A pilot swimming class at the Doris Miller YMCA designed for people with arthritis keeps growing right into a citywide effort.

The swim program is spearheaded by Dr. Jay Rodrigo, an orthopedist at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center.
Participants swim 20 to 50 laps throughout the twice-weekly sessions as instructors teach the swimmers 2 day diet japan lingzhi how you can modify their swim technique to accommodate injuries and joints recovering from surgery.
"I'm continually encountering individuals who tell me they cannot exercise simply because they have arthritic joints and that bothers them a lot," Rodrigo said. "And they do have a problem with it. They struggle to do things the wrong manner and they're going to irritate their bad joints and get into a large amount of pain. After which they'll quit. But if they do it correctly, then they could possibly get a great workout and get exercise and never irritate their bad joints."
The pilot program originally included six of Rodrigo's patients.
Some participants completed their laps at the Waco Family YMCA since it was nearer to
their houses, however the Doris Miller campus provided Rodrigo's patients with a 25 percent membership discount for participating in the program, said Chelsey Scoggins, physical director over fitness and aquatics at the Doris Miller YMCA.
But now, steps are now being come to formally provide the class to all YMCA members, not only Rodrigo's patients. Scoggins said this program also will be open to individuals who do not have arthritis or mobility issues.
Generally, people suffering from arthritis follow an isometric exercise regimen that primarily involves relaxing in place and doing lower and upper body strength training.
But Rodrigo stresses to his patients the importance of having a cardiovascular workout too.
He suggested a swimming program because the buoyancy of the water keeps pressure from the joints, allowing swimmers to move more fluidly and with less strain on limbs that would otherwise be hard to move with arthritis.
McLennan County Justice from the Peace W.H. "Pete" Peterson is yet another person in the lap swim class.
Rodrigo completed knee replacement surgery on of Peterson's legs this year due to arthritis and worn meniscus.
Peterson is a lifelong swimmer and scuba diver, and he said swimming helps him continue improving his health and mobility after the surgeries.
"I love it," Peterson said from the swim class. "Swimming is about the best workout that you can do, because you're working every single part of your body. I've had zero pain at all."
Dan Worley said he was surprised he could have fun playing the swimming class. Worley has been on crutches since January as his left knee continued to deteriorate.
He attributes his pain to an improperly healed break as he was hit by a drunken driver like a teen.
The pain sensation has prevented him from doing any major exercise and created hardships as he travels across the state teaching driving safety to teens included in Hillcrest's injury prevention program.
"I used to love playing racquetball, I played it all time, at least twice a week before the pain in my knees made it where I simply couldn't do it anymore," said Worley, 59. "Since I ended, which was about a decade ago, I've not done any real exercise, and that i put on a lot of weight."
Worley has dropped about 40 pounds in the past year because of diet changes and that he is placed to have knee replacement surgery Sept. 23.
After his rehabilitation, he intends to continue swimming and lose another 40 pounds, using the goal of adding more physical activity.
"I'd enjoy being able to roll around on the ground with my grandkids," Worley said. Rodrigo is working with the YMCA to advertise a "land-based" arthritic exercise program that will incorporate both isometric, chair-based moves and some dancing.
Also, he is coordinating with Scott & White to build up a potential arthritis center in the hospital.
"It is still important to do a specific amount of weight-bearing walking 3 times a week to prevent osteoporosis," Rodrigo said. "We can't simply have people doing just pool exercises, they have to get out having a walker or li ji shou diet pills cane to protect their bad joint if they are doing the exercise walk. But when they continued every year just finding yourself in the pool, they could actually soften their bones."