I was talking to an old high school classmate of mine who was on the swim team. He said that the coach liked to work the team so hard during practice that somebody would end up puking. This story is probably hyperbole, but I wonder -- what is the physiological mechanism that results in nausea, light-headedness and cold sweats when one over-exerts oneself in this way??
Parents
Former Member
I won't make assumptions about any particular individual's swimming goals; however, I know my reason for participating in Masters is the long range health benefits, and my desire to stay involved for years to come. Getting as fast as possible for a season or a big meet is secondary. Moreover, I'm hearing something similar from a large number of masters swimmers, here and in other forums.
So, I can't imagine that anyone other than a masochist would look forward to exercise sufficiently intense to induce vomiting on a regular basis. Yeah, maybe push the envelope every once in a while and risk it, but who is going to stick with an exercise program that has you puking more often than not?
Let's get real. Boredom is the biggest obstacle to long term participation in swimming. Forget injuries, aging, schedules, etc. These are all obstacles you can overcome to get at least some swimming in. But, you won't want to if you aren't having a good time. Forget whether it's physically safe to do vomit inducing physical exercise regularly. Look at what it would do psychologically.
Matt
I won't make assumptions about any particular individual's swimming goals; however, I know my reason for participating in Masters is the long range health benefits, and my desire to stay involved for years to come. Getting as fast as possible for a season or a big meet is secondary. Moreover, I'm hearing something similar from a large number of masters swimmers, here and in other forums.
So, I can't imagine that anyone other than a masochist would look forward to exercise sufficiently intense to induce vomiting on a regular basis. Yeah, maybe push the envelope every once in a while and risk it, but who is going to stick with an exercise program that has you puking more often than not?
Let's get real. Boredom is the biggest obstacle to long term participation in swimming. Forget injuries, aging, schedules, etc. These are all obstacles you can overcome to get at least some swimming in. But, you won't want to if you aren't having a good time. Forget whether it's physically safe to do vomit inducing physical exercise regularly. Look at what it would do psychologically.
Matt
