I have had surgery for a herniated disk at c5 and c6 a little over a year ago and I can tell you that whatever you can do to avoid surgery do it. If that means not being able to ride or swim for some time then don't. I was in pain for 6 months + before surgery and continued to do whatever I wanted and one day while playing golf I felt a " pop " and ended up with a piece on my disk the size of a thumbnail pushed into my spinal collum. I was in a neck brace for 6 weeks after surgery. I coulden't even drive a car much less ride a bike or swim. Now a little more than a a year later I am back to 95+% and back doing all the things I enjoyed before ( bike, running, skiing, ect ) but had I gave it time to heal in the first place I might have saved alot of pain and I woulden't have a steel plate and screws in my spine.