At my yearly physical last week a funny thing happened. The doctors staff informed me that swimming is not an aerobic exercise and that I would be better off walking briskly for 20 to 30 minutes a couple days each week.
I explained I try to swim 2 to 3 times each week for 60 to 90 minutes,and my workout is prepared by MO, ya'll might recognise that name. They asked me the distance I cover in that time and I responded with 2800 to 3500 yards or 1.5 to 2 miles depending on time.
Not good enough according to the staff. I should be walking. I will let the facts stand for themselves.
Age 48
Wt 149
BP 120/80
Pulse 60
Body Fat 18%
Total Cholesterol 194 (need to eat better)
Well it is off to the pool for another MO workout. Maybe I will walk briskly from my car to the pool and see if that counts. Thanks for those workouts MO I enjoy them.
Have a great day
Paul
Parents
Former Member
Aquageek,
Only a misinterpretation of my words would leave the reader with the impression that I was calling this group ignorant. I applied that term to those who have a lack of knowledge about the type of swimming this group engages in. "Ignorant" is not a pejorative, it is simply an indication of a state of knowledge. I used it with the adjective "understandable".
My point, specifically, was that doctors are being castigated for PRECISELY the same thing this group is doing to walking. I expressed SURPRISE at this, not deprecation.
As such, it should be clear that I do not "look down" on anybody in this issue.
The term "uneducated" was entirely yours. Your words do give me the impression that you "look down" on anyone who doesn't exercise at a level that meets with your approval. Are you really Ion in disguise? :)
MOST people that say they "swim" DO NOT exercise vigorously or at length - they piddle paddle in dribs and drabs. A tiny minority of swimmers actually DO exercise vigorously. So, unless the doctor is made aware of the swimmer's membership in that tiny minority (and informed as to the type of training that tiny minority engages in), he is CORRECT to be suspicious of whether any great fitness benefit is being derived by his patient that professes to "swim".
Common walking (as opposed to racewalking), even at moderate intensities, can elevate heart rates into aerobic training ranges and, if undertaken in sufficient duration, stimulates fat metabolism. As such, it most certainly IS beneficial exercise, as is well known by exercise physiologists.
Just as there are "swimmers" who piddle paddle rather uselessly, there are "walkers" who stroll rather uselessly (but you'd have to admit that a daily stroll to the mailbox at the other end of the neighborhood is still better than a daily drive to the mailbox).
Neither swimming nor walking is inherently an "exercise" or a highly fitness-inducing activity. What makes either a good fitness tool is the intent and action of the participant.
Common walking requires no special skills for entry-level participants, is accessible to everyone at little or no cost, is much more convenient to most people, requires no special equipment, facilities or planning. As such it is more likely that a person would stay on a regular walking routine than a regular swimming routine.
All told, for the AVERAGE person, the Doctor's instructions to "Walk instead of swim" probably serve as good advice.
Now, would I prefer he said "Walk like an athlete or swim like an athlete"? Yes - but for the average person, unaided by specific programming, actual adoption of either of those options is FAR less likely than adoption of a more moderate fitness routine. And even the BEST routine is only beneficial if the patient sticks with it.
The fact that the medical community is largely ignorant of an organization like Masters Swimming - an organization that is ready, willing and eager to accept fledgling fitness seekers, teach them skills, provide motivation and encouragement and basically pave a smooth road toward swimming like an athlete - is really OUR fault, not the medical community's fault. Denigrating doctors for this is pointless at best and potentially counterproductive.
Rectifying this ignorance in the medical community would be a worthy organizational goal. So, how do we get doctors to say "Walk or, better yet, go to www.USMS.org, find a swimming program near you and sign up today!"?
Aquageek,
Only a misinterpretation of my words would leave the reader with the impression that I was calling this group ignorant. I applied that term to those who have a lack of knowledge about the type of swimming this group engages in. "Ignorant" is not a pejorative, it is simply an indication of a state of knowledge. I used it with the adjective "understandable".
My point, specifically, was that doctors are being castigated for PRECISELY the same thing this group is doing to walking. I expressed SURPRISE at this, not deprecation.
As such, it should be clear that I do not "look down" on anybody in this issue.
The term "uneducated" was entirely yours. Your words do give me the impression that you "look down" on anyone who doesn't exercise at a level that meets with your approval. Are you really Ion in disguise? :)
MOST people that say they "swim" DO NOT exercise vigorously or at length - they piddle paddle in dribs and drabs. A tiny minority of swimmers actually DO exercise vigorously. So, unless the doctor is made aware of the swimmer's membership in that tiny minority (and informed as to the type of training that tiny minority engages in), he is CORRECT to be suspicious of whether any great fitness benefit is being derived by his patient that professes to "swim".
Common walking (as opposed to racewalking), even at moderate intensities, can elevate heart rates into aerobic training ranges and, if undertaken in sufficient duration, stimulates fat metabolism. As such, it most certainly IS beneficial exercise, as is well known by exercise physiologists.
Just as there are "swimmers" who piddle paddle rather uselessly, there are "walkers" who stroll rather uselessly (but you'd have to admit that a daily stroll to the mailbox at the other end of the neighborhood is still better than a daily drive to the mailbox).
Neither swimming nor walking is inherently an "exercise" or a highly fitness-inducing activity. What makes either a good fitness tool is the intent and action of the participant.
Common walking requires no special skills for entry-level participants, is accessible to everyone at little or no cost, is much more convenient to most people, requires no special equipment, facilities or planning. As such it is more likely that a person would stay on a regular walking routine than a regular swimming routine.
All told, for the AVERAGE person, the Doctor's instructions to "Walk instead of swim" probably serve as good advice.
Now, would I prefer he said "Walk like an athlete or swim like an athlete"? Yes - but for the average person, unaided by specific programming, actual adoption of either of those options is FAR less likely than adoption of a more moderate fitness routine. And even the BEST routine is only beneficial if the patient sticks with it.
The fact that the medical community is largely ignorant of an organization like Masters Swimming - an organization that is ready, willing and eager to accept fledgling fitness seekers, teach them skills, provide motivation and encouragement and basically pave a smooth road toward swimming like an athlete - is really OUR fault, not the medical community's fault. Denigrating doctors for this is pointless at best and potentially counterproductive.
Rectifying this ignorance in the medical community would be a worthy organizational goal. So, how do we get doctors to say "Walk or, better yet, go to www.USMS.org, find a swimming program near you and sign up today!"?
