Accessible Swimming

I love swimming. I am free in the water and can move around at ease. On land, I am restricted to my bed or wheelchair, and moving around is so hard. Whereas in the water it is completely different. I can move! I am like a fish!

Have you thought of swimming? I think it is a great form of exercise suitable for all. Young, old, able bodied and disabled.

I have been going swimming and to hydrotherapy once a week, since 2012. I hate missing them.

My Reintroduction to Swimming

My first experience of going in a swimming pool is quite a memorable one. Not just for me, but for my Mum! We went to a para sports day at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford, Surrey. You were allowed to have taster sessions, including in the 50 metre Olympic size swimming pool! Gently is not a word in my vocabulary! I go straight for the deep end. Well literally!

I had never been swimming since becoming disabled. There was going to be no one else looking after me in the water, just my Mum and she could not touch the floor anywhere, as there was no shallow end! The arm bands were too small for me, so we improvised with tying a woggle around each arm! We got me transferred across to the hoist chair and in to the pool. I didn’t like this hoist chair as I was frightened my powerchair was going to end up in the pool, due to it having to be on the very edge to enable me to transfer.  The instructors were really helpful and taught me how to ‘swim’ again with just my arms, how to get myself from on my back, to on my front etc.

Dolphins Swimming Club

After my gentle introduction, we started going swimming regularly. I have relearnt to swim properly since my injury with my arms and more recently I am managing to get my legs to join in a bit.

I go to the Dolphins at Woking pool in the park, once a week. They run sessions on a Tuesday lunchtime and Friday evening. It is a session for disabled people, so you don’t get looks from other people as everyone is accepting. I like going to Woking as they have a Lagoon pool. The water is warmer, so I don’t spasm as much when I get in and it is a sloped entry, so you can be wheeled in on a shower chair rather than hoisted. Furthermore, if someone can walk but not do steps, then they can walk in.

Swimming Regularly

I go swimming with my Mum and PA. Initially, when I am wheeled into the water and then floated off the shower chair, I spasm a bit, especially if it is colder water. It takes me a few minutes to adapt to it. Then we try and relax my body, stretch me out and loosen me up. On land it is hard to stretch as much. Then I do some exercises, followed by swimming, standing practice and trying to take a few steps, supported by my Mum and PA. It takes a lot out of me, but the benefits are worthwhile. I am not very good at pacing! Often, I don’t feel too bad at the time, but pay for it suffering later. 

There are many benefits to swimming regularly, I find I feel less stiff, it helps a bit with pain, as well as improving my fitness and enabling me to progress with my physiotherapy. It is also enjoyable, which is important! Some things are possible in the water, that are not on land. The water supports you and makes it safer. If you fall over, you will not hurt yourself. Initially, it was safe for me to stand in water but not on land, due to my osteoporosis.

I have got quite good at swimming now. My Mum struggles to keep up with me! Often, people are quite shocked when I start swimming, after seeing me struggling to get in the pool in the hoist or shower chair and then doing my exercises. I am a water baby. 

Sometimes, when I go to the local pool, I do some exercises in the slow lane and settle from spasms. When I am going to start swimming lengths, people say to me ‘I will go first’ indicating I will be slower and they don’t want to be stuck behind me! They stereotype and assume because I am disabled, I will be slow. My Mum says to me: ‘Just they wait and see!’ I then catch them up and overtake them!

I struggle more in the shallow end because I can’t stand up properly; I end up knocking my knees on the floor. So, I prefer deeper water. I swim lengths with my PA, in case I go into spasm or need help. In the shallow end she supports me in the water.

Hydrotherapy at White Lodge

I also go to White Lodge for a session of hydrotherapy once a week, and have an individual session with a physiotherapist. It is good to do physiotherapy in the water, to be able to develop and challenge things further. The water is hotter in the hydrotherapy pool, which has its pros and cons. It is lovely when you are in the pool and great for relaxing muscles, however it can get a bit hot for those on the pool side and in the changing rooms.

If anyone is thinking of taking up swimming or some sort of water-based therapy. Whether you are able or disabled, I would definitely encourage you to do so. Be prepared it is tiring, but so beneficial. I would recommend going with someone, especially on the first trip, phoning up the pool you are intending to go to and finding out what facilities they have, and whether that will meet your needs. Some pools have pool pods as an alternative to pool hoist chairs. Personally, I have never used one but they look good. 

Why not give it a go? 

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you might even like to look into open water swimming. I have heard that it is supposed to be very uplifting and good for mental wellbeing. However, maybe master swimming in a pool first and wait for better weather next summer!

Hannah x

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