Is this enough?

Fanny Adams · January 19, 2008

I am one (of the many, I'm sure) who loathes exercise, but one thing I've usually been comfortable doing is swimming. I work on a mine site in the far north of Western Australia) and it is just too damned hot (even at 4:30am!) to go outside walking, so I've been swimming in the camp pool after work at night.

It took me a week but I have gotten up to doing 1km of laps each night, using a mix of breaststroke, backstroke and overarm/crawl. It usually takes me about 40 minutes to do this and I was planning on stepping up the pace and taking fewer breaks until I could do it all at a brisk pace non-stop, before stepping up the distance.

When I am home in Perth (3,000km further south), I can handle walking in the early morning or late evening, as it is cooler then. Currently I've been doing 2.5km about 3-4 times per week, each walk taking exactly 30 mins.

Everyone else that reports their exercise routine seems to be doing things like an hour of hard cardio 6 times a week or similar. So is 1km per night swimming or 2.5km every 2nd day walking enough? Or should I be trying for more? Do I have to keep increasing the times/distances to keep getting benefit from it, or can I just stick to the current routine?

Fanny Adams · January 19, 2008

*sigh* I guess it isn't enough but everyone's too polite to tell me so?

rharriet62 · January 19, 2008

I think what you are doing is great! The only things I have read and heard about swimming is that since you are floating, you are not bearing weight on your bones and joints to build strength. That being said, I think if you can swim and then walk when it's cooler weather, you'll be doing great. If you are losing, then it's probably enough for now. Remember that as you get more fit, you will have to increase time, tempo, do some other exercise, and lift! Can you ever get to a gym or be indoors where it's air conditioned?

Fanny Adams · January 19, 2008

Thank you for replying! And yes, there is a air-conditioned gym of sorts in the mining camp, but it is generally full of fit, buff young miners and there's no way in hell I'm going in there to huff and puff red-faced on the treadmill in front of them! The camp pool doesn't get as much patronage (not sure why) and even when there's others in there, I can hide below the Water surface and don't get so red-faced because it is so much cooler to swim.

I'm going to try to increase the walking when I'm home to every day, instead of every other day, but it won't be cooler when I'm on site for some time yet (there's only about 6-8 weeks of the year where it gets below 90F, and it can be up to 130F!!), so best I can do there is swim further or swim faster. I'm not sure which would be better for me - further or faster do you think?

Ceradad · January 19, 2008

I'm far from an expert, but I would say anything you are doing to get in better shape will only help you long term. If that is all your body can handle now, so be it. Work your way up to more gradually. Your body will let you know when it is ready to go more. Just keep in mind that your body will get used to the stress quicker than your mind will. You need to push yourself just a little more each week than the last. Otherwise, your body "gets used" to the amount your doing and you won't see the same results.

One thing I had to learn, and have to keep telling myself, is NEVER compare yourself to others. Especially in working out. Everyone is different. I've always been big and tall (6'3") and have been into weightlifting since I was a frosh in hs. Always felt the need to look like one of the strongest in the gym by pushing the most weight. If someone was doing more, I felt bad. Now, I don't care what others are doing in the gym. I only care about myself and what I am comfortable doing. I know I could do more if I wanted to, but why? I'm not in that mode anymore.

As I said, I still need to tell myself this often. Even doing cardio next to slimmer, younger kids running on the treadmill.

Keep up the good work and you'll accomplish your goals. Never let anyone else tell you what you should be doing. Except your dr, of course.

kimsretro · January 19, 2008

Girl, I say, whatever you are doing is enough. Something is always better then nothing.

With that being said, I say go to the gym. The heck with those guys and girls whom you think might be looking at you. I was the same way. I was 330 pounds when I started this journey. I work at the local University and we have a gym also. It is usually packed full of the hot buff college kids. But let me tell you how suprised I was when those same kids after being there a week, started offering great advise. You may THINK you are being watch, I DID, but in all reality, your not. Give it shot and go for it.

rharriet62 · January 19, 2008

I totally agree with kimsretro. I would go to the gym, too. We always think people are going to look at us, but even when I'm in the gym now, I am so busy sweating and focusing on my workout that I don't pay much attention to others. Plus once you go there a few times, you will be permanent fixture there, too! As far as distance or speed, you might want to rotate those for variety and for working on those skills for your own strength. Each will help you out a bunch! Sounds like you are on the right track!