Any other winter swimmers? (Indoors!)

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kiela64
kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I’ve been getting back into swimming regularly now the weather’s dipped below zero. I’ve realized I have no real way to track any progress in swimming other than I went, swam for however long. I’m not the greatest swimmer, I didn’t pass the grade 7 exit test when I did lessons as a kid (I know the system is different now so idk what the equivalent is). Any tips (stretches, form, resources, whatever) would be appreciated!! Also any experiences you’ve had swimming regularly would be of interest 🙂

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  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    As @lorrpb suggess, better technique is the key to better swimming. No sense in wearing yourself out trying to build distance if your form is poor. There are lots of resources available on line to help swimmers see what good swimming form looks like. One simple on line source I like is "mr swim smooth" on youtube. Its an animated video that allows swimmers to see what perfect freestyle form looks like. It also allows you to see each of the different parts of the stroke, (the catch, pull, return, breathing, etc.) in a separated view.

    The other suggestion I would make is to have an experienced swimmer watch you swim to provide feedback on your stroke. This can be very helpful, because most new swimmers can't tell if they are positioned correctly and balanced in the water. (legs separated or sinking, head too high, knees bent, etc.) Good luck.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    Djproulx wrote: »
    As @lorrpb suggess, better technique is the key to better swimming. No sense in wearing yourself out trying to build distance if your form is poor. There are lots of resources available on line to help swimmers see what good swimming form looks like. One simple on line source I like is "mr swim smooth" on youtube. Its an animated video that allows swimmers to see what perfect freestyle form looks like. It also allows you to see each of the different parts of the stroke, (the catch, pull, return, breathing, etc.) in a separated view.

    The other suggestion I would make is to have an experienced swimmer watch you swim to provide feedback on your stroke. This can be very helpful, because most new swimmers can't tell if they are positioned correctly and balanced in the water. (legs separated or sinking, head too high, knees bent, etc.) Good luck.

    Thank you so much!!
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    Djproulx wrote: »
    As @lorrpb suggess, better technique is the key to better swimming. No sense in wearing yourself out trying to build distance if your form is poor. There are lots of resources available on line to help swimmers see what good swimming form looks like. One simple on line source I like is "mr swim smooth" on youtube. Its an animated video that allows swimmers to see what perfect freestyle form looks like. It also allows you to see each of the different parts of the stroke, (the catch, pull, return, breathing, etc.) in a separated view.

    The other suggestion I would make is to have an experienced swimmer watch you swim to provide feedback on your stroke. This can be very helpful, because most new swimmers can't tell if they are positioned correctly and balanced in the water. (legs separated or sinking, head too high, knees bent, etc.) Good luck.

    Agree completely. I swim a lot. Once I began improving my technique I was able to improve my endurance and distance.
    I swim all year due to arthritis in my feet. When I'm in China on Business I have nothing but time on the weekends so I push myself further.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    fishgutzy wrote: »
    ....... I swim a lot.....

    That is an understatement. :)

  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    edited November 2018
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    I used to swim year round for 12 years straight, winters were brutal my pool wasn’t inside. Even in FL I remember one winter the heater broke and it was a 3 am workout, there was ice on the ledge of the pool 😣. I’d suggest looking up some drills to help improve your form. I like zipper drill for high elbows and ketchup for slowing down and focusing on your freestyle stroke . You can use a pool buoy between your legs so you can focus on your arms. The biggest mistake I see beginners make is swimming too flat during freestyle and not focusing enough on rotation, keep your head straight though and focus on that black line on the bottom.
  • Violette_Qin
    Violette_Qin Posts: 6 Member
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    I have always loved swimming and now I am swimming twice to three times a week in an indoor swimming pool since November.

    I have been tracking my own progress in terms of increasing the distance I am able to cover, and the duration of my activities. (Currently I am at 1.4 km within 55 minutes)

    When it comes to other measurements of progress:
    I am starting to mix in some freestyle swimming besides breaststrokes, as freestyle is new to me.
    I also have plans to get a Fitbit Versa to track my heart rate while swimming, so that I can control my speed to locate the heart rate at the optimal fat-burning zone. Several years ago I used a Polar sport watch and a monitor on chest belt to do it, which worked well.

    Hope this helps.
  • Wishusdonna
    Wishusdonna Posts: 241 Member
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    Slow swimmer here... building back up after injury. Getting habituated to the way my bones have set and strengthening muscles makes good technique really tricky, so have been pushing for pace and speed and alternating breastroke and a few front crawl. Managed 20 lengths in 32 minutes yesterday which is great for me, and will hopefully beat that on Wednesday.
  • beerfoamy
    beerfoamy Posts: 1,521 Member
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    I swim 5 times a week. I track my progress by my pace for a 1km swim. But I enjoy it so much am not too worried about progress.
    Re-started 4 years ago and was barely able to do 2 lengths front crawl. Recently completed a 10km swim in the indoor pool.
    Mainly I think I remembered how to swim properly over time, I was a fish at school - I also watched a couple of youtube videos about not creating bubbles with my hands and getting leg position right - drills with a float helped this too.

    Just keep swimming! :)
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    Djproulx wrote: »
    fishgutzy wrote: »
    ....... I swim a lot.....

    That is an understatement. :)
    Lack of options due to arthritis in my feet mean more pool time.
    When I'm in China on business I have nothing but time on the weekends.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    Swimming is awesome and makes you very fit! Add a little jogging or cycling to fill in your legs, and, man...

    As for tracking your swim: the classic method is to use the pool timer (most pools have one that you can see from the water).

    For most people, the 50 yard or meter time (round-trip lap of a 25 yard or meter pool) will be somewhat close to 1 minute (+/- 15 seconds). In any case, once you establish your pace, you can estimate the time to complete various intervals. You can pass the time in the pool by working out the interval times in your head.

    (For me, it's easy, because my training pace in my 50m "home" pool is very close to 1m per length. All I have to do is to watch the clock and I know how far I've gone. Sometimes I'm ahead of the pace and sometimes behind, but always very close.)

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