Question

I have been making fairly steady progress over the past year using the type of pacing recommended by the MEA. My GP, who is very helpful, has suggested that I may now be able to manage some gentle indoor swimming in a warm pool – which is something I used to really enjoy before becoming ill – in addition to my regular walking. Is this something you would recommend as part of an activity management programme?

Answer

The simple answer is yes – provided you are confident that you have reached a point where you feel able to add a form of activity that is likely to be more intense than walking. I speak from personal experience here in that I also like to swim and try to do so when the opportunity arises. Water obviously provides buoyancy and can be a very helpful way of relieving stiffness as well as helping to build up muscle strength.

A few practical tips:

• Firstly, try to find a warm indoor pool that isn’t going to be full of noisy children or competitive swimmers and has good facilities for changing, etc. A leisure club or hotel may be better than the local council-run pool if you can afford the extra cost. Some hospitals have hydrotherapy pools – but you will probably require a referral via a hospital physiotherapist rather than a GP referral.

• Secondly, always take things slowly to start with and build up what you are doing flexibly over a period of time.

Please let us know if you have any swimming tips to pass on.

See Also: Management: Swimming

More Information:

• The MEA offers a range of Free Literature, including this booklet covering Pacing: Activity and Energy Management, which may be of interest.