What's more important: striving for maximal health/fitness and a long life or setting WRs or national records or team records in swimming?
I think the latter is overrated. I'm all for improving one's stroke and striving for PBs. Who isn't? PBs produce euphoria and pride and keep you on the path to improvement. But I wonder if restorative, technique based workouts that might help you improve in swimming and/or achieve world or local fame really help make one extremely fit or improve one's health? I think someone referred to Gary Hall as doing "sprinter" type high intensity training and doing his aerobic/strength training outside the pool, which seems perfectly sound. He's getting it all in. I think you need to get it all in and work hard. You gotta break a sweat. A lot. Frequently.
So will TI-ing your life away and looking pretty make you as fit as you can be? Isn't there something to be said for hard training? Not necessarily because it will improve your 50 free (everyone seems to agree it won't), but just to improve health, mental outlook, physical well being and keep the bod hot and the spouse interested? Plus, if you're a distance swimmer you gotta have some endurance. Talent and technique only get you so far, at least IMHO.
I just thought we were supposed to exercise more, and more intensely for optimal health.
Parents
Former Member
Swimming 5K workouts on tight intervals will not make you any healthier than swimming 1500 yd. workouts. There is a section in a book by Dr. Oz about this very subject. Exercise is great but pushing yourself to new heights is not going to make you any "healthier". I would argue that quite often, it might make one less healthy. If I recall correctly, all you really need is about 20 minutes per day of a sweat inducing exercise.
If you are exercising more than about 20 minutes a day you have goals other than cardiovascular fitness. If you are swimming to help lose weight (rather than just maintain) that is another goal, and a longer workout would be more effective.
Swimming 5K workouts on tight intervals will not make you any healthier than swimming 1500 yd. workouts. There is a section in a book by Dr. Oz about this very subject. Exercise is great but pushing yourself to new heights is not going to make you any "healthier". I would argue that quite often, it might make one less healthy. If I recall correctly, all you really need is about 20 minutes per day of a sweat inducing exercise.
If you are exercising more than about 20 minutes a day you have goals other than cardiovascular fitness. If you are swimming to help lose weight (rather than just maintain) that is another goal, and a longer workout would be more effective.
