My husband, dog and I were at the beach. It was fun to watch our dog run back and forth in the shallows, then bite at each wave as it gently collapsed on shore.

I work hard to walk as well as I can, so when I later looked at the video of us on the beach, I was shocked to see how much I actually limped.

Admittedly, I am much more graceful in the water. My years of competitive swimming, lifeguard training and instructor training have made me comfortable in the water; it is a place to play, to let the water support and energize me.

Water is a great non-weight-bearing way to exercise. Just being in the water is a wonderful way to forget that you may not move as smoothly as you'd like on dry-land. Plus, spending some time in the water allows you to limber up, resulting in a little more graceful movement on terra firma.