Swimming for fitness (part 4). Everyone welcome.

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Old thread here

Anyone interesting in swimming for fitness welcome here.
Newbies, experiences, the fast, the slow - we're all sharing, learning and most of all supporting each other.

I managed 18 lengths today and much less achy! Thanks for the effortless swimming tip.

I noticed there are signs for adult swimming lessons MzHz and will try and stick my head in next week. Unfortunately it's at a time I'm often working.

If you can, make time for you! It’s so worth it! Call and see if they run other sessions there or elsewhere- I was lucky, my sons swim school badgered me offered lessons, my god I was terrified

4 years ago I was you

Now I’m a masters swimmer and rack up 000’s of metres in a session! It’s addictive and so good for you! I have good days and bad days and I’d not give it up for anything

I managed 56 lengths today, I'm trying to get up to 60 in about 45 mins for now and the I will try and speed up a bit and then up the lengths again.
Felt like I was swimming in mud yesterday and today though so was pleased I got through it.
Any tips for breaststroke? I just cant quite get it right

Thanks MzHz!

I did another 18 lengths today and definitely keen to have a proper lesson I think. I've improved enough by myself to not get so tired but definitely could improve technique a lot!

Super impressed by 56 lengths in one go spiderlengths

I used to limit myself to 30mins per swim, I’d only rack up a couple of hundred meters per session, but I would go 3-4 times a week and gradually the swim fitness increased

The main thing is to get the breathing and stroke as good as you can get it and then SLOW IT DOWN, which gives the energy and capacity to keep going. You keep going, you get stronger. You get stronger you go faster

Then of course you’re into the find the tweak that speeds you up... that’s the maddening zone :)

YouTube has a lot of technical videos to help with all strokes and techniques

You’ll get there! Just keep going and pushing yourself when you’re ready and it will come

spiderpants blooming good going ! Well done !

Breast stroke is all about timing and keeping a narrow kick- I’m not great at it, but I’m working really hard at it and it’s getting there

I did actually manage my first ever length of BUTTERFLY last week... god that’s taken forever to crack... now to do it properly!

@MzHz you are so right about building up strength and then speed coming. It's happened almost without me noticing and I suspect my altercation last week is due to me not noticing that I have got faster as I've got stronger. Today I swam before work - I only swim 1k because I hate pruny fingers but my time is now 20mins. I'm pretty pleased with that. It's 3k an hour which ain't bad for a 57 year old exercise hater!

Has anyone been watching Sink or Swim? I'm totally hooked on the amazing progress those folk have made in 12 weeks. From non swimmers to the channel- slow and strong :)

In my experience the only thing that makes you fitter for swimming is by swimming..: there seems to be no short cut. Trust me, I’m looking!!

That said, having started ashtanga yoga (mostly hot) I’m noticing a dramatic difference in strength and also confidence

My mind set is changing, people are being very kind and believing in me, and I’m gradually beginning to believe them and therefore myself

I have watched Sink or Swim too, and omg I am in utter awe! I’m a swimmer, have done Henley mike twice, lakes, rivers, and lots and lots of lovely warm sea swims.

I loathe murky water, it terrifies me, and having only learned to swim a few years ago and worked like a maniac to get to this stage I really struggle with water outdoor. Unless it’s clear and I can see where I’m going. As a mild agoraphobic I know panic well. Sadly. I know how it stops you from doing things you should be able to.

Those amazing athletes are doing something this big and they aren’t even good at pool swimming let alone in the flaming sea or channel! Their stories are so moving, their journeys are all so emotional

I spend each programme sniffing and dabbing my eyes for them, because I know exactly how they feel!

Me and the oh both swim and we each have things that click and we whoosh faster than each other. We then work out what the whooshy one has done and share it so it helps us both speed up.

The other guys in the squad too are mega generous and help us with tips and technique

Thanks everyone for great tips, I think it's my legs that let me down, so will just plugging away.
I was very proud of 56 lengths as last November I couldn't even swim 15 with my head out of the water. Now I am swimming with my face in the water and increasing slowly. Plus apart from school holidays i have kept it up. I have just had a six week break so I guess my muscles are a little tired and maybe should give myself time to build back up again

@MzHz congratulations on the butterfly, one stroke i have never been able to do so super impressed by that

MzHz super well done on the fly, it’s certainly a killer, but it’s now my DD12 favourite stroke so she’s been teaching me & my youngest. I’ve been doing a couple lengths of 2fly kicks then one breaststroke pull to breathe. She gave it to me as stamina builder drill which I really like doing now. I can put in about 5 proper arm strokes but not got to a length yet... I love the fact flipping peri-menopause is crippling me at times but I’m still learning to swim butterfly in my 40s.

