Since most of us aren't teenagers any more, I'm pretty sure a large masters population is having to overcome all kinds of health issues on order to getin shape, and go as far as competing.
I was starting to get pretty competetive 4-5 years ago and setting a lot of PB's, when in my mid to late 30's I got slammed with a lot of health issues, couple of which (ick) caused a lot of rapid heart rate even at rest, and made me very exercise intolerant. Some of this is getting under control, other things I just have to live with, and accept I can't push as hard as I used to :(
I have a genetic blood disorder, thallasemia, which manifests itself in my case an untreatable chronic anemia, fast thyroid causing heartbeat irregularities (and other things), and one of arthritic conditions, scleroderma. In last couple years I'm just starting to figure out how to handle my newly dysfunctional body, and still keep active. It's been a very disheartening struggle, since at 40, I'm supposedly too young to be falling apart. Eh!
I'd like to hear from people who are having to manage their health issues, so they can keep swimming, and even competing... I'm hoping this can be motivating to a *few* people.
Parents
Former Member
My "health issue" is my weight (280 lbs and 6'0" tall) and age (55), and perhaps a heart issue. My doctor recommended a stress test for me, but I have a $2000 deductible with my insurance, and the stress test is about half that, so I'm foregoing he stress test for now.
I decided to get back to swimming, for the first time in 25 years (I'm new to this site). I swim at my local LA Fitness, and have been doing so for nearly 6 weeks. I've found that what I can do now is a very small fraction of what I could do at age 18. Back then I could swim 4000 meters in less than an hour, but I now find swimming that distance, in a week, to be exhausting. My cholesterol and blood pressure are very high, and I'm taking medication for both. My goal is to mostly just to get back in shape with swimming, but I'd like to compete in Master's swim races from time to time too. Although I'm not remotely ready for that now. My competitive swimming days ran from 1960 to 1974, which was, I think, a great era in Ameican swimming (Mark Spitz, all of the great Olympic swim teams of that era, Indiana University's great success, etc.). Those days seem long ago and far away now, but my goal is to use swimming to get back to the fitness and fun of those times. I've noticed that some of you have mentioned losing weight with swimming, and I'm using that as my inspiration.
Best wishes to all of you other Masters swimmers with health issues. Best of luck with your health concerns, and with your swimming goals.
My "health issue" is my weight (280 lbs and 6'0" tall) and age (55), and perhaps a heart issue. My doctor recommended a stress test for me, but I have a $2000 deductible with my insurance, and the stress test is about half that, so I'm foregoing he stress test for now.
I decided to get back to swimming, for the first time in 25 years (I'm new to this site). I swim at my local LA Fitness, and have been doing so for nearly 6 weeks. I've found that what I can do now is a very small fraction of what I could do at age 18. Back then I could swim 4000 meters in less than an hour, but I now find swimming that distance, in a week, to be exhausting. My cholesterol and blood pressure are very high, and I'm taking medication for both. My goal is to mostly just to get back in shape with swimming, but I'd like to compete in Master's swim races from time to time too. Although I'm not remotely ready for that now. My competitive swimming days ran from 1960 to 1974, which was, I think, a great era in Ameican swimming (Mark Spitz, all of the great Olympic swim teams of that era, Indiana University's great success, etc.). Those days seem long ago and far away now, but my goal is to use swimming to get back to the fitness and fun of those times. I've noticed that some of you have mentioned losing weight with swimming, and I'm using that as my inspiration.
Best wishes to all of you other Masters swimmers with health issues. Best of luck with your health concerns, and with your swimming goals.
