follow pool safety guidelines to prevent any injuries.)