Swimming

Im no expert but Id have thought longer than 30 mins would be better than more lengths in 30...

Ive just started swimming again and am enjoying it already, though I got annoying cramp in my foot last night which would not go away no matter what I did

Out of curiousity what length is the pool you use?

I'm really enjoying it, I've been 6 times in about 10 days and do just breast stroke. The pool I go to is 25 metres, and I've gone from being knackered after 10 lengths to being able to do 24 quite eaisly, in just the 6 sessions ?

I did get a really back pain in my hip one time which rendered me incapable of walking that evening but a bit of deep heat sorted it out. Cramp is horrid though, and so hard to shift once you get it...

How long is the pool you use Shoes?

Just found this reply, sorry

Its a 20 metre one. Im planning on going this morning, was going to go early as Im awake early but just found out they dont open till 8 - bah hopefully will still manage to avoid the screaming kids though

Gawd I really need to get back to the gym, I enjoy swimming too and you're conversation on the subject makes me feel guilty. I just can't drag my arse off the sofa once i'm home. I think I may have to arrange for MrSun to pick MissSun up on the days I work and head straight to the gym from work.

I'd love to have gone this morning but MrSun is still in bed [pah icon]

Hepburn, if you can do front crawl, then that will really speed up your toning & weight loss. It's difficult to expend enough energy to really make a difference doing breast stroke, unless you are really belting it.

If not, then try increasing effort during your 30 minutes, I'd say that would be a more effective workout. Then work on increasing time too!

I've been thinking about starting up swimming again. I used to love it and as I'm really not a gym person it was perfect for me. For some reason though, I seem to have lost my confidence and can't quite make myself go - I don't know whether it's because I haven't been swimming for so long, or because I know my fitness levels are pants, because I'm self-conscious or all them really!

Ive just got back from the gym (well actually an hour ago, been trying straighten my hair and tidy up the house since as parents are coming later)

I managed about 20 lengths in just ove 20 minutes and was doing combinations of front crawl and breast stroke

our gym is having a special promotion this weekend as the refurbishment is all finished and they are giving away stuff and letting people try food etc in the cafe.. They are also having promotions in the Heaven V, I managed to get a french file and polish for £11 instead of £15 (a normal - not french - was £8 instead of £12)

I try and do 50 lengths in 30 minutes, I am a pretty strong swimmer despite being totally unfit and seriously flabby. I am expecting this to go down as I now have some funky excercises to do on lengths which slows me down (swimming up the pool with crawl arms, hands in fists and no legs is seriously slow and messy but worthwhile apparently).

Sorry to crash, Puss hope you don't mind me asking but what other exercises have you been given I swim in the mornings before work and swim for about 35-40 mins and do about 64-66 lengths I do mainly back stroke and crawl but like the sound of that exercise as sounds quite hard!

Thank you

Blimey - front crawl with hands in fists and no legs???? Very achey arms I would imagine and how do you not drown?!!!!

I have yet to figure that out and it is a very messy affair ?.

RJ, I do crawl and breaststroke with arms (flat hands and fists) no legs, I also do just legs holding a float vertical in the water to swim against. Normal swimming I do 4 breast stroke to warm up, then I do 2 crawl 2 breaststroke for the remainder of the time (backstroke if the pool is empty and I am getting tired of crawl, that is when my breath timing goes totally to pot) and 4 breast stroke to cool down again. I love swimming.

?

will try some of those next week

I need to start swimming again. I used to swim (backstroke) for my school but I've been hideously unfit for years. ?

I can cope with the actual swimming but it's getting there, getting ready, swimming, getting dried/dressed and getting home that get's me. It's exhausting.

I'm very impressed at all you super swimmers! ?

Swim4fitness is an excellent free website with loads of swimming programmes designed to improve fitness etc...

http://www.zoggs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=36/

Hope the lonk works, if not just Google Swim4fitness. Well worth a look!

Thanks for that link. I've only been swimming regularly 3x a week for the last 8 weeks or so and I'm totally loving it. Although it's exercise it doesn't feel like it - I hate the sweatiness and panting associated with cardivascular exercise on land. It's also wierdly relaxing.

I can't do crawl for the life of me so I do breaststroke/backstroke/crawl legs with float, about 70 lengths in an hour, but I'm definitely going to sign up to that site to get more ideas.

?

No probs, think I found it a few years ago in a Sunday Times supplement. Think I'd like to get back into swimming again, but like you cannot do front crawl at all (for some reason was never taught it at school). But it's got loads of programmes for all sorts of strokes and when I followed one a few years back, I really noticed a difference.