Starting All Over Again

Originally posted by mattson You mean I'm not getting any benefits during channel surfing? Next you'll be telling me that leaning back in the recliner chair is not considered exercise. ;) Well, if you can figure out a way to work your thumb into your swimming stroke, you can probably benefit from the "remote control aerobics".

Hi gang Well, I'm continuing my workouts; just completed my third week of being in the water. Made some major milestones this week. First, and try not to laugh, I did 2 laps without having to stop in between! That was major. The next thing was that I started integrating some Freestyle. My *** stroke is my strongest stroke and I used our clock yesterday to time myself - 28 seconds (25 yards). I used to race with my *** stroke and my sister and I were talking about it (she's a master's swimmer - 30 + years now!) and she remembers my fast *** stroke when I was a kid. A lady in our group, very experienced, was coaching me and encouraged me to go slower. It had never occurred to me to do that; I have always gotten into the pool and gone flat out no holds barred. So I learned the importance of establishing a comfortable pace, which allows me to do more laps back to back and I am feeling good. I have also noticed that my body is changing. I am toning up all over and am losing fat on my thighs. In fact, my thighs are 'flattening out' on the sides. I have never seen an exercise regime produce results like this so quickly. I have heard that fat loss is difficult when swimming, but if you swim hard enough, it'll happen. I think it is! So I'm at 500 yards right now in a half hour. I'm going to increase it by 10% starting Monday. I read in the "Getting started" article section that an increase of 10% is healthy and will avoid injury. I also bought the Fitness swimming book loaded with workouts. I have to get the syntax down on the names of the strokes, but I see some workouts in there I can definitely do! Off to eat breakfast. A light breakfast.

I am curious as to why you think swimming isn't going to help you lose weight, I am happy to see in subsequent posts that you are finding otherwise. It's the only exercise I use, and this spring in combination with a low carb diet I lost 17 pounds which have stay off through the summer and several vacations. I am determined to keep the weight off and so far its been easy. Exercise is exercise, expending more calories than you consume however you do that will take off weight. The trick is finding something you love to do so you will keep doing it. For me, that's hitting the pool . . .

I may have posted this before, but here it is again... If you have been out of the water for a longtime, your first work outs should be slow and easy trying to hold good form. A good start would be to do 1 mile or 2000 mtrs a day (don't forget to take a day or two off a week). Stop as many times as you wish using any stroke, until you can complete the swim without stopping. Don't increase your distance during the first week. After the first week, or once you attain the nonstop swim, go an little farther. Compare yourself to a race horse that has been turned out and rested. Go at a leisurely speed or you will breakdown. This slow work builds the capillary system. A race horse jogs or does easy work for six weeks before it starts to do timed work outs. Don't do repeats or sprints until you are ready. Again be sure you take one or two days rest each week. George Park www.swimdownhill.com

Swimming that kind of distance seems very excessive for yours truly at this point. Eventually, sure, but for now, I need it to be in manageable chunks. I feel like I can add 50 yards now as I am comfortable, and have learned to take it slow and easy so maximize my pace and my endurance. Thank you though, I aspire to swim like that!

Maybe those who say a person can't lose weight swimming don't have the skill level to train aerobically, i.e., they are just paddling around in the pool. I would venture a guess that if a person just strolled around the block once a week would not lose weight either.

My longterm goal is also to lose 50 lbs but know that swimming isn't the best way to do that, mbriones, I don't agree about swimming not being the best method of weight loss.....I am 5'11'' and medium framed but weighed 275 + pounds in Mid May....I started swimming again (after a lay off of about 18 years) around Mid May and having been swimming regurly every since....Now I'm down to 210 pounds. The fat literally melted right off of me. I think swimming is amongst the best exercises for losing weight. I also started like you...I could barely swim 2 or 3 laps at first....Now I swim several miles at a time with no problem....I swim multiple 100 butterfly sets and 200 I.M. sets with no problems.....You WILL get better....It won't even really take that long.....Just keep doing it and you will see. You may not see that much improvement for a few weeks..BUT it will come.....You will be amazed 4 months down the road how far you came....and that 50 pounds will be long gone!! newmastersswimmer

I have heard that it isn't optimal for losing weight but I step on the scale myself and realize different results. I guess if I were leisurely paddling around the pool without getting my heart rate up, that's one thing. So I wish to quash my opening comment that I thought it wasn't good for weight loss. Clearly it is. :o

Originally posted by AnnG Maybe those who say a person can't lose weight swimming don't have the skill level to train aerobically, i.e., they are just paddling around in the pool. I would venture a guess that if a person just strolled around the block once a week would not lose weight either. I believe a person who cannot swim well has a better chance of losing weight than an efficient swimmer, the not so good swimmer has to fight harder. George

There is a lot of belief among those who do "dry" workouts that swimming isn't good for weight loss. I don't agree - I lost 35 pounds myself, so I know it works.