Is Swimming Good For Your Knees?

I am wondering is swimming good for your knees? Lately I have been having bad, weak knees. I’m looking to know if it helps the structure in your knee.

Much depends on which swimming stroke you choose to swim and what problems you may currently have with your knees, if any.

Breaststroke places the most pressure on the knee joints. This is due to the circular whip like action of the leg kick. Anyone with weak knee joints may want to avoid swimming breaststroke using a powerful leg kick. Recreational breaststroke can be swum placing more emphasis on the arm action than the leg kick. Although this is technically incorrect from an efficiency point of view, there is no harm done in swimming the stroke like this, especially if breaststroke is your only option.

The other swimming strokes, front crawl, backstroke and butterfly will place little or no pressure on the knee joints.

So, swimming is not bad for the knees at all. It must be noted here that swimming is zero impact and therefore does nothing to help build bone cells and aid osteoporosis.

However swimming is good for the knees in that it provides impact free movement that helps to lubricate the joints. Swimming will also help to strengthen and tone the muscles attached to the knee joint which will in turn help support and strengthen the overall structure.

Swimming is great for sufferers of arthritis as the impact free nature of the movement through the water is very kind on the joints. Some forms of arthritis are made worse with impact and the gentle nature of swimming can sometimes provide a sufficient amount of lubrication and required movement.

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