How has swimming changed your life?

[ohmydays20]

In any way really!!!

I am an unfit mid 30s year old and want to get my life in order and feel good about myself in every way.

thinking swimming might be a lovely way to order one bit of my life. Have just been gifted a 6 month pass to my local outdoor lido.

im quite a committed person and once I put my mind to something I can stick to it and would just like to know if anyone has benefitted massively from
swimming.

I'm not sure I'd say it has changed my life but it certainly has enhanced it and given me a sense of both peace and confidence.

I loved swimming as a child but stopped due to a few reasons, eczema and body image then a lack of confidence and the belief "I wasn't a swimmer".

But after a holiday last year where I swam in the med, went snorkelling and spent most of my time swimming in a small outdoor hotel pool, I realised how much I loved it. I now go once a week to my local spa hotel where the water doesn't seem to upset my skin as much as public pools and last week on holiday I swam in the Channel.

It is one of my favourite things to do and, maybe it has actually been life changing as it has given me a huge amount of confidence that I "can do" rather than saying no.

I say do it! And enjoy.

I wouldn't say it has massively changed my life but it gives me a chunk of meditation and thinking time just for me and that's really valuable in a life with kids, work, home etc etc.

It has completely transformed my body for the better. Goodbye, click hips and persistent ledge around my middle; hello actual defined abs and sculpted leg muscles! I am amazed at the difference.

I go a few times a week and really feel the difference if I don't.

Good luck OP!

That’s wonderful!! How far do you swim and what stroke do you do if you don’t mind me asking?

Thank you! I do three strokes: breaststroke, back and a backward version of the breaststroke. I don't like putting my face in the water! I try to swim more than the previous visit, up to my maximum weekly target which varies. When I started, I set a challenge to swim for 10 minutes then stop, then the next time it was 12 minutes and slowly, slowly, catchy monkey. Now, I'm in for about 20/25 minutes. Once a week I do a bit longer for about 40 minutes or so. I do an average of 30 lengths of a 20m pool now.

The thing is to know your own pace and don't push too hard at the start and keep it enjoyable. If you start to really not like going then it's counter-productive.

Honestly, I really recommend it! I also do other stuff like yoga but it's the swimming that has produced the most immediate results I'd say.

(Should have said clicky hips in the previous post!)