Swimming has long been known to be one of the best forms of exercise for people of all ages, but it has become increasingly popular for seniors who want an energetic lifestyle without putting a lot of stress on joints and bones.
“It gets us moving and keeps us moving,” said Patricia Totten, who leads the Arthritis Exercise and Swim class in the North Sun City Center Aquatic facility.
A former histologist from Wisconsin, Patricia knows the importance of maintaining muscle and joint flexibility, particularly in seniors.
“We have a lot of swimmers in our class who have arthritis or have had knee replacements, including myself,” she said. “This class works out everything from the tip of our toes to the top of our head.”
Patricia’s class consists of water walking and exercises for the head, neck, arms, fingers, wrists, ankles and legs. Many of her students have been diagnosed with arthritis, but she emphasized that you need not have arthritis to sign up for it.
“Just a 20-minute water workout three times a week can make such a big difference in a person’s overall health and well-being,” said Chicago native Pat Purcell, who has been in the class for a year and a half. Considering the fact that swimming has both cardiovascular and weight-training benefits, it’s no wonder that it has become the exercise of choice for many elderly persons who face a host of bodily changes that can reduce mobility, affect physical strength and lead to chronic pain.
“I never miss this class,” said Jerry Rickter. “It’s something I look forward to, and it makes me feel great.”
Swimming burns twice as many calories as walking and works out more muscle groups at once than almost any other form of physical activity. When you swim, you’re helping your heart to become stronger, larger and more efficient at pumping blood throughout your body. Not only does it reduce the risk of heart disease, it actually helps prevent fatty buildups in the arteries.
“People sometimes become sedentary with their jobs or with age,” said Totten. “Water aerobics and swimming are a great way to combat this.”
Swimming is considered an ideal workout for seniors because it’s low impact and presents a minimal risk of injury. After age 50, a third of women and a fifth of men experience a fracture because of osteoporosis. By swimming, seniors can better preserve bone density and fight osteoporosis.
While hitting the treadmill or going for a jog will get your heart rate going, you’ll be paying a steep price afterward if you’re dealing with bone and joint discomfort.
“I’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis,” said Annette Dispenziere, who moved to Florida from New Jersey to live in warmer weather. “My husband and I had always been golfers, and had to give it up due to joint pain. This is something I can enjoy with a lot less pain.”
With swimming, your body weight is supported by the pool water, which means you can get in a strong, full-body workout without putting painful pressure on the joints in your hip, spine and knees. Water is approximately 12 times denser than air, so you’re putting every muscle to use every time you move around in the water.
Beyond helping seniors to feel strong and energetic, swimming has other positive side effects as well. It can relieve stress and anxiety, improve the quality of sleep, increase good cholesterol (HDL) and can slow down the aging process. Swimming in public pools with friends creates situations for older adults to be social and avoid feelings of isolation or loneliness.
“There’s definitely a social aspect to this,” said Totten. “The class is a lot of fun and we have all become good friends. We look forward to seeing each other on a weekly basis.”
Jerry Rickter agreed. “We love our three Pats,” he said, referring to his instructor Patricia Totten and two fellow swimmers also named Pat. “This class gives us a chance to visit with each other and have a few laughs.”
In addition to Patricia Totten’s class, the Aquatics Center offers other water activities as well, including the Master Swimmer’s Club, which encourages more competitive swimmers to challenge and learn from one another; Swim Dancers, which works with swimmers toward a yearly synchronized swim show; and Aquasizers, a low-impact water aerobics class set to music.
Most Florida retirement communities offer swimming pools with aquatics activities, so seniors would be wise to investigate their offerings before choosing a home. In addition, there are public swimming and exercise facilities that offer classes, including: Tampa Y Swimming at www.tysswimming.com; Brandon Sports Aquatic Center at www.mybsac.org; and Apollo Beach Racquet & Fitness Club at www.abrfc.com, to name a few.
For more information on the Sun City Center Aquatics program, visit their website at www.suncitycenter.org or call the SCC Welcome Center at 813-633-4670.