I would tend to agree with swimming being your best bet for low-impact exercise. There are also some things that can actually strengthen your joints. Ballet and gymnastics, for example -- although in both cases, you must be careful not to push yourself.
Slightly off-topic . . . Kae, why is it that disemboweling would hurt one's tush?
Dunno how y'all disembowel around here, but the traditional methods mostly involve the lower abdominal area.