Coming back to swimming?

Hey guys and gals, I have a quick question. I haven't swam rigorously since high school which was 4 years ago. I'm getting back into it right now, and my shoulders start hurting after doing just 2 100s. Is it just because I haven't used them in this manner in a long time? What can I do to swim longer without having this pain? I stretch a lot before working out, so that can't be it. Do I just need to keep swimming so that I can get used to it? Thanks, Greg What helps me is warming up primarily with dolphin or flutter kicking on my back -- the big muscles do warm up faster, after all. Other than initiating my turn, I don't bring the arms in for a good 1,000 meters. Doing lots of kick helped me ramp up my endurance and total distance in a relatively pain-free manner after a three-year layoff. Fins and/or a swimmer's snorkel may may also help you take the load off your shoulders. On the flip side of that equation, you may want to lay off pulling, at least not with big paddles. Technique wise, make sure your arms aren't crossing over the centerline in free/back -- that seems to be a common culprit for shoulder pain.

Hey guys and gals, I have a quick question. I haven't swam rigorously since high school which was 4 years ago. I'm getting back into it right now, and my shoulders start hurting after doing just 2 100s. Is it just because I haven't used them in this manner in a long time? What can I do to swim longer without having this pain? I stretch a lot before working out, so that can't be it. Do I just need to keep swimming so that I can get used to it? Thanks, Greg What helps me is warming up primarily with dolphin or flutter kicking on my back -- the big muscles do warm up faster, after all. Other than initiating my turn, I don't bring the arms in for a good 1,000 meters. Doing lots of kick helped me ramp up my endurance and total distance in a relatively pain-free manner after a three-year layoff. Fins and/or a swimmer's snorkel may may also help you take the load off your shoulders. On the flip side of that equation, you may want to lay off pulling, at least not with big paddles. Technique wise, make sure your arms aren't crossing over the centerline in free/back -- that seems to be a common culprit for shoulder pain.