What activity does every personal trainer tell you to do if you are injured/cross training/looking for a change up? Swimming. What activity does every pregnancy expert tell you is the best exercise for gestating moms? Swimming. What activity does my dear friend Dr. Jon - who is 70+ but looks like he's 40 and acts like he's 20 - swear by? Swimming (and some kind of crazy form of karate that I'm dying to try and yet also terrified of). And what have at least a dozen of you asked me at one point or another to do a Great Fitness Experiment on?
Swimming.I hate swimming.
Let's get one thing straight: being raised by parents who consider swimming a life skill and not optional, swim lessons were mandatory all the way up to high school. I can
swim. I can freestyle, back stroke, breast stroke and - the one I hate the least - side stroke just fine. I just don't like to.
I know what you're thinking - Charlotte's body image issues rear their ugly head again! But, weirdly, that's not my problem. First of all pregnancy gives me a pass on having a flat stomach and secondly the only people who swim at my Y during the time I'm there are the elderly and tiny tots. I'm fine with the whole swimsuit-in-public thing. So what's my deal, then? Why aren't I hopping gleefully into the water and letting the
buoyancy cradle my baby and my soul?
1. I hate being cold. I'm so intolerant of cold that it's become a running joke in our household. And to me anything short of a hot tub is considered cold. You know that feeling of first diving into a cold (okay, probably lukewarm) pool and slicing into the water? Some people love it. They think it's refreshing or something. I hate it. I'm immediately freezing and then I'm so grouchy about being cold that the first twenty minutes of my workout are ruined by my crabbiness. And then? Once I'm done I have to reverse the process by leaving the now-warm pool (no, I didn't pee in it) and facing the cold of the pool deck followed by the even colder locker room.
2. I hate being wet. I have really dry skin and the chlorine is like a chemical peel, especially on my face. I also just don't enjoy the sensation of water on my skin. It irritates me. I haven't taken a bath since I was 10 because I can't stand sitting in water.
3. I feel like I can't breathe. All pools have that layer of chlorinated warm moist air right above the water that unless you lift your head completely out of the water - like you are not supposed to unless you are a granny in a shower cap - you must inhale and exhale. I feel like I'm breathing through a damp rag.
4. I don't like wet hair. Confession time: I only wash my hair twice a week. Oh, I shower every day (
except when I don't) but having very dry, very thin hair it actually works out better to not wash it every day. Honestly it styles better when it has 2-3 days of gym sweat build-up in it. When I do wash it, it's a pain to do. I do not have wash-n-wear hair. It doesn't dry straight or curly but must be coerced - with great heat - to do one or the other. However, if frizzy ever comes back in style I'm all set.
5. It's such a production. You have to remember your suit and your goggles and a towel and extra clothes and a blow dryer and lotion and shampoo and flip flops and your arm wings (kidding!). It takes forever to get in the pool and twice as long to get out. Not to mention that you have to shave places that in a month or two I won't even be able to see thanks to the belly. Why go through all that when you can just arrive and be sweating it out in a class (that doesn't require a bikini wax) within 5 minutes?
6. You can't talk. You guys know that my gym time is my social time. My head is a noisy place and scary things happen when I am left alone with it for too long. While you can swim with a friend, that's really in name only as you won't hear, see, or talk to them for the duration of your workout. I'm chatty; I'd miss my friends. Even if they were just in the next lane over.
7. I wear contacts. Without them I'm blind. (True story: when I was 16 I jumped on the back of a boy in the pool whom I thought was my brother - thanks to my seriously limited vision - only to realize my horrible mistake when he turned around with an indignant "Can I help you?") Swimming + contacts = all kinds of problems.
Now that I've thoroughly depressed you, you may be wondering why I unleashed this torrent of whine on you. Here's the thing: I want to want to swim. If that makes any sense. I want to like it! It's such a great workout and I need a change right now and, well, I'm pregnant! So I'm turning to you guys - I know tons of you love to swim. Tell me about it! Help me turn my frown upside down and belly flop gloriously into the pool!
What's great about swimming? Why do you like it? How have you overcome your challenges with swimming?
Comments (17)
Basically, everything you have written applies to me to a T. Except that swimming messed up my already-tendonitis-plagued arms even more so I can no longer do it for a while. It was good exercise, but I don't miss the hassle. Basically, you might not end up loving it. I haven't figured out how it benefits outweigh its massive amounts of inconveniences. Unless you literally live next to a lake, swimming takes way more chore-like effort than regular gym time.
