I've recently started swimming for exercise, and have to say I am really loving it. Though always a Water baby, the very idea of swimming back and forth and back and forth never appealed to me AT.ALL. Booooorrrrring, I thought. No music!

Until this last couple of weeks. For some reason, upon catching a whiff of the pool-chlorinated air last time I was in the Y locker room, I got the urge to swim a little. The thought didn't leave me, and in the last two weeks--during a time of incredible professional stress--I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It's remarkable! Using all my muscles, non-impact, no sweating (!), really stretching as well as contracting and getting decent cardio as well, it's pretty miraculous. I'm totally NOT a jock, and literally can't do more than two laps of crawl before my arms start to scream, but without pushing myself too hard I actually can do 25 laps of breast, back, and side stroke. The next day I feel really nicely worked out, and there's no question it is a great way of managing stress.

I hope I can keep this up! Anyone else start slow with swimming? How is it going for you now?

Hopefully after my week check up he will let me get back to it!

My doc wouldn't allow swimming for 6 weeks, FYI....and even then he said to go slowwwwww.

HI! I too am a swimmer...have been for a long time...and I compare it to walking on the moon. I can move so good in the water, but when I come out, yikes is it hard to walk up those steps. I have to keep my walker close by or I would definitely go down. Swimming is the only way that I can get exercise due to the arthritis. I love the water. I go to an aerobics class called 'WetWorks' and work out for about 30 minutes and then I go out to the deep end and finish out the hour with laps. My arms get really tired also, but I have found that I can keep my heart rate up by 'jogging' in the water. I take a stance just like I was jogging on land and go a couple of laps and then go back to crawl or backstroke. I cannot wait to see what results I will get with it once I am banded. My instructor is really excited for me. She has insisted that I work really hard up until surgery cause she knows that I would have a break afterwards til the doc says I can come back. Can't wait!!!

I looooove the feeling of swimming, too! Nice to have a club!

I never learned how to swim properly (I just "propelled" myself through the Water - zero technique). I took a class for adult beginners last year, and it was fantastic. Could never before put my face in the water w/o holding my nose, but now I can (sure helps w/technique - imagine doing strokes w/only one arm! haaa!).

I like to swim before work, too - feel like a million bucks when I'm done, quick shower, and I'm off. Since I'm still a beginner, I use fins, too. Also, being wicked out of shape amde me fatigue and suck wind something awful after each lap, so the instructor told me to alternate laps with using a floaty board (mini boogie board type thing). I started with alternating one lap and three floaty laps to build stamina. Really helped both technique and stamina, and that good ol' feeling of accompplishment.

I bought a finger lap counter, too, which shows me the time it takes for each lap, avg time, etc, plus lap count. Helps w/motivation.

As for hair (my big hang up - I have long hair and wanted it to stay that way, but it can't handle the daily pool abuse)...I use swimmer's shampoo (can't think of the brand offhand) to remove chlorine, plus deep conditioner. Also, I always wear a cap (keeps my hair mostly protected, plus keeps it from flinging in my face during swim time). I haven't had any problems, and I'm super picky,

As for skin, my tends to dry quickly, also. I now shower daily with the Olay purple body wash - it has lots of skin conditioners in it, and works great. Also removes the chlorine smell. nice bonus.

Aneeway, nice to have other swimmers out there. I tend to do other stuff during the summer, but swim indoors in the fall/winter (I wish I could ski and ice skate, but the knees aren't up to it yet - maybe post-band...).

Have fun out there!!!!!! :whoo:

~kat

I like to swim before work, too - feel like a million bucks when I'm done, quick shower, and I'm off. Since I'm still a beginner, I use fins, too. Also, being wicked out of shape amde me fatigue and suck wind something awful after each lap, so the instructor told me to alternate laps with using a floaty board (mini boogie board type thing). I started with alternating one lap and three floaty laps to build stamina. Really helped both technique and stamina, and that good ol' feeling of accompplishment.

See, it is NOT cheating!! I definitely don't think fins are a cop-out at all, since I really feel the difference in my muscles.

I bought a finger lap counter, too, which shows me the time it takes for each lap, avg time, etc, plus lap count. Helps w/motivation.

As for hair (my big hang up - I have long hair and wanted it to stay that way, but it can't handle the daily pool abuse)...I use swimmer's shampoo (can't think of the brand offhand) to remove chlorine, plus deep conditioner. Also, I always wear a cap (keeps my hair mostly protected, plus keeps it from flinging in my face during swim time). I haven't had any problems, and I'm super picky,

As for skin, my tends to dry quickly, also. I now shower daily with the Olay purple body wash - it has lots of skin conditioners in it, and works great. Also removes the chlorine smell. nice bonus.

Sigh, I hate the proliferation of gadgets even though I know they help. Swimming was supposed to be easy, but now I have the swim cap, goggles, towel, and now fins. I also have to take off my earrings (I've already lost one) and worry about losing my rings.

Excuses, excuses...

My doctor told me that swimming laps actually burns more calories than running. I HATE to sweat. So it works for me. The foam dumb bells are awesome for working out the arms. At my weight now, I feel like a turd in a puchbowl. I float very easily. Built it May Wests!! When I was thinner, I used to tread water instead of laps. Very hard to do when you have little body fat. As you lose, I recommend adding that to your exercise. As you lose it automatically gets more and more difficult. It adjusts to you, so it's the perfect exercise.

A swimming convert! Boards aren"t cheating, they help you move faster!

Good luck next week

I hope you know I was kidding about the fins! I'm sure you do.... it was just the first thing that popped into my head. I have never learned the art of just shutting UP!

If I don't swim regularly (only once a week) I prolly don't have much hope of increasing my laps. I mean i work with weights and other cardio the rest of the week...maybe I will eventually. The most I can do is 3-4 and then I do the dumbbells and other exercises, then 'cheat' with a floater for a couple of laps, then freestyle a couple of laps, etc. My goal now is just to keep moving in the pool for 30-40 minutes. Any suggestions?

You are doinf just fine. Sounds like a waonderful water program to me!

Keep it up Terri, just keep going at it! Your doing great! I am 5 days out from banding now and i cant wait to get back to swimming. I have been walking about a mile a day since surgery but i much prefer swimming.

3 summers ago I was doing Atkin's and swimming laps daily and I lost over 30 pounds in 2 months without ever feeling as though I had worked out...just love it!

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I am right there with you Alexandra! I was hooked on swimming but now I am a week out of surg. so it will be a little while until I get back in. Laps never appealed to me either. However, I read this book and the girl was ashamed of how much she weighed and went swimming every night so noone would see her and the weight started to melt off. She would go back and forth ,back and forth... Anyways, thats how I got on my kick and get wait to make it back! The book is quite entertaining, Night Swimming , is the name of it!

Just thinking.....my surgery scares are going to look kinda weird when i go back swimming next week.

I hope nobody will think too much about it at the pool. I guess if they have a problem with it then its their problem.

I have the IPOD waterproof cover for my Nano. You have to use it with the waterproof headphones but it has transformed laps for me.

No more boredom - plus I can set a playlist of songs to pace my workout.

I didn't know they had something like that - any more info? do you know if they have one for a regular sized iPod?