Toddler Swim Class Has Become My RA Aqua Therapy

A few months ago, I enrolled my daughter in swimming lessons. She just turned 2 years old, and I had wanted to do this before she was even one.

But, due to the pandemic, it wasn’t previously an option. I grew up with parents who introduced me to the water right in the beginning.

The water - the pool, the lake, the ocean - has always been my safe place. The place where I could swim and float and watch the waves, the place where I could recover, and process, and find myself again.

Before deciding on a place for classes, I spent a lot of time researching the swim schools and the open pools in our area.

I wanted an indoor option that combined skills and activities, and I wanted them to have serious precautions in place for the ongoing pandemic.

When I found one that felt like a good fit, I was really excited to see her thrive.

My toddler’s swim class helps me, too

I didn’t realize that my toddler’s swim class would be therapeutic for my body too.

Since she’s little, it's been a mom-and-me class. There are 3 other kids/moms in the pool with us. The instructor and the adults all wear masks and/or face shields for COVID safety.

Some parts were exhausting

On the first day, I was surprised at how warm the water was. I was also surprised at how much actual work the toddler swim class felt like for me. I’m not sure if other moms living without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could agree, but I felt like I got a complete workout during that 30 minutes.

I was grateful that carrying my daughter in the water felt weightless. But, repeatedly lifting her up and down, moving her side to side, and supporting her head and her back - those things exhausted me.

My joints felt better after class

But on the flip side, I've also found that my joints most affected by RA - elbows, wrists, knees, hips and ankles - all move and glide better on Tuesdays after class.

I move through the waist-deep water slowly, making only small motions at a time. And somehow, that combined with the exceptionally warm water has become lubrication for my body and relief for some of my aches.

Symptom relief in unexpected places

Normally, when I think of hydrotherapy for RA, I think about a special facility, special equipment, and special instructors. There are many underwater physical therapy and community water aerobic classes that support RA and other chronic illness patients on a regular basis.

Making the most of the movements

I wasn't sure that my toddler's 30-minute basic skills swim class was really cut out to do much for my RA symptoms, but I was wrong. Just being in the warm water and combining that with regular movement allows me to activate and stretch muscles without immediate aches.

The combination of being able to move freely, without pain, the lasting benefits of being in the water, and the positivity I feel about both of these things - it's enough to have me looking forward to my daughter's swim class every single week.

I'm wondering where you've found RA relief in unexpected places?! Please comment below!