Ok. I admit I have my issues. Shoulders are not being great. I have Bankart tear and slap tear and frayed superpinatus (sp) and bony erosion somewhere, but due to my age (56) and in my mind gender (female), have been told both by PT and orthopedic surgeon that I should do gentle swimming, cut back on the competitive need. Surgery is option, but I was encouraged instead to swim gently, and less distance. I can understand that I would need to begin gently and less distance, which I have been doing since January, but now I am like a race horse ready to bust out of my friggin' mind (paddock, whatever it's called where they stay). The gate?
I really need to swim aggressively, as hard as I can, for many reasons. So I am willing to blow out my shoulder if that's what happens and get the surgery at that point, because I figure I have at least 30 more years of competitive swimming.
I was advised to find other sports or perhaps salsa dancing or perhaps gentle breaststroke.
I am much stronger after four months of much rehab and was able to do full workout with pretty fast intervals (some using fins) on Wednesday. Plan to try again tomorrow.
The point of this posting (always hard for me to get to) is this: for older swimmers who are awesome and so revered in my mind, those who have swum for so many years, and raced, and are now in their 80s, 90s, and still racing, I have a strong feeling that they still are putting their all into their workouts. They may be going slower, but the effort to do their fastest is still there. Which I love.
I will be talking to some of the older swimmers in my region to see what their attitude is toward late-life training.
Swimming is my life! Yes, all eggs in one basket. But until that basket falls, why cut back? Am I crazy (yes)? But I am going to work hard on figuring out hand entry, continue to strengthen scapular muscles, and see what happens.
I am not going to do old-lady breaststroke. Perhaps I am misperceiving PT instructions, but it certainly did not seem so. She seriously said that I needed to realize I would not always be able to swim and I should find other ways to get swim-related effects. I cried in her office and hated her, I confess to this.
So I am waiting on the surgery because I am stronger, even if there seems to be a lot of stuff ready to bust, but my back is very strong and I swam a 200 meter free in what seemed an easy effort but was close to my sprint time on Wednesday, first full practice since January.
There is definitely something to strengthening the scapular muscles. And there is a new move toward "scapular swimming," whatever that is, and I am going to try to investigate/write about that as well.
If any most esteemed older swimmers want to weigh in on your level of effort at practice, I would love to hear it.
Former Member
"I was advised to find other sports or perhaps salsa dancing or perhaps gentle breaststroke."
Ugh! That is not a satisfactory answer. It makes me want to slap whoever said that out of frustration.
Keep looking until you find some medical professionals who understand your goals and are willing to work to keep you swimming be it with PT or surgery or whatever.
I feel your pain as I am also out due to shoulder issues right now. Hope to be back in the water soon because as you have pointed out - not swimming is not an option.
Good luck!
I have a strong feeling that they still are putting their all into their workouts. They may be going slower, but the effort to do their fastest is still there. Which I love.
The very best, Rich Abraham, is quite clear about this. When he swims fast, he swims very fast. But he doesn't do that all the time and he spends a lot more time going slow than fast.
Not an accusation, but just want to encourage you to spend your energy swimming right, not fast. Expecially in light of your shoulder.
I am recovering from a shoulder injury- luckily not that extreme. I am amazed at the help of pilates. I found a really good teacher that understands anatomy and injuries well. At the exercises work on those little muscles that you just don't exercise when lifting weights or swimming ( your shoulder stabilizers, individual hamstring muscles, each part of your glutes) I had gone to a couple of other studios, but really never understood what I was dong until I found this teacher. I don't know if it is her or maybe I was just ready to "get it"
It is much more fun amd I get a lot more out of it than doing the regular rotator cuff exercises at home- though I am doing that too, just in case.
Until your shoulder problems get resolved you might be able to burn off some of your frustration/energy by really working on your kicking. Several elite swimmers developed killer kicking ability while they were recovering from shoulder injuries, and kicking can really provide a good workout. You already indicated you use fins and that can help take the load off your shoulders while still getting a rigorous workout and satisfying a need for speed.
Certainly not a complete solution but it might help while you are looking for/working on a longer term solution.
As others have said it would be very helpful to get your stroke analyzed to see if there are changes that you can make that would help your shoulders. I used to have chronic shoulder problems until I modified my stroke.
Good luck!
Hi Isobel!
What scapular strength exercises have you been doing?
Are you using stretchy bands?
I'm just curious and probably needing to do these type of exercises.
I will say I have worked a lot on technique (body rotation, higher elbow, bi-lateral breathing) and it seems to have relieved shoulder twitches I was having. I have also started swimming 1/4th or so of my workouts backstroke. For some reason it just feels good after doing a lot of freestyle.
Another comment....relax.......never put all your eggs in one basket! That is way too much stress to hang over something you claim to do because you love it. Easy, zen swimming can be purposeful for fitness, technique, and your psychological well-being.
I personally think swimming till you blow your shoulder out is a bad idea. It is a negative approach and chances are after a surgery you will never be as sound as you were before.
This is all "just my unprofessional opinion." I am not a swimming expert.
Good luck! I hope you are able to swim and race till you are at least 95! :cane: :cane:
I suggest warming up with drills to reshape your stroke. Experiment with different arm shapes, relaxing the arms when you stroke, having your body roll drive your stroke.
Alternate with kick drills where you can get that all out effort going.
I saw a lot of good suggestions above.
take what you can use and leave the rest. I would definitely look for another therapist.
