Shoulder Arthritis - Swimming?

AquaticQuests

Hi people!
My mum used to swim for exercise many years ago, but mostly does brisk walks for exercise! She has arthritis and it increasingly affecting her mobility due to pain in her knees.
She would swim but nearby pool is not heated!
The exercise is important for her as she seeks to manage her diabetes! Thinking about getting heated endless pool.

She does experience some shoulder pain during the cold months and I'm wondering whether swimming in a warm pool for exercise would work for her?

Question does anyone here experience arthritis related shoulder pain and has swimming in a warm pool helped or made things worse?

Is swimming in a warm pool a viable alternative to her increasingly more difficult walks?

60sPanda

I can't answer for an arthritic shoulder, but do know that swimming is always the most proscribed exercise for joint pains (next to walking). It would certainly help with the knees (just no breaststroke legs) but I don't know about the shoulder.

I would ask your mum to seek medical/physio advice first - especially if you are thinking of splashing out on a pool (no pun intended!).

Macstraw

AQ - Have her check with her doctor about doing the shoulder strengthening exercises from USA Swimming:

These 2 links are for videos of the exercises:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgo3g-Ge85Y
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r5d5Ux1jGs

This link is where the exercises are on the actual USA Swimming site & they can be printed out for her doctor to look at:
http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=1645&mid=702&ItemId=700

Ultimately her doctor will be the best person to talk to about what's best for her, the more ideas you can bring to him the more options she may have. Good luck, I hope you can help her find a viable exercise program & I hope she feels better.......