Dow, I like the question. Unfortunately with most questions I like I don´t have the answer. But maybe I can help with why swimming is better than other sports.

I couldn´t understand why I had been told that tennis and volleyball were recommended (yet they hurt me in the days after I did them) and other sports ie. contact sports I was told to keep away from. Eventually between here and my physical therapist I have worked something out that works wondors for me.

Sports like tennis are called impact sports because of the sprinting and jumping and hitting (ball). All of this crunches and jars the bones and causes alot of discomfort for us afterwards. Volleyball is worse and contact sports are worse again.

This is why swimming is so much better than most other sports since you get a good range of movement without any of the above problems. There are still certain movements in the pool which are detrimental depending on your problem. For me I don´t do legs of breast stroke or the butterfly at all.

Cycling doesn´t cause me any discomfort and walking is generally very beneficial. I also do light jogging as I enjoy it and have been told that in moderation it mightn´t cause problems and this is what I have experienced.

I have learnt the hard way that I should keep all conversations with doctors to their specialities e.g. drugs. Sport is not their forte and what exercise I should do, I shall ask someone else.

As to your question, why does swimming actually help AS, I haven´t the faintest idea.

Back to the point of this post, I jogged 6km in 39.42 minutes and cycled 12km+/- in 20 something minutes.

Over and out

Me: 84 laps in 59 minutes

good thoughts Fergus! Can't do bicycles any more because it hurts my [*bleep*] lol

will keep thinking about the breathing especially. Because I had a physical therapist go over a set of breathing exercises designed to get the pelvis area to relax. Breath slowly into the lungs, but let the abdomen "fill" with air, hold for several seconds and release. And when doing so, it indirectly causes the lower muscles to relax...and I realized....hey, this is exactly what I do when I swim, a 40 minute session of controlled breathing!

Good question about the swimming! I first started in an 86F pool doing water aerobics. As Donette would say, Holy OUCH! Then I happened upon the dangling in the deep end with noodles - greatly increased pain relief. Next I started lap swimming w/ my hubby which had an even greater effect. Now I swim in a competition pool at 79F which has improved my mobility like mad. I think gentle water exercise takes the strain off of the large muscles and lets the tiny-spiny muscles move with no resistance. Breathing a hugely improved! For me the cooler water slays the inflammation. BTW, here's my official flip turn sequence. 1.Flip 2.Roll 3.GENTLY kick off.

Yesterday I swam 750 yds. Today I cleaned for 3 hrs and napped.

P.S. Lon - All flipping, tucking, and turning MUST be done in water.

Go TEAM!

´wondors´

Should be ´wonders´. Can you imagine that people actually pay me money to teach them English

Soooo sleepy. Thanks to Fergus' inspiration, I felt inspired to swim longer today. 1,250yds. Niteynite!

fergus,
you are missing the point;
we are glad that you are here, no mater how U spel.

keep up the good work gang!!!!!!!
Friday handed me one hour of snow removal! 14* so I had to wear a coat
I manage to walk 15 mnutes on the treadmill every morning

Exercise when you can for as long as you can: then read something that stretches your mind.

I'm one of those "wyrde" Chaucer fans. My favorite custom license plate I've ever seen is "MYSPLED"!

If you want to know anything about The Canterbury Tales, just "axe me and eyell tayle ewe noe lyes!

Anyone ever read "Righting the Mother Tongue"? It's AWESOME!

So, Lon... you're saying that reading and napping after exercise is a good idea? WHOOP!

I walked 3 miles in 1 hour today. Think the candy and coffee w/ cream erases any of that? Nah.

Go team!

made my deadline yesterday to submit students' summer research proposals, was looking forward to catching up on things this weekend, including walking, but took a nap, woke with a cold.......

that with the snow, no walking for me today

but after ~24 hours, already feel like head cold is passing......LDN?

Bah. Colds are no good! Sorry.