Which swimming strokes are gentle on bad knees?

Stroke by stroke

• Front crawl: usually well tolerated; kick from the hip with a long, loose leg rather than bending sharply at the knee
• Backstroke: similar gentle flutter kick, and easy on the neck and back
• Breaststroke: the frog or whip kick twists and pushes the knee outwards, which can irritate the inner knee, ligaments and meniscus; use a flutter or dolphin kick with breaststroke arms instead
• Butterfly: demanding on the back and shoulders; the knees are usually fine but it is rarely a starting point
• Pull buoy: holding a float between your thighs lets you swim arms only on days the knee is sore

Water walking and pool exercises

Walking in chest-deep water reduces the load on the knee considerably and lets you practise a normal walking pattern. A simple pool routine:

• 1. Walk forwards for two to three minutes, then backwards and sideways
• 2. Holding the side, do slow knee bends to a comfortable depth, ten times
• 3. March on the spot, lifting each knee towards the surface, twenty times
• 4. Swing each straight leg forwards, sideways and backwards, ten times each
• 5. Finish with a few easy lengths of front crawl or backstroke

Swimming in Qatar

Indoor and shaded pools make swimming one of the easiest ways to stay active in the summer, when outdoor walking is hard. Many hotel, club and community pools in Doha are suitable. Avoid pushing off the wall hard with a bent knee if that hurts; glide off gently instead. Be careful on wet tiles and pool steps, which are a common place for slips.

After surgery and when to stop

After knee surgery, wait until your surgeon confirms the wounds are fully healed, commonly around two to three weeks for keyhole surgery and longer after bigger operations, and avoid breaststroke kick until you are cleared. Stop swimming if you feel sharp pain, the knee locks, or it swells afterwards, and get it assessed.