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?

Get on the floor and do 3 sets of 20 crunches. Do some lunges. Walk in place. Grab some cans of tomatoes and do some curls. Stretch. Turn on the fitness channel. Run to Sam's and buy a workout video.

Sorry, charlie....your excuses don't wash!!

yeah I'm spoiled - my missus is an instructor at Paul Mitchell The School and they always send her boxes of the new products to get acquainted with

Ok, i have been keeping my swimming up. 50 laps a day at the Y. Even on Sats.

One thing ive noticed. Some swimmers seem to think its ok to spit in the pool. YUCK! I know its all chlorinated at everything so i let it go.

Then this morning, the guard was obvisouly not feeling too good, coughing a little, and to my horror she comes over and spits in the pool too. TWICE :speechles. Right in someones lane!

:omg: I pay like $500 a year for a Family membership and i think its going up to 700 next year.

Anyone think this is ok? I though about calling and complaining to her supervisor but i think i will just ask her NOT to do that instead.

She was all her cell phone this morning too for about 10mins.

I would complain. Chlorine or not that is just plain nasty to spit in the pool.

definately complain - I go to gold's - I figure if I'm paying for it then I have to right to complain about how they run the place.

oh gross! Just nasty!

yep i did call in and let the supervisor that wasnt cool.

Anyway up to 60 laps a day now! 50 most days, did 60 yesterday. Lovin it.

right on daddy!

hubby and i are swimming for a half hr every other day at our local rec center. we pay $55 apiece per yr. and i would definitely complain if that happened where we go. i don't care how much or how little you pay that's just not even close to being acceptable. YUCK!

i'm being banded this coming thursday and have been trying to find out how long it will be before i can swim again.

i love this thread.

My swimming days have come to an end, at least temporarily. Thursday, I injured my rotator cuff swimming. My right arm, of all things, leaving me with difficulty doing everything because I'm right handed. I've been in a sling for 2 days. I don't know how I'm going to feel about going back into the pool once it's healed, because I certainly don't want this to happen again!

Yeah!!! Back in the pool today and I'm lovin' it!!!! I did my 30 minutes of water aerobics and about 25 minutes of lap swimming. I had to take it slow on the swimming. I could feel it in my stomach muscles, and I didn't want to get into trouble. It felt soooo good to be moving around. I have severe degenerative arthritis, and the pool is the only way to go for me. I can tell that all my muscles are tight and that really adds to the joint pain. I am starting slow with 3 days a week and then I will move up. Since I get in about an hour, I figure that I am really doing 6 days of 30 minutes. Sounds good anyway. :thumb: Everybody keep up the good work. Bye for now.

Karen :hippie:

Swimming has been working great for me. Banded 7-16-07 , down 58 nasty pounds. I have a pool at home ,so it's as easy as Fall'in in ! Pool has a freeform shape so I do laps around and around.....Like NASCAR ! ......................

I have been doing 50-60 laps every day in a 25yrd pool. Since Aug 6th i am down 60lbs!

wow daddy-o you've lost fast - 12 more laps and thats a mile - have you had a fill yet?

i'm having a countdown to when i can swim.

tomorrow is a week postop so 3 more weeks til i can swim.

i'm walking now but i'd love to swim too!!!!