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A woman in a seated twist on a green mat in a sunlit room, an olive tree and the sea behind her

Move · 40 min

Twenty minutes in the water

Water holds you up, so it is kind to sore joints. Twenty minutes of slow swimming, walking in the shallow end or a gentle class.

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You do not have to swim lengths to get the good of a pool. Water takes much of your weight off your joints while still asking your muscles to work, which makes it one of the gentlest ways to move for people with stiff or painful joints, or who are getting back to activity.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Find a pool near you and check its quieter sessions: many have adult-only, older adult or gentle sessions, and some have a hoist or steps for getting in.

  2. Go for twenty minutes in the water, not more. Get in slowly, using the steps.

  3. Walk forwards and backwards across the shallow end, swing your arms through the water, or swim slowly in whatever stroke you like, resting at the side whenever you want.

  4. Get out before you feel tired, warm up and dry off, and have a drink. Notice how your joints feel that evening and the next morning.

The reason

Why it helps

Water supports the body, so movements that are hard on land can feel easier in it, and the water itself gives gentle resistance for the muscles. Many people with arthritis or back pain find water exercise one of the most comfortable ways to stay active. Warm water can also feel restful in its own right.

A gentle variation

If you are unsure in the water, try a gentle water exercise class, which usually stays in the shallow end. Outdoors, a paddle along a calm, safe beach on a warm day is a kind of water walking too.

Friends resting after a game, the sea behind them

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Go with a friend or family member, and look out for each other. If you care for someone, some pools let a caregiver in free or at a reduced price; ask at the desk.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

This week, find one quiet or gentle session at a pool near you and book or plan twenty minutes in the water.

Add it to your day

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