I'm a guy.
It's easy for me to get in and out ... then jump in the pool. I’m not concern about being cold because eventually, my body will get used to it. I love swimming because I can move my body dynamically. Moving your body freely in a different environment is the key.
I love swimming.
hmmm as far as the "cold factor" ever try like maybe a surfer suit. just an idea because I would think more covered would allow more heat.
Instead of swiming in a pool try a lake or river because sometimes there is a slight current and you get more resistance swimming up stream. You could also try water park- I am just saying for variety.
I love swimming. I get in the water and just exhale so that I can sink all of the way to the bottom and then look up and around at the water moving all around me and there is just an ambiance about it that soothes me and excites me at the same time. I love how the noises travel so much faster underwater (although where the come from is a little difficult sometimes), but yet the water blocks out so much of the life on the surface. And then, the workouts are just amazing. They don't hurt your joints but you work so hard, and you're not stifling hot at the end.
No one can make you love or even like swimming. And some people just don't, it happens. However, I love swimming, and I find a lot of legitimacy in your complaints.
As far as being cold, I suggest bringing sweats. Those old things that you wear around the house? Bring them, even if you look stupid in front of the old people and the kids. Swim your thing, get out, towel off a bit, then throw the clothes on and wrap your hair. At least try to get warm that way. But you're still going to have to jump in and get used to it. :)
Consider making it...less of a production. Can you wash your hair in your much nicer, comfier, and familiar shower at home where you won't have to wear flip flops? Sure, you'll be a bit nasty on the drive home, but at least you can get in, get out. I think I'm a bit on the extreme end when I literally walk out of the place with my swimsuit on and my towel wrapped around me, but hey. I don't waste time at the joint. Also, those couple of times a week when you wash your hair? Maybe go swimming right before you wash your hair.
Swim when your friends have to be busy so that you can just put yourself into gear to exercise, not socialize.
Wear goggles to protect your eyes and your contacts.
And as far as being wet, feeling like you can't breathe...well, I hate to sound useless, but that's really something you're either going to adjust to/never adjust to.
Go to the pool when it's relatively quiet. Get in the water, and don't worry about swimming for the fitness at first. Just move around, play in the water a little bit. Kick and pull around a little bit, and experiment with propulsion, see how your body moves differently in the environment.
I hope some of this helps. And if you never like swimming, don't fret. There are plenty of other things out there. Good luck!
i love swimming, day in day out i'm form the pool. i swim in the winter, the summer, spring, fall, when it rains, suns, cloudy, whatever, I swim.
You'll learn to love it. It's easy to do, think of it as running, except in water. It has a variety of short sprinting events, and long events that require endurance.
I've heard that, if you bring a bottle of your own water, and pour some of it into the pool, it helps youre swim fast because it's "friendly" water. Haven't tried it yet.
also, my boyfriend is a crazy, mad swimmer. he helps me too.
I don't like the smell of the water either. You can blow bubbles out of your nose to help you inhale once you lift your head to breath. Goggles = great help.
I can't swim and I'm too scared to learn how to.
I'm terrified of swimming... I don't swim at all.
For the wet hair thing- do you wear a cap? It's not perfect, but your hair won't get all that wet.
For contacts- wear goggles- it can take a while to find some that aren't leaky- I like the $2-3 swedish ones- they have no cushioning so when you start wearing them, yes, they hurt, but it grows on you, and they don't leak.
For the cold- sweats are a good after option, so is a nice toasty swimmer's parka. Or if your pool has a jacuzzi, that's another good option.
For the social aspect- I'm not all that social at the gym or the pool so it's not a big deal to me- but if you do sets with someone, you could bring a kick board and build in kick-sets to the work-out- or head out of water breast stroke. That will let you chat for a bit.
For the hassle of what to remember- I keep a little bag that always has my swim stuff in it- cap, goggles, sun screen, hand paddles, and swim suit always stay in the bag so I can just grab it with a towel and go.
Lots of luck- I hope swimming grows on you- it's a great option to add to your workouts.
Come on do you really need to bring all that stuff? If you don't like wet hair wear a swim cap, and you dont 'need' the lotion and everything. Clorine at first is bothersome but after a while you get used to it...idk, maybe some people aren't cut out for swimming...
