Stupid question.. But what is a good pace for warm up? I get some slight twinges of shoulder and elbow pain lately, I'm young and don't do much with the shoulders, get 1-2 days of rest (at least) a week from swimming... But when warming up, I end up getting that "good burn" after just a few hundred yards and almost feel my shoulders tiring. I am probably warming up with 500/600 yds at a 1:45/100 pace. Is this too fast? Too Slow?
I find it hard to slow myself down if that makes any sense.. I am no speed demon but I seem to be set for one speed unless sprinting.
Parents
Former Member
If you are having "twinges" of pain in your shoulder and elbow, and if it "sometimes hurts" to raise your arm laterally, you need to think about more than just warmup. Otherwise, and I speak from bitter experience, you will eventually have trouble thinking about anything except how bad your shoulder and your elbow hurt. Do not ignore those warning "twinges" and do not think that a little warmup, or a little change to your warmup, is all you need to do to address them.
I suggest that you go see a sports PT or chiropractor now, before you are in pain that stops you from swimming. You probably need to develop (and stick with) an exercise routine to make sure the small muscles stabilizing your joints are doing all they should be doing, but a professional can help you determine why your joints hurt and what you should do about it. You may also need to make some stroke alterations. But do not ignore joint pain when you are young, because it does not get better with age.
Good point, I should call my doctor's office and get a referral to PT. No sports chiropractor's (at least that I know of) in my area (Southern/Central New Hampshire). I really went from not being in the best of shape to doing some weight training with aerobic to swimming and now I pretty much just swim 5-6 days a week for 45-60 mins a day.
If you are having "twinges" of pain in your shoulder and elbow, and if it "sometimes hurts" to raise your arm laterally, you need to think about more than just warmup. Otherwise, and I speak from bitter experience, you will eventually have trouble thinking about anything except how bad your shoulder and your elbow hurt. Do not ignore those warning "twinges" and do not think that a little warmup, or a little change to your warmup, is all you need to do to address them.
I suggest that you go see a sports PT or chiropractor now, before you are in pain that stops you from swimming. You probably need to develop (and stick with) an exercise routine to make sure the small muscles stabilizing your joints are doing all they should be doing, but a professional can help you determine why your joints hurt and what you should do about it. You may also need to make some stroke alterations. But do not ignore joint pain when you are young, because it does not get better with age.
Good point, I should call my doctor's office and get a referral to PT. No sports chiropractor's (at least that I know of) in my area (Southern/Central New Hampshire). I really went from not being in the best of shape to doing some weight training with aerobic to swimming and now I pretty much just swim 5-6 days a week for 45-60 mins a day.
