1 2 3 breathe! That’s what I repeat to myself as I swim laps and am struggling for air.
Oh, I haven’t mentioned swimming before? That’s because it’s a new activity in our lives. John and I started swimming laps at the beginning of last week. Last night I swam 100m freestyle without stopping. That’s fairly decent progress for me during the past two weeks. Our first workout was 400m. Last night, we either did 600 or 650m. We lost count. I never thought I would enjoy swimming laps, but I do!
The pros to swimming:
- It’s low impact, so it doesn’t hurt my knees.
- Better yet, it does not hurt John’s knees. (If we haven’t mentioned before, he has pretty bad knees.)
- Both John and I enjoy it, and it’s something we can do together.
- We don’t have to get drenched in sweat or endure extremely hot or cold outdoor temperatures to do the exercise.
- It’s a great whole body exercise that works cardio as well as many muscle groups.
Forseeable cons:
- The only downside that I can think of is the incredibly expensive pool membership fees. So far we haven’t gotten a pool membership and continue to pay the entrance fee (3 Euro each, or about $4.50). That won’t last long, though.
We also ordered some new swim gear last week. We’re waiting on new Speedo swim suits, goggles, ear plugs and swim caps for each of us. And guess what? We got all of that – including shipping – for $75! That’s a definite win in my book.
Have any of you swam laps for exercise? Do you have any drills or workouts you’d like to share? We’re definitely interested and would love to hear what you have to say.
Is John wearing a speedo??? um…. very brave!
Yes, but Speedo makes non-“Speedo” swimsuits. His are kind of like tight swim trunks. 🙂
I look awkward when I swim. I can do it, but not well. I think that’s awesome that yall do it together though! Fun!
Ya know, I felt awkward the first couple of times, but now it’s starting to feel a little more comfortable. Having John there to go through technique with me is especially helpful. Otherwise, I’d still be slapping my palms on the water as I tried to swim freestyle down the lanes.
I loved swimming! I would suggest getting a mp3 player that is waterproof to push you through your water workout. It attaches to your goggles and lets you push through that 30 min work out to an hour! I’ve also added Hula Hooping to my workout to help the core with the knees! A new idea that can push you through that goal!
Thanks 🙂 We both really want a waterproof mp3 player. The problem is cost. Hopefully we’ll be able to get one down the line, though. At this point, I’m just really really really looking forward to our new suits and googles! (Not to mention the swim cap – my hair is EVERYWHERE when I swim, even when I pull it up.)
I did recreational swimming for exercise one semester in college when I was having painful knee troubles and couldn’t run long distances. It was the hardest aerobic activity I’ve ever done! Who knew swimming was so…exhausting?! Good luck with it!
Thanks, Jim! It really is quite a work out. We’re now trying to supplement our work out by going to the gym and biking/walking too. We don’t want to tear up John’s knees though – especially not until we hear a report from the doctor as to what is wrong.
Oh I love swimming! That’s awesome that you are doing this. How fun!
Yeah, it’s a fun work out! You should check out one of the smaller community pools (they’re much smaller than the Bellamar, etc) when you get back.