Ohh, I lovee swimming. :) But lately I haven't been such a big fan since it dries out my skin and I feel the need to breathe while I'm doing laps.
But, I'm a swimmer and I hope you can learn to lovee swimming, too! With goggles on, you are able to see perfectly under the water. You can wear a swimming cap and swim with your head up to avoid getting your head wet. Have a swim buddy. It'll make swimming much more enjoyable. And shower right afterwards to get the chlorine smell off (though I do like the smell ahah ... that's what swim team does to you). You can always swim in a heated pool, and right after, grab a parka or jump into a warm shower. Hope these things help. :)
swimming is awesome. i'd rather swim than run any day. but really, swimming is just something you either like or don't like. i hate running, and i accept it. i'm not going to try running because i know i have a better (for me) alternative - swimming.
if you're cold, bring sweats. just like a lot of other people are saying. there's really no way of getting around that.
as for being wet and having the chlorine feeling on your skin, moisturize. after you swim, take a nice hot shower then moisturize. it helps a lot. i used to moisturize every day - even on days that i don't swim. just start getting into that habit.
the whole not being able to breathe thing, you just have to get used to that. :/ sorry.
you don't like wet hair... well.. if you plan on swimming every day, get over it. but if not, like someone said before, swim the days you do wash your hair. that way you don't have to change your schedule or anything. or you could try a swim cap. there's no guarantee that your hair will stay completely dry, especially if you have long hair, but it helps.
it's really not as big of a production as you make it seem. what i do is, usually when i leave to swim i wear my suit under my clothes and bring underwear or whatever for changing after. then when i get there i just take it off and jump in. when i'm done, i rinse off the pool water at their showers, change back into my clothes, jet home and take a nice shower. as for all the other amenities, i usually keep a duffel bag with goggles, a swim cap and flip flops. i don't bring shampoo/conditioner or soap unless i'm leaving from the gym for something else right after.
i usually don't work out to socialize. i like "alone time" sometimes, and swimming is the best way to get it. it's the best way to isolate yourself and just focus on your sets, or your techniques.
and for contacts... i wear contacts too so i know how bad it can get. i have really good competition goggles from speedo. when i was on the swim team at school i had to have those to keep them from flying off my face when i dove, so i had to buy them. they ran around $20ish which really isn't that bad considering they've lasted me for a long time. they don't really hurt your face either. they have a nice silicone cushion.
anyways, those are my suggestions, sorry i wasn't TOO much of a help since i basically said what other people have said in my own words. but like i said, it's something you either like or you don't like, and hopefully, you find a way to like it.
btw, sidestroke = death. just kidding.
omg i feel you...
i dreaded taking classes but afterwards
i actually joined the swim team how ironic
now i love swimming!!
1 buy a wetsuit/ find a warm pool. either a private pool or a pool for elderly/babies
2 wear vaselline
3 swim outdoors in a lake, but that will be cold
4 wear a swim cap or only swim on days that you would otherwise shower
5 is it really? i work in a pool so its just the time it takes to put my suit on and get in
6 find a friend and swim head up. my sister and i do this. treading water is good
7 prescription goggles
Maybe swimming is just not for you!
You have two choices 1) don't swim, find something else; or 2) swim, and just get used to all the crap you hate
About your friend problem, I prefer swimming alone more often because while swimming, there's really not much to do but think. It helps clear out your mind, and for me, I think I'm decent at swimming, so I just swim without any thoughts toward swimming; it's muscle memory; I just think. I don't exactly LIKE swimming, but for exercise that's how I make do.
swimming has been the absolute best thing to ever come across my life.
it has helped me become healthy and learn a painless version of exercise. Running is not my thing, which only leaves me with the chlorine.
I was a really angry and depressed child from unfortunate events of my youth, so my parents threw me into a swimming program.
Joining swim team gave me an outlet for my anger, and the more upset i was, the faster i would go and could release every single stress that had been bothering me throughout the day.
goggles - help SO much with contacts. I'm almost considered legally blind without any sort of vision assistance. definitley choose goggles for the contacts situation
cold - leave a towel on the deck! it helps me get all dry once i've done my 2 hour workout.
social - join a local masters/club team! it's much more fun to swim competitively with friends then swim by yourself. The best soundbites you could ever hear are during your 15 seconds between 50s on the 40 seconds! : )
long story short, i love swimming.
i would recommend it to anyone.
no exceptions.
<3 monica