I’m going through the same thing @TriSkiRun, It’s bonkers! Hoping to get doc to sort meds out a bit as they are struggling after having worked for a while..

Yeah at 51, I’m taking up yoga, hard core stuff and the instructor is working me at an advanced level.. I’m apparently a natural...

Great. So now I have TWO coaches trying to kill me and not letting me off for being a newbie...

OH aches constantly from doing either yoga or swimming, but we’re rapidly coming to the conclusion that we’re “that couple”, won’t be out done by the other, and love challenging each other

I'm peri-menopausal too. Upping my swimming is really helping to keep the weight off my stomach.

I've got my eye on a 3km sea swim and a 4km lake swim next summer.

Hello all :)
I’m an avid swimmer, it’s my happy place. I swim 2-3 times a week, every day if I am on holiday.
I seem to have completely mess up mu breaststroke, it gives me horrendous neck ache.
I am reading the total immersion book hoping for some tips.
There is no one that can have a look at my stroke and tell me where I go wrong with it. So I’m trying to find out by reading about it and watching youtube videos.

I think I’ll ask a random swimmer at the pool, or is it a faux pas? To just watch a couple of strokes and tell me what I’m doing wrong.

Some pools do coached sessions, maybe have a look around for one near you?

Have a look on YouTube for technical videos

Don’t get me started on menopause - couldn’t get my HRT patches yesterday so have had to have tablets - slightly higher risk. I was not amused (neither was my GP to be fair). A good swim helped me calm down a bit.

Aside from swimming for a mo best there was a list posted on here meno board I think about which HRT is in / out of stock it maybe helpful if struggling to get GP to prescribe an alt. It came from one of the main MP sites. I think I’d lose my marbles completely if I had to stop my HRT at the moment!

Swimming & yoga really does help me when the hormonal anxiety starts to take a grip.

TriSkirun thanks, I will go and have a look. i’ve got a months supply.

Oh crap @BestIsWest... I’m on patches - which are struggling to work tbh, and have an appointment to review on Monday with the hope of finding something that works better

I wonder if it’s ok to get put on anything for now and then when supply is better get moved on to better again.

Why IS there so much of an issue with supply, do we know?

I had to swap off HRT patches because they won't stick after swimming, I was getting through three a week so I'm back on HRT pills. I've had so many different HRTs recently I've acquired a stash to last me a year, but they're all different types, pills, patches, continuous and sequential. I cannot believe how much better life feels on HRT and with swimming. They are my saviours.

I swam in the fast lane yesterday, the fast blokes in there are only fast because they swim two lengths then stop for five minutes- they crowd the wall and there's no room to push off the wall. Grrr, why can't everyone do things MY way?

Back in the water the last couple of weeks as kids are back at school, feeling thrilled my youngest now has swimming lessons without me in the water so I’m managing a 30mins mid week swim; it’s not enough but will squeeze other bits in as and when I can

I stick my patch on my back, an inch or 2 below the waist band above my glute

Some have got a bit unsticky toward the end of their stint, but I first got mine as I was going on holiday and with training twice a week it was important they went under the swim suit. with this and now the hot yoga, ive found that this a good enough place.

So yoga yesterday and then training last night

I won’t admit to being broken, as the oh will revel FAR too much in schadenfreude (as he suffered EVERY time we do anything and I normally don’t) however stairs are proving challenging... there have been a few oofs uttered already this morning.

Apparently I’m going to be entering a swim gala.... my first ever one

oh good grief!

Ooh good luck with your gala MzHz I’m sure your be fine. Have you been practicing off the blocks? They look too scary to me. I often help out at my DD galas and stand behind the blocks watching these tiny 8&9yr olds climbing up onto the blocks & sometimes bless them, they are shaking waiting for the ‘gun’ to go off. Such guts!

HRT - I don’t use patches but gel with a coil. I was allergic to the glue in the patches and the gel I find really easy to use.