Meena's Story

Meena's Story

The best part of swimming is the floating – the pressure off my knees is fantastic.

Even though many days are tough, Meena tries her best to not let her arthritis become a hurdle she can’t overcome. After all, as she puts it, if you give up you just end up sitting around the house. Struggling with her energy levels, in addition to managing her weight, can sometimes impact her self-esteem. But in swimming, she has discovered something that she enjoys and offers her relief for hours after she gets out of the pool.

My husband always says to me, could you moody really go for a swim? Some days its unbearable, some days it’s okay. I’m either taking loads of tablets or trying not to take pain killers. It’s like a real sharpness on your knees, you just want to hit your knees with a hammer or something. I used to love Zumba, and I would keep fit, like 5 classes. But obviously as the arthritis kicked in I couldn’t do any of that. It affects my mood a lot, obviously I’m irritable with the kids and my husband. The doctors start saying you know you’ve got to find something. The best part of the swimming is the floating. The pressure off my knees is fantastic, you just feel so full of release. It just alleviates the pain. Mostly the difference my clothes are looser. I feel more confident. My mood is lifted and that can last all day.

How Meena Gets Moving

Meena likes to get active by heading to the pool to swim or enjoy water aerobics courses. She used to do activities where she was on her feet for longer, but the pain in her knees gradually made them less enjoyable. That’s part of why discovering swimming was so helpful for her. Being in the water helps with her joints and leaves her feeling happier at the end of a session.

Related Resources

Here are some resources related to Meena’s story about moving more:

Versus Arthritis

Pool Finder - Swim England

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