STEPIN2NOW® Swimwear has designed a swimsuit that is changing the lives of women suffering from arthritis and other physical conditions that make putting on a suit so challenging. Upper West Side founder Anne Byrnes created a revolutionary design that enables women to simply step into a swimsuit, eliminating painful bending, pulling and twisting.

Byrnes credits her sister, who swims in a warm pool to relieve pain caused by arthritis, for inspiring her swimsuit. When getting into and taking off her swimsuit became a struggle, she thought she would have to give up water exercise entirely. Byrnes, who is a retired clinical psychologist, says “The exercise is not the issue. The problem for many women stems from the actual process of getting into and then out of a wet suit.”

The benefits of the STEPIN2NOW® suit derive from its design and shape. It consists of two independent half-suits that slide one on top of the other. Each half suit has one shoulder strap and no fabric above the waist on the opposite side, allowing the arm to easily slide into the strap without rotating the shoulder. Reducing stress on the hands, back and shoulders was the key design criterion and remains the most important benefit. In addition, the shoulder straps don’t bind and stay in place and there are no zippers, snaps or velcro closures that require dexterity.

“The need for low-impact exercise that increases mobility and provides pain relief is becoming acute as we get older. Because the buoyancy of water supports you and alleviates the fear of falling, exercising in water is much easier than on land,” says Byrnes. She loves the warm-water pool at the JCC Manhattan on Amsterdam and W. 76th where she does the Water Exercise for Arthritis classes that are offered 5 times per week.