Description: Every time you take a step, you put three to seven times the weight of your body on your joints. Take that same step in water, and the natural buoyancy of H2O gently lifts the pressure off your joints, while still allowing you to work your muscles.

People with arthritis increasingly turn to water exercise for several key reasons:

* The buoyancy of water supports your joints while you exercise.
* Warm water raises your body temperature, which increases your circulation, and can help ease stiffness.
* Water provides greater resistance than air, helping you build muscle strength.

You don't have to be a strong swimmer to benefit from water exercises. In fact, you don't even have to know how to swim. Here's one that any landlubber can try:

Stand in water that's about waist high or a little deeper -- just as long as you're able to plant your feet on the bottom -- and hold your arms out to your sides for balance. Put your left foot in front of your right. Raise and bend yo