We all know that exercise is great for our overall health - but did you know that it might also be beneficial when it comes to managing arthritis, and joint pain?

For those who want to overcome knee pain, exercise combined with the stability and support of knee compression can help to keep joints flexible, while strengthening the muscles around those joints to ensure a lower chance of injury. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation recommends that people with joint problems should engage in at least thirty minutes of exercise, five days a week to help manage their condition. That's the same as the recommended amount of exercise for any average adult.

Of course, if you're living with joint discomfort, the quest to overcome knee pain and participate in regular exercise might seem like a challenging one. Fortunately for those with limited mobility, knee compression and aquatic exercise could be the answer they've been looking for. Not only is working out more fun when you're splashing in the pool, but aquatic exercise can help to burn fat and promote healing, easing the symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other joint problems that can be restrictive when you want to overcome knee pain.

How Aquatic Exercises Help You Overcome Knee Pain

Taking your regular workout routine to the pool might seem like a fun way to make a splash and shake up your everyday fitness regimen, but the truth is that there's a lot more to aquatic exercise than just the entertainment factor. According to experts, water workouts can benefit virtually anyone, from professional athletes, to young children, pregnant mothers, and senior citizens. While athletes might use water to help them to rehabilitate and engage in a comprehensive fitness session after injury, people with arthritis or joint pain can enjoy a wider range of motion without pain or stiffness in an aquatic environment.

Physical fitness and age aren't issues in the water - while kids love to play in the pool without even realizing it's good for them, seniors who might rely on constant support can leave their walker on land, and move freely in water with the help of natural buoyancy. In fact, knee compression sleeves can actually be used in the water if they're made with non-absorbent material, for that extra dose of stability. What's more, you don't need to be an incredible swimmer to enjoy aquatic exercise - most water workouts consist of exercises done in a vertical position, which means you get to keep your hair dry too.

For individuals looking to overcome knee pain, water is one of the most versatile fitness tools there is, offering:

• Reduced stress on painful or arthritic joints - Water helps to support your weight as you exercise, reducing the strain put on weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips.
• Greater freedom of movement - Since water supports your body like knee compression supports your joint, water exercise isn't limited by your everyday balance - you can move through a whole range of motion without fear of falling or injury.
• Additional resistance - Aquatic exercise routines allow people to move through twelve times the natural resistance of air - making water workouts a great way to improve your cardiovascular stamina and strengthen muscles.
• Better comfort (particularly in warm pools) - Heat can be an effective solution for relieving pain, and improving the flexibility of your muscles. In other words, aquatic exercises in a heated pool can provide all of the other benefits associated with water workouts, plus further pain relief.

Choosing an Aquatic Exercise to Overcome Knee Pain

So now that you know the benefits of aquatic exercise, how do you choose the right one to help you overcome knee pain, improve your overall fitness, and even maximize your weight loss efforts? Following are just some of the most popular options today:

1.     Water Aerobics

In regular fitness routines, aerobic exercise tends to be higher-impact, which means that it can easily trigger swelling, stiffness, or joint pain. While wearing knee compression can help to reduce that discomfort, moving your entire workout into the water reduces the impact on your joints by 75%.

Most aquatic exercise programs that focus on aerobics use vertical exercises that mimic land workouts, such as walking, running, jumping, dancing, and even kickboxing. For those just starting water-based workouts, it's usually a good idea to start slowly with walks in shallow water, before gradually increasing the intensity of the workout by moving to deeper areas of the pool.  

2.     Swimming Laps

While many people think that swimming laps is boring, that doesn't mean that it isn't good for your health, and great for those who want to overcome knee pain. If you want to make your water workouts more interesting, there are always ways to vary your swimming routines, such as learning new strokes, or adding equipment such as foam noodles, fins, and kickboards into the mix.

Keep in mind that you should always begin swimming sessions with a warmup, so as to raise your core body temperature and get yourself ready for a workout. Beginners should generally plan thirty-minute workouts that include ten minutes of warming up, fifteen minutes of exercise, and five minutes of cooling down.

3.     Holistic Aquatic Exercise

Finally, there are some aquatic exercise classes out there that allow you to take movements from your favorite yoga, Pilates, and tai chi exercises into the water for a more comprehensive approach to fitness. Choosing a holistic workout can offer multiple benefits. For instance, yoga performed in water stretches the body, strengthens the limbs, relieves stiffness, and also contributes to relaxation.

For people who want to overcome knee pain, the best holistic aquatic exercise may be water walking - a technique that focuses on cardio and strength. All you need to do to make the most of this workout is to stand in water and walk, moving forwards, sideways, and backwards to target different muscles.

Overcome Knee Pain with Aquatic Exercise

For decades now, water exercise has been prescribed as a solution for people with arthritis. With your knee compression sleeve in hand, you might find that jumping into your local pool helps you to improve flexibility and motion, relieve joint stiffness and overcome knee pain in no time. Just remember to consult with your doctor before you start any program.