Hello USMS forum,
First off I just want to say that it is great to be here and that I am really looking forward to speaking with you all. In my younger days, everyone would get togeather and go down to the local swimming pool and play around for hours. These days I haven't seen a pool for about 4 years. As a teenager and in my early twenty's, I always had a slim figure but as the years have gone by my stomach has begun to grow. So, it's about time I did something about it! Then swimming came to mind.
So the main question is how much do I have to swim? for it have an effect on my weight and health? I think the local swimming pool is 25 or 50m in length, as I said it's been a while. I purely want to do this to get a little exercise back into my life. I see there are a few group exercise sections but I'm not too comfortable in a group but I am quite happy swimming on my own. I have my fashionable swimming truinks from this site here: www.easyprices.com/.../swim-trunks-price haha, and goggles ready to go.
If there are some health and exercise specialist on here I will place a few details below that might help you know how much exercise would benefit me.
Age: 32
Height: 6ft
Weight: 82kg
Daily exercise: 0
Job: Sitting in an office
As you can see I haven't got the healthiest lifestyle and it could do with a few adjustments. I'm looking forward to some replies and seeing how beneficial swimming can be!!
Thanks guys
www.lobsc.org.uk/.../cust_bg_2504_1438822456879.jpg
Getting the pool into my routine is what I am aiming for, this way it will become a habit instead of work.
So going with the starting slow, how should I feel when I leave the pool? tired or a little pumped? and should I be stretching before I go in? I know you are pretty much weightless in water but you still have to use muscles...
I am going to make myself a little swimming plan and get back to you guys after I have managed to do my first day. It's really exciting, to be honest! I want to get back in the water!
You can do a light warmup before, but I think it is better to stretch after. This will have an added benefit of helping recovery. For me, the best warmup for swimming is slow swimming, but I do some kicking while sitting on the side to loosen up my ankles and some arm circles to get my shoulders going.
There was an article a few years ago about adding swimming to workouts as a beginner. I think it was in Men's Health. They suggested swimming slow and easy for as long as you could to start off. Count the lengths. Swim that many lengths fast, resting after each one. Swim slow and easy and try to match the original distance. That can give you an idea of how much to start with.
Getting the pool into my routine is what I am aiming for, this way it will become a habit instead of work.
So going with the starting slow, how should I feel when I leave the pool? tired or a little pumped? and should I be stretching before I go in? I know you are pretty much weightless in water but you still have to use muscles...
I am going to make myself a little swimming plan and get back to you guys after I have managed to do my first day. It's really exciting, to be honest! I want to get back in the water!
You can do a light warmup before, but I think it is better to stretch after. This will have an added benefit of helping recovery. For me, the best warmup for swimming is slow swimming, but I do some kicking while sitting on the side to loosen up my ankles and some arm circles to get my shoulders going.
There was an article a few years ago about adding swimming to workouts as a beginner. I think it was in Men's Health. They suggested swimming slow and easy for as long as you could to start off. Count the lengths. Swim that many lengths fast, resting after each one. Swim slow and easy and try to match the original distance. That can give you an idea of how much to start with.
