Not 100% sure this is the best place for advice. However, I’ve yet to find another forum.
I am 45/F, used to swim competitively from Jr High - early college. The work and life got in the way. Five years ago I injured my back and now have disc degeneration in my lower back. Two years ago I got back in the pool and eventually went from 2 laps to 50 (25 yard pool). Then really got to feeling better about my swim and back after a year of sticking to it. Then work got in the way again and I didn’t put in the time like I did for a year and had another disc blow out. So on 11/20/18 I had a back surgery and 12/19 made it back in the pool. I’ve been swimming every day since aside from one day off each week.
I am starting over again, can only get to about 850 yards and (3) sets of 15 ladder pools before I run Out of gas. Today, after my swim, my whole body is aching. I swim at my gym pool, which is indoors and at about 77*.
This brings me to these boards looking for advice.
Am I doing too much at once?
And any other suggestions you have are appreciated!
It seems to me that you are doing great! Good advice above. Swimming regularly is wonderful rehab for so many surgeries. Keeping it regular, but not trying to do too much too soon, being patient and gently progressive, makes good sense to me, based on my experience of rehabbing 2 hip surgeries in the pool. Do you ice after each workout? BTW, did you have general anesthesia? I found that wiped me out for some time and probably contributed to slow recovery of my aerobic fitness. Have you considered an Aquatic Physical Therapy to complement your swimming and land based PT? (aquaticpt.org/frequently-asked-questions.cfm) I found doing APT in the pool was great. You can gently build resistance, you are buoyed by the water, you can do a very wide range of exercises to rebuild core and other strength. Good luck with your recovery and rehab and happy new year :)
It seems to me that you are doing great! Good advice above. Swimming regularly is wonderful rehab for so many surgeries. Keeping it regular, but not trying to do too much too soon, being patient and gently progressive, makes good sense to me, based on my experience of rehabbing 2 hip surgeries in the pool. Do you ice after each workout? BTW, did you have general anesthesia? I found that wiped me out for some time and probably contributed to slow recovery of my aerobic fitness. Have you considered an Aquatic Physical Therapy to complement your swimming and land based PT? (aquaticpt.org/frequently-asked-questions.cfm) I found doing APT in the pool was great. You can gently build resistance, you are buoyed by the water, you can do a very wide range of exercises to rebuild core and other strength. Good luck with your recovery and rehab and happy new year :)
