Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

Oh dear rights hope that doesn’t impact the Swimathon relay.

I had some swim coaching last week and put some of it into practice on Mondays swim. I was puffing more and couldn’t keep going continuously on F.C. but could feel more power which was interesting as it was only a couple of tweaks. Back & shoulder stiff this morning! We were told to have slightly spread fingers on the F.C. catch which id never heard before!? It appears to be working

Hello Avocado! Where have you been?!

I have just been told to NOT EXERCISE for a whole week as my creatine kinase levels are too high. What a bastard.

Hello! I've not posted on here for a while and haven't caught up on everyone's news. Hope all is well. My morning swimming has been lovely in the last week or so with the sun making the water golden …

Oh well done vera, you must feel fab.

While I have always exercised, I was quite late to start swimming and just love how toned my arms are now.

Back from lovely lunch swim. I've had a couple of days of no exercise so felt strong and refreshed. Only one nobber in the pool who wouldn't stop at the end to let me pass, so I motored down one length to get ahead of him.

Am doing swimathon as part of a team this weekend.

Need another swim suit, mine is fatigued and thin and very long!

5 swims this week. I'm developing muscles in my shoulders that make me look like a fit person. I have never been so fit in my life. It feels great. I'm 56 and always hated the gym, classes or any exercise apart from riding or swimming. It's never too late. :)

Ski the days are long (talks and meetings) but enjoyable and interesting, and of course once the day is done I have no responsibilities and a lovely hotel room.

Just done 1K in pool. Tired now.

Thanks I'll give that a go!

Hold a float and kick your legs. Good work out either lie on front with float in front or on your back with arms stretched out and float above your head.

What is float kicking?

Try backstroke and float kicking java that will get your heart rate up with out stressing the back or knees.

I got a swim In last night but it was busy and choppy I swallowed far to much as I kept mistiming my breathing on the crawl. Also squeezed in nice short swim with the kids last week at an outdoor pool at the bottom of a ski slope beautiful surroundings if rather pricey as we weren’t staying in the attached hotel.
Conferences I find exhausting rights hope yours go ok, and you get to do a little sightseeing too. Nothing more frustrating than being in amazing places & just seeing the hotel & airport.

Is the breaststroke (i.e. the only stroke I can do) good for cardio?

Yes, if you swim it fast enough (most don't)

Is it bad for dodgy knees?

It can be bad for your knees if done incorrectly (which is common)

Is it ok to do with your face above the water?

It doesn't put your spine in a very good position so not recommended

Sorry not read any of the thread but have a few questions.

Is the breaststroke (i.e. the only stroke I can do) good for cardio?
Is it bad for dodgy knees?
Is it ok to do with your face above the water?

Managed one swim in HK Hyatt hotel pool. It was as warm as a bath.
Now in Shenzhen and hotel pool not as lovely but hope to get a swim in. Long, long conference days.

Hi folks been swimming today for the first time in ages and managed 30 lengths!!! Will try and go again tomorrow!

tizwozliz they start tomorrow. I'm not in the UK though. I would love to swim 6 minutes for a 400m but I'm not there yet. Maybe next year with some more consistent sprint training.

More sharks attacks here too . Luckily no one died this time, but two people mauled in the space of a day

When are the masters nationals? I'm trying to get my 400m time back to 6 minutes which given my 100m times should be really doable but I have no stamina.

Place marking to get back in threads I'm on. Name changer - I swim in the outside pool in the middle east.

Not done much recently. Had the kids at home, then have just been really lazy. Worryingly im loosing weight tho - less excerise, more meals out, easter chocolate and a 3kg weight drop in the past month...

Hopefully will get back to it middle of next week.

Hey swimmers, I dropped off the thread. I was the kayak support for a couple of ocean swims recently. For the first one, the swimmers were pulled out of the water as a 4m great white shark was spotted in the swimming channel ! Luckily no one got eaten and we spent the afternoon in the pub instead. The second one got cancelled half way through due to severe weather conditions.

I’m now in training for the Masters Swimming Nationals. I’ve foolishly entered the 400m free and don’t think i’ve got the fitness to pull off the time i’ve entered.

Enjoying watching the Commonweath Games swimming - my goodness those elites are awesome. I’m hoping some of it can rub off on me....

I seem to have plateaued which is quite frustrating. I'm trying to get back to where I was 3 or 4 years ago so i know it's achievable but doesn't seem to be happening. Not sure whether I should be doing something different in my sessions or whether I just need a bit more patience.

I have no Google in China!

I can understand that it would improve lung capacity, though I'm not sure why specially for runners, or do they mean it's something that easily improves capacity for runners?

I have just run on the treadmill, what a bastard those things are.

@rightsofwomen a bit of googling suggests that underwater swimming apparently helps increase lung capacity especially for runners (although this is not universally accepted).

@rightsofwomen in my local pool there a quite a few men who seem to prefer underwater swimming, I've not noticed any women doing it.
In Shanghai I used to stay at the Jian Jang hotel in the French Concession, the pool there was reputedly one of Mao's favourites. It was a nice enough pool but the thought of that old creep swimming in it used to give me the heebies.

RisingSun
I am no expert, but I found that the pull buoy raises my hips to what I believe is a more correct position in the pool. It also gives you that extra bit if buoyancy to allow you to slow down your stroke, thus allowing you to focus on technique. For me, as well as the above it allows me to rest my legs which I don't need to exercise in the pool due to my running.

Oh and I gave a talk yesterday and afterwards one of the delegates approached me and asked what exercise I did to get such nice arms. She thought I did rock climbing. Keep on swimming folks!

Am in Shanghai at a conference. Swam in the small hotel pool last night for about 1/2hr, which should be about 1K.
Do shorter lengths make for more or less distance ie more pushing off, but turns are slower.
I was the only one doing front crawl. Quite a few of the Chinese swimmers were doing whole lengths right at the bottom of the pool. Is that a thing?!

Last swim I did was 24mins, 1200 yds. Bit less than I normally do, and can do 1500m non-stop at a push.
Don’t think there are any cards at the pool - it’s a gym one rather than a leisure centre. I’ll have a look at British Swimming.