No stinky sneakers, no sweat-drenched T-shirts. If that isn't enough to get you to a pool long after summer's past -- doing laps, water aerobics or pool walking -- we've got five more reasons to make a splash:

1. Pushing water out of the way tunes every muscle you move. Water's more resistant than a teenager trying not to take out the trash (12 times more resistant than air). Translation: You get some strength training with every move you make. (Yup, even tugging your suit back into place.) We like weight lifting more, but moving water is a good start for those who haven't lifted anything heavier than a loaded fork lately.

2. Your joints like it. Water's buoyancy reduces your body weight by up to 90 percent. If you've got a creaky hip or shoulder, a water workout gets it moving. It has proved great for arthritis or fibromyalgia.

3. You'll live longer. Compared with walkers and runners, swimmers who were in the pool a few times a week were 50 percent less likely to die during a recent 32-year study involving 40,000 guys. Why? Regularly clocking laps boosted cardiovascular fitness better.

4. You can keep it up forever. Because water workouts are so easy on your body, you won't have to retire the way many runners do. Thrilling example: 41-year-old swimmer Dara Torres, who won three silver medals at the 2008 Olympics.

5. No, it won't make you fat. That rumor went viral when somebody discovered that splashing around in really cold water increases appetite. No worries. Most indoor pools are kept at 80 degrees.

The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: On a Diet." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.

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