New to forum: Desperately need advice

... Last year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition Ankylosing Spondylits... Will swimming for an hour 3 times a week help? I have a rather severe case of Psoriatic Arthritis (another whacked out autoimmune condition) and if I did not exercise on a regular basis I’d probably be in a wheelchair now (I even got a MD to tell me this, unsolicited). Mostly I swim, and occasionally do Yoga. I’m confident that swimming 3x/week will indeed help you a great deal. Like the other folks said, be kind to yourself and take your time. In 1995 I had to relearn to swim due to loss of mobility. I started out in the water for 45min, and went as far as I could go in that time. I went to the pool 5x/wk, every morning before work. People who knew me in '95 and see me now can't believe it is the same person. So my suggestion is to pick a time, do as much as you can in that time, rest as often as you need to. If you track your distance, you will likely see improvements in just a few weeks. Over months and years (if you stick to it) you will continue to improve, just not as fast. Unless you have a really strong background in swimming (or even if you do) it is likely that some coaching or instruction by a qualified person will help you a great deal, even if you only get one session a month. I’ve never had to deal with severe weight issues, so I can’t relate a lot to your situation there, but I have lost weight because of my swimming practice. If I am exercising regularly and paying attention to my body, I find it difficult to eat a bad diet. I know there are a number of folks on this message board who have been successful in using swimming as a way to help them shed weight, so you will likely find some kindred spirits here. In the beginning of my swimming practice I could not lift my arms out of the water, could only do *** stroke (probably 30 of them) to get to the other end of the 25yd pool. I’d cling to the wall to catch my breath (fatigue is still my #1 problem), *** stroke back, stand up and rest, repeat. At first I could only do 300yds in 45min. I was absolutely miserable, but I was even more determined to regain at least some of my lost mobility. At the time I could not lift my elbows above my shoulders, even floating in the water (so I could not put my arms straight out in front of me, over my head). It took nearly 2 years of 45min, 5x/wk, before I could consistently do 25yds of front crawl (in the beginning I thought I’d never do “free” again). Around this time I’d also improved my distance to about 1K+yds per day, was doing a lot of back crawl, and adding a bit of front crawl. It was about 6yrs before I even thought about butterfly, but now (12yrs later since ‘95) I’m really enjoying it, and am even pretty good at it. These days I’m in the water about 60-75mi, and typically do 2K+yds, usually 3-4x/wk. I still rest frequently, and now do almost equal amounts of all 4 competitive strokes during my routine. I keep my diet pretty clean and healthy. I don’t have any significant weight issues. I’m 49 (6’2”, 190#), and all things considered, exceptionally fit (even though my condition is still progressing, albeit very slowly). I owe pretty much all of my recovery to swimming. It is not just the diet and exercise that helps, it is also the discipline. As I tell all my friends: In my life, all else serves swimming. It dawned on me the other day that I’ve been doing about the same distance (6Kyds/wk) since 2000. I can go more distance per day now, but in fewer trips per week. Seems 6k is my limit, which is perfectly OK with me, I like the way I look, and (relatively speaking) I feel great. I encourage you to be patient and do whatever it takes to get out there and swim. I’ve always practiced swimming alone, but many folks can’t do without the coached team practice. Find what’s right for you and just do it. I’ll tell you this though (based on my personal experience): You have to set goals, and you got to really want it. It takes a lot of courage and determination, but the rewards are well worth it. Don't forget to make it fun, at least once in a while. :cool:

... Last year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition Ankylosing Spondylits... Will swimming for an hour 3 times a week help? I have a rather severe case of Psoriatic Arthritis (another whacked out autoimmune condition) and if I did not exercise on a regular basis I’d probably be in a wheelchair now (I even got a MD to tell me this, unsolicited). Mostly I swim, and occasionally do Yoga. I’m confident that swimming 3x/week will indeed help you a great deal. Like the other folks said, be kind to yourself and take your time. In 1995 I had to relearn to swim due to loss of mobility. I started out in the water for 45min, and went as far as I could go in that time. I went to the pool 5x/wk, every morning before work. People who knew me in '95 and see me now can't believe it is the same person. So my suggestion is to pick a time, do as much as you can in that time, rest as often as you need to. If you track your distance, you will likely see improvements in just a few weeks. Over months and years (if you stick to it) you will continue to improve, just not as fast. Unless you have a really strong background in swimming (or even if you do) it is likely that some coaching or instruction by a qualified person will help you a great deal, even if you only get one session a month. I’ve never had to deal with severe weight issues, so I can’t relate a lot to your situation there, but I have lost weight because of my swimming practice. If I am exercising regularly and paying attention to my body, I find it difficult to eat a bad diet. I know there are a number of folks on this message board who have been successful in using swimming as a way to help them shed weight, so you will likely find some kindred spirits here. In the beginning of my swimming practice I could not lift my arms out of the water, could only do *** stroke (probably 30 of them) to get to the other end of the 25yd pool. I’d cling to the wall to catch my breath (fatigue is still my #1 problem), *** stroke back, stand up and rest, repeat. At first I could only do 300yds in 45min. I was absolutely miserable, but I was even more determined to regain at least some of my lost mobility. At the time I could not lift my elbows above my shoulders, even floating in the water (so I could not put my arms straight out in front of me, over my head). It took nearly 2 years of 45min, 5x/wk, before I could consistently do 25yds of front crawl (in the beginning I thought I’d never do “free” again). Around this time I’d also improved my distance to about 1K+yds per day, was doing a lot of back crawl, and adding a bit of front crawl. It was about 6yrs before I even thought about butterfly, but now (12yrs later since ‘95) I’m really enjoying it, and am even pretty good at it. These days I’m in the water about 60-75mi, and typically do 2K+yds, usually 3-4x/wk. I still rest frequently, and now do almost equal amounts of all 4 competitive strokes during my routine. I keep my diet pretty clean and healthy. I don’t have any significant weight issues. I’m 49 (6’2”, 190#), and all things considered, exceptionally fit (even though my condition is still progressing, albeit very slowly). I owe pretty much all of my recovery to swimming. It is not just the diet and exercise that helps, it is also the discipline. As I tell all my friends: In my life, all else serves swimming. It dawned on me the other day that I’ve been doing about the same distance (6Kyds/wk) since 2000. I can go more distance per day now, but in fewer trips per week. Seems 6k is my limit, which is perfectly OK with me, I like the way I look, and (relatively speaking) I feel great. I encourage you to be patient and do whatever it takes to get out there and swim. I’ve always practiced swimming alone, but many folks can’t do without the coached team practice. Find what’s right for you and just do it. I’ll tell you this though (based on my personal experience): You have to set goals, and you got to really want it. It takes a lot of courage and determination, but the rewards are well worth it. Don't forget to make it fun, at least once in a while. :cool: