New member swim for general fitness question.

Yeah, I can sympathize. Another long time runner here, 40+ years and close to 500 road races, then arthritis in the spine forced me out of it a couple years ago. Swimming is the only major exercise I could do without pain. Let me begin by saying something I am sure many here will take the wrong way. Nothing is better than a 10 mile run, nothing, but you don't have that choice any more. You can swim every day if you please, but pool availability schedules will most likely limit you to 5. You won't get a leg workout the way you think, but breaststroke is probably best for range of motion. Dolphin kick I don't know. With spinal issues, I don't dare. Flutter kick can be a major problem for long time runners/cyclists. I can take a kick board and flail away for all I'm worth and not move an inch forward. My kick leaves me dead in the water. Yours may too. Here's why. Check out some swimmers photos online and see how flat they can make their foot relative to the lower leg. By that I mean they can bend the foot down so that it is no longer an L shape coming off the lower leg. The top of the foot can be parallel to the shin. That's how they get power in the kick. As a runner, your ankles, feet and all their constituent parts have solidified into the L shape. Your tendons simply can't stretch that far. I can't go down more than 45 degrees, let alone flat. Does that mean you should not kick? Not at all. With the foot at 45 deg. relative to the leg, the downward motion and upward motion cancel each other out and it becomes a neutral motion, hence staying dead in the water while flailing away. BUT, kicking keeps your whole body in the correct position in order to glide through the water more smoothly, otherwise the legs sink and create a ton of drag. So whether it is productive or not, do kicking drills. Cramps. After decades of running you may forget how badly you once had calf cramps and shin splints after longer distance runs. They're back, especially at 3AM when you are fast asleep. They'll go away in time. Look for some local swim clinics held by a professional coach who can analyze your stroke mechanics and recommend a course of action to correct it. You will have so many faults in your technique, you'll wonder how you even stay afloat. You'll have to apologize repeatedly about your weak kick, but you not only learn a lot, you will feel more comfortable in the water and be far more efficient at it. Join a triathlon club if you want to do longer swims. They usually have weekly open water group swims which are supported by lifeguards in kayaks. I joined a local tri club because it was cheaper as a member than paying weekly as a non-member. Then, well, I knuckled under and actually did a sprint tri last June. I had to walk the 5K of course, and come in dead-ass last, but it was fun. Join a masters team for pool workouts. Those are usually coached, maybe not by a pro swim coach but someone who's been in the game a long time and knows his/her stuff. Plus there's the comraderie and encouragement of the group. Check your local YMCA or town fitness center for a masters team practice schedule. USMS has a "places to swim" list on this web page to help.

Yeah, I can sympathize. Another long time runner here, 40+ years and close to 500 road races, then arthritis in the spine forced me out of it a couple years ago. Swimming is the only major exercise I could do without pain. Let me begin by saying something I am sure many here will take the wrong way. Nothing is better than a 10 mile run, nothing, but you don't have that choice any more. You can swim every day if you please, but pool availability schedules will most likely limit you to 5. You won't get a leg workout the way you think, but breaststroke is probably best for range of motion. Dolphin kick I don't know. With spinal issues, I don't dare. Flutter kick can be a major problem for long time runners/cyclists. I can take a kick board and flail away for all I'm worth and not move an inch forward. My kick leaves me dead in the water. Yours may too. Here's why. Check out some swimmers photos online and see how flat they can make their foot relative to the lower leg. By that I mean they can bend the foot down so that it is no longer an L shape coming off the lower leg. The top of the foot can be parallel to the shin. That's how they get power in the kick. As a runner, your ankles, feet and all their constituent parts have solidified into the L shape. Your tendons simply can't stretch that far. I can't go down more than 45 degrees, let alone flat. Does that mean you should not kick? Not at all. With the foot at 45 deg. relative to the leg, the downward motion and upward motion cancel each other out and it becomes a neutral motion, hence staying dead in the water while flailing away. BUT, kicking keeps your whole body in the correct position in order to glide through the water more smoothly, otherwise the legs sink and create a ton of drag. So whether it is productive or not, do kicking drills. Cramps. After decades of running you may forget how badly you once had calf cramps and shin splints after longer distance runs. They're back, especially at 3AM when you are fast asleep. They'll go away in time. Look for some local swim clinics held by a professional coach who can analyze your stroke mechanics and recommend a course of action to correct it. You will have so many faults in your technique, you'll wonder how you even stay afloat. You'll have to apologize repeatedly about your weak kick, but you not only learn a lot, you will feel more comfortable in the water and be far more efficient at it. Join a triathlon club if you want to do longer swims. They usually have weekly open water group swims which are supported by lifeguards in kayaks. I joined a local tri club because it was cheaper as a member than paying weekly as a non-member. Then, well, I knuckled under and actually did a sprint tri last June. I had to walk the 5K of course, and come in dead-ass last, but it was fun. Join a masters team for pool workouts. Those are usually coached, maybe not by a pro swim coach but someone who's been in the game a long time and knows his/her stuff. Plus there's the comraderie and encouragement of the group. Check your local YMCA or town fitness center for a masters team practice schedule. USMS has a "places to swim" list on this web page to help.