Pool Water Isn't Always My Friend

I love exercising. All my friends think I’m insane for loving it, but that’s okay because I love how much better I feel after working out. I love how I am getting stronger and am able to do things easier.

Exercising in the pool

One of my favorite ways to exercise is to jog in the pool. It’s a more efficient and gentler way for me to exercise. Usually, I’m ready to call it a night and head to bed afterward. I only do it in the summer though, since the pool I go to is outdoors. The only problem I have is how it affects my eczema. Exercising, in general, helps it quite a bit, but my rash tends to act up after I have been in the pool.

Pool water causing issues

Putting cold water on my eczema tends to help a lot. Cold water keeps it from being dry and scaly, but something about pool water makes it worse. After getting out of the pool, my eczema often gets incredibly scaly and dry, to a very uncomfortable point. Why would it get so bad if I was already literally submerging it in something that helps it? I slowly learned that not everything in the pool is helpful.

Chlorine and eczema

After doing some research on pool water and eczema, I discovered what anyone with any common sense would realize. Hello! That the pool is full of germs and chlorine! What I found out is that pools are not friendly AT ALL for anyone with eczema. Chlorine is a huge trigger for eczema and the only way I’d be able to avoid a flare is to wear a full scuba suit!! So much for cooling off!! I know everyone has different reactions, but for me, chlorine worsens my eczema. Every time I’d get out of the pool my rash would flare wickedly. Sadly, I haven’t really found a way around this. No matter what I always have a flare of some degree when I go to the pool.

Other ways to exercise

Over the last couple of months, I’ve been looking for ways to do the same amount of exercise without going to the pool. I spend at least 30 minutes stretching and doing other toning exercises before I go to bed. I’ve also been making sure I get in at least 10,000 steps a day. To be honest, this was difficult at first, but it’s slowly becoming easier. Committing to going on daily walks helps. It’s still not the same intensity that I got from working out in the pool, but I’m slowly making up for it. I still go every now and then, because I have a lot of fun with my workout pals, but I always make sure I put my topical treatment on it immediately after getting out of the pool. I do miss going all the time, but I must learn that I can’t force myself to do something that makes my condition worse.

Has eczema gotten in the way of your exercise program? If so, what have you done to change it?