I swim a fair bit, 2 or 3 times most weeks, between 1.5 and 3 k per session. Always front crawl due old knackered bones. Currently on holiday with a nice quiet pool and have been knocking out 1.5k before breakfast daily for last 5 mornings. Shoulders and arms are really achy though 😥 I guess I’m just old ….

I get four in a week, would like to do daily yet the 5:2 diet currently gives me slumps on a couple of days. Maybe in a month or so will work up to 5-6 a week. I alternate crawl and breaststroke irregularly as the mood takes. Mostly crawl. A mile, which I used to count by lengths until got to gauge my speed now just do 40-50 mins it seems about right for an old arthritic git* 8)

*weight-bearing gives pain always so any time in the pool is sheer bliss, I come out glowing and lighthearted – pool-time is my meditational, stress-busting destroyer of depression and pain so as long as I get half a lane to self I’m happy. Due for a move tho, and shall be miles from any pool which is worrying, though there shall be the sea, brrrr 🙂

The very idea seems awful to me! And I’m not a bad swimmer, I’ll do it a few times a week but every day? Up and down over and over again.. argh..

iainc – Member

Currently on holiday and have been knocking one out before breakfast daily for last 5 mornings. Shoulders and arms are really achy though I guess I’m just old ..

Just because you have had better weather than my 2 weeks there :p

I swim a lot; it’s my main exercise, either 1 or 2k about 3 or 4 times a week depending on mood or energy.

In my eyes, life’s too short for daily swimming in a public pool, or fully skimmed milk.

knocking one out before breakfast daily for last 5 mornings. Shoulders and arms are really achy though I guess I’m just old ..

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Knocking+one+out 😯

^^^^ 😀

Although that’s not quite what I said !

Day 6 plans scuppered this morning as up during night to watch the storm (and close the velux windows in holiday cottage 😳 ) . By time I woke around 9 the pool was starting to get busier so gave it a miss…

I swim pretty much every lunchtime – there is a really decent municipal pool less than 5 mins walk from my office. I find its a really good way to relax during the working day, and get some exercise in. I mix up my regimes, so one day will be working on distance, and the next technique, or intervals. Achy shoulders – is one worse than the other? Are you breathing bilaterally? Are you keeping high elbows throughout the stroke? It might be worth looking for some technique tips?

I started swimming 4-5 times a week. Breaststroke as knackered shoulders prevent crawl. 40 lengths = 1 km. Felt a lot better as I got fitter over the first 6-8 weeks and time came down from 45-50 minutes to sub 30 minutes.

At that point I started getting bored but found a 30 minutes swim after the gym was a nice way to cool down.

Achy shoulders – is one worse than the other? Are you breathing bilaterally? Are you keeping high elbows throughout the stroke? It might be worth looking for some technique tips?

thanks, breathing and stroke well balanced as had a fair bit of coaching when I got back into swimming about 5 yrs ago. Suspect just overdoing it a bit, combined with playing tennis with my kids etc, which is not something I have any ability at 🙂

Fair enough – sounds like you must be over doing it a bit then. Enjoy a relaxing day on the sun lounger with a beer!

I get to swim in the sea most lunchtimes in the week…. but then I do work 5 minutes walk from here, so why wouldn’t you?

Blimey, all that pacing up and down the beach. Something on your mind, care to share? 😀

Looks lovely.

LOL. I hadn’t really noticed all the footsteps. Probably from me trying to work up the courage for the temperature shock!

It was a bit busier today (picture above was taken in April), but still gorgeous.

Genuine question here.

What benefits do you actually get from swimming? Except getting better at it of course.

What I mean by this, does it make your fitter, stronger, build muscle or improve core etc.

The reason I ask is because I am a pretty confident swimmer but have always used it as a kind of alternative when im bored or gym work. However now after two knee ops impact sport is pretty much a no no id like to get in the pool more and was wondering how beneficial swimming actually is??

I find its good for cardio stuff, joints and mobility. I have had a few knee ops and have a dodgy back so can’t run and at age 49 aren’t too keen on impact stuff. I find that riding is great for lower body and swimming upper half – I always do front crawl and don’t kick much.

Helps keep the weight controlled too.

Sorry about the edit to you original post Ian, I was just jealous of you getting better weather than me on holiday.

At least I got a hot sweaty ride in last night (brambles/nettles/thistles & biting insects included) before the thunder & rain.

^^^ hahaha, that’s OK 😀

It’s raining now, but we’re going home tomorrow !

Oh well its cloudless blue sky here now :p

Just noticed we are the same age & with equally knackered backs & knees.

During last nights ride I tried to chase down a mate who has been riding loads & 30 seconds in that sharp stabbing pain from my right knee said otherwise 🙁

Indeed, old and knackered ! I am just getting fitness back after prostate removal end of last year and its a struggle. Swimming was first thing I got back to, bike was a few months later..

Samaratti there are loads of benefits to swimming. Fantastic for core work, arm strength, general conditioning and will improve over health and fitness. but that is ONLY if you do it properly ie don’t just swim repetitively plodding up and down doing the same speed, the same distance etc. you need to mix it up do some speed sessions which will generally be shorter distances say 1500m, then do muscular endurance, force (arm strength) or speed endurance so those would be say longer sets.

IF anyone wants a book of cracking drills Swim workouts for triathletes by Gale Bernhardt and Nick Hansen perfect for keeping it interesting rather than ANOTHeR boring swim session.

Munge-Chick – Great post I am guilty of doing 40 laps of crawl and jumping out, and yes all at the same speed.

I will definetly give your advice a go.

^^^^ on the flip side, you will still get many of the health benefits from a 30 min plus swim

plodding up and down doing the same speed, the same distance etc.

although as noted above you may not get any faster/better. All comes down to whether you are ‘training for something’ or just wanting to keep/build fitness.

However I don’t use Strava either 😀

I swim 6 times per week. Mixture of 10 x 200 M to 4 miles long slow distance, all freestyle.

Ensure you stretch after every session, the doorway pec stretch is essential to avoid injury. Google it and you will find all sorts of great variations as well.

Iainic I’m not sure I agree with that, the only thing it will do is move the blood around your body it wont’ hugely benefit you and you can’t go home and eat what you want thinking “yeah I’m done 30 min swimming”

I am guilty of not stretching never do, never have, never been injured..maybe I’m just lucky.

Sammaratti loads of stuff to google on the internet but the book I recommended is great as breaks it down into subsections of each swim time so can pick one! Easier to follow and makes doing 3k in the pool far easier as you are only concentrating on that set ie 3 x 200m moderate with 20 second rest interval, not the FULL 3k.

I’m a poor and slow swimmer, but I love it and would swim every day if I could. It’s good for the soul, I’m convinced!

, the doorway pec stretch is essential to avoid injury.

That’s news to me and useful, thanks.

I swim a lot in the winter; some sea swimming in the summer. Mainly for cardio and toning ( keeps the man breasts away) if you try to do sets of 10 at pace those hills are so much easier.