Pool swimmers: how much and how often?

[Firesidefox]

Posting here for traffic.

I've started swimming in my local pool as I had to give up running, and I'm interested to know how much others do.

(I get that this is a 'piece of string' type question, but never mind).

For those who regularly swim in a pool for exercise, how much do you do? Eg time/distance.

And how often do you go?

I'm mid-40s and after a slow start I've got up to swimming 1km twice a week. I also go on my Wattbike a couple of times a week.

(This is the ideal - last week I had a cold and felt shattered so did nothing).

Please tell me what you do as I have no swimming friends so no one to compare myself to, and I can't find any swimming forums either - when I ran I used to go to Runner's World for info.

Thanks

Does your pool do “swimtag”? Then you can compare, I think. Strava also has swimming on it. Masters swimming would train three times per week for an hour each session, so about 2.5km per hour maybe? General rule of thumb is that swimming is 4 times less distance than running, as a swimming marathon is 10km. How far were you running before?

Oh wow @DownWhichOfLate that is all so interesting! Thank you.

I don't know about swimtag - will look it up but doubt it, as it seems to be me and some ladies of very advanced years.

I hadn't thought about Strava, that's a good one. I never used it for running but will have a look from a swimming point of view. Interesting about the 2.5k/hour - wow that is fast compared to me! I do 1km in half an hour. But I'm not caning it - I know I need to speed up a bit.

I used to run maybe 20km a week, so that means I'm lagging by some margin!

Thank you, that's so so helpful.

I restarted swimming at Christmas and go twice a week and swim one mile (1.6km) in just under 30mins. Hoping to build up to 3 times a week.

I usually do 2.5km once a week in under 45 minutes. Then another session of 2-3km depending on how much time I have. I mainly swim crawl and am usually the fastest or in the top 3 in the pool.

I'm a summer swimmer- can't deal with cold/wet hair in the winter!

Three times a week, for about forty minutes to an hour. I usually do about 5k I think? I don't really track distances or count laps.

I do a kilometre twice a week too (takes me about 21 mins). I love swimming but hate running!

Hah, my distance must be way off judging by others!

Yeah @asolitarycone thats makes you 125m in a minute!!!!

Honestly?
I have brittle asthma so I really struggle.
I started with two lengths, as that's all I could manage.
I'm up to six now which is better than where I started.
I go at least three times a week, no more than five as I never go at weekends.

I do half a mile three times a week, it takes me 30 minutes.

I swim, usually twice a week properly and twice a week for a chat with a friend.

When I swim "properly" I do somewhere between 1km in 23mins and 2.5km in just under a hour. I was doing more than that for a while but honestly it was doing my shoulders in so I now mix and match and spend time in the gym doing weights etc so I can avoid overdoing my shoulders. When I trained properly I was able to get up to doing 5km in 2 hrs over the course of 3 months - I just added 500m every week and a half or so until I could do it. I was swimming at least 3x a week at that point - one short morning swim, one longer evening swim and then a full length one every weekend which was the one I extended.

I always remind myself that the best exercise is exercise I continue to want to do so I don't pound myself into the ground or force myself to do drills or anything like that. Yes it won't win me any competitions, but I don't enter competitions so that's okay.

As a comparison I do 57m per minute whilst swimming crawl (during 2km)

Usually the fast lane is for 30 seconds and under per 25 metre length. Some pools are faster than others but that seems to be the minimum speed.

If you were running 20km per week would that be around 2 hours exercise? Do the same with swimming

I swim 1 km a week in just under 25 mins, but faster if there is someone in the lane with me (competitive male ).

I would swim more often but my shoulder starts to twinge if I do which is rather annoying.

Usually the fast lane is for 30 seconds and under per 25 metre length. Some pools are faster than others but that seems to be the minimum speed.

Definitely think this depends on the pool: I do about 42-43m per minute and in my old pool I was the fastest in the pool about 90% of the time. I've since switched pools and now have to switch between the fast lane and the medium lane depending who is swimming but I don't think this time is universal.

@ISpyCobraKai

Honestly? I have brittle asthma so I really struggle. I started with two lengths, as that's all I could manage. I'm up to six now which is better than where I started. I go at least three times a week, no more than five as I never go at weekends.

Keep going. I'm asthmatic too and didn't learn to swim properly until I was in my mid 30s. When I started swimming lengths I would do one and be completely out of breath, I would do six lengths with a break in between each one and that was all I could do. But gradually I have built it up (and I mean gradually - I'm talking several years) and now I swim 50 lengths without stopping 3 times a week. I'm not fast, it takes me about 30 mins. But I'm consistent and it has really helped my asthma - I noticed a huge difference in my asthma symptoms when I was shielding because of Covid and couldn't swim.

I used to swim 20 lengths of 50m once a week. Now I go two or three times a week early evening.
This won't be sporty enough for you OP but it does make a real difference to my fitness.

The showers were closed during COVID and I realised I preferred to arrive in my swimming costume, swim, then put on a dryrobe and walk or drive straight home.

I much prefer washing my hair at home and then putting on PJs !!

So I swim more often now that the shower / draughty changing room / wet hair thing is not a problem.

3 times a week, 64 lengths ( a mile) takes me about 40/45 minutes i'm pretty slow (i stick to the slow lane though so it doesn't bother me)

God I love all the replies to this. Inspirational stuff. And hats off to the PPs with asthma.

I'm thinking I need to go faster and for a bit longer. Glad I asked!

But I also love the PP saying the best exercise is the one you stick at. Very good point.

@JemimaMuddledUp
Thank you.
It's taken me three months to get to six lengths and I still have to stop between each one, but I tell myself it's better than 0 lengths and not going at all.
I really enjoy it too which is something I never thought I'd say about exercise.

I go twice a week, slow swimmer around 25-30 lengths

I swim 4 X a week, averaging 65- 75 lengths a session.but I do drills etc to work on technique and turns.

I go twice a week, 1km is 30 lengths at my pool and I do that in about 30 mins, give or take, depending who’s in the lane with me. I do crawl.
I love swimming and I would go more often, but it’s killing my shoulders.
I would be faster if I could do tumble turns, but there’s 14 in a lane. I’m in the medium one.

Pre covid, I used to swim 4 times a week, a mile at a time (64 lengths). It would take me about half an hour.

I've just started going back but only doing once a week to save money.

Meant to say @Firesidefox, when I couldn’t run I got into weight lifting, that massively improved things. Hope you get over your injury soon.