If you suffer from the joint inflammation known as arthritis, you are no stranger to pain. Men and women alike, usually over the age of 65, commonly struggle with arthritis that worsens with time as the cartilage that normally protects the joints and absorbs pressure and shock eventually wears away and forces the joints to rub against each other instead.

Since one of the most common symptoms associated with arthritis is joint pain and swelling, exercise can be difficult or even impossible. But experts still suggest that people with arthritis get 30 minutes of exercise, five days per week. How is this possible if the simple act of bending your knees causes such discomfort? The answer lies in the swimming pool, so throw on your bathing suit.

Exercising in the pool, also known as aquatic exercise, is an excellent alternative to running and jumping for people with arthritis. There are plenty of benefits that could convince anybody to jump in the pool.

First, working out in water allows for cardiovascular exercise that doesn’t place nearly as much stress and strain on arthritic joints. This is because water actually supports the body’s weight, in turn minimizing the amount of stress placed on weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.  Once this pain is erased, those with arthritis can achieve a larger range of motion than is possible in ground-based exercises. Without the burden of pain and stiff joints, the body can once again enjoy full movement.

In addition, water provides extra resistance during exercise, as much as 12 times the amount of air! This resistance provides a safe, painless way to strengthen muscles and improve cardiovascular endurance without straining the joints. Finally, exercising in a warm pool can actually ease arthritis pain altogether as the higher temperature soothes aches and provides relief.

Swimming is an excellent workout for everybody, but those with arthritis will be happy to know that swimming offers extra benefits that hold great promise of alleviating pain.