Swimming

_MG_

I am not a swimmer. I can move my body through the water, stay afloat and not drown; but forget truly being able to swim a lap using a proper freestyle stroke. I can swim a bit under water, freestyle some, and use jacked up versions of breast stroke and sidestroke (and I can float with the best of them).

How do I build stamina in the water to get to where I can start trying proper swimming? Is it best to use whatever method I can to do a few laps before worrying about form? My freestyle form is decent (coach was watching me yesterday) but forget being able to breathe right that way - so I don't get very far as I take on more water than Titanic.

I guess I'd fell better just being able to go back and forth a few times first - is that so bad? Sorry this is rambling but any advice is greatly appreciated.

ashenriver

Learning proper technique makes swimming so much easier. I would recommend taking some lessons just to get the basics, after that you can work on endurance. Most pools have adult beginner programs (with different levels) or you can look into a Masters Swim club.

Or look online for some drills to learn proper breathing techniques. Like using a flutter board. A trick I use is to exhale under water so when you turn your head to the side to breathe you are just inhaling. And when you breathe during freestyle your head is turned to the side, you do not lift your head straight up.

Since your form isn't bad then you can probably just keep doing what you are doing and get that endurance up, but being able to breathe will help your endurance.

FYI: I have been a swimmer and in training for years as a child, I have very good forms, but my current endurance is crap. I am going to be following some of my advice and joining the local Masters Swim to help with my endurance.

KnittingKat

If it is just endurance I would try a different stroke like backstroke to build up endurance a bit. Try practicing flutter kicks while holding on to a kickboard instead of sacrificing form totally. You could also set a goal to swim in one stroke for a certain distance and then switch. My first day swimming laps I needed a break after 2 laps, but I am slowly moving forward.

If your form has issues or you need tips on how to improve lessons are not a bad idea at all.

I hope you figure out what you need to do!

MostlyWater

So, why swim? Why not spin or box or do something else for exercise?

alathIN

I was where you were about 4 years ago. Last week I swam in my first swim meet (500 free, 200 free, 100 breast, 200 breast) and next month I will be swimming the mile in our state meet. So you can definitely get there and it is a lot of fun and a great fitness activity.

My progression was two stages:

For about 6 weeks, I was taking one swim lesson per week and swimming on my own at least two other times that week. It was about week 4 or 5 when things started to "click" and suddenly I could swim pretty much as far as I wanted.
The other poster who said learning technique is the key to swimming is right on. If your technique is poor, you are wasting 95% of your effort. That's why it's so exhausting and you get so hypoxic. It takes practice to improve this and happens much more quickly with expert help.

Then I joined a US Masters affiliated swim group, This is the bomb. In my group there is an early morning workout every day, and mid-day and after-work workouts on some days. They change up the workouts so you are never doing the same thing. The combination of working very hard and having technique feedback from a coach as you are getting tired, trying to maintain proper form as fatigue sets in, makes it a very good workout. I never feel such a peaceful relaxed body-buzz as after a good swim workout .

You can look some videos on YouTube but watch out, some of what they say is nonsense and some of what's presented as absolute fact is actually issues where swimming experts disagree. Another good resource is swimsmooth.com - but overall nothing is going to be as good as having a good swim coach actually watching you in the water and working with you to improve.

FindingAmy77

there are vidoes on youtube that focus on form and tips when swimming and strength and stretching that is swimming related. I love swimming too.

draco706

I used to teach adult swim classes at my local Y. If your looking to swim for fun and fitness not for competition than form is less important. Try starting in a 25 yard or meter pool not a 50 yard or meter pool with 100yds or meters (4 lengths or 2 laps) of each stroke you are comfortable with. If you can do front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and side stroke congrats your at 400 yards or meters. If you show up during lap swim 3x a week and do this you will soon be ready to increase your yardage. Do so by adding 50yds of each stroke. If you are not up to doing 100yds of each stroke start with 50yds. it is important you change up your strokes so you use different muscles. watching Utube videos can help. If you have a partner/spouse/friend who is willing to go to the pool with you they can film you swimming (most cameras/cell phones can take short videos) then you can watch yourself and compare to the Utube vids and adjust your stroke a bit. Just please kick! Will be really helpful and will help avoid injuries

soldiergrl_101

I am not a swimmer. I can move my body through the water, stay afloat and not drown; but forget truly being able to swim a lap using a proper freestyle stroke. I can swim a bit under water, freestyle some, and use jacked up versions of breast stroke and sidestroke (and I can float with the best of them).

How do I build stamina in the water to get to where I can start trying proper swimming? Is it best to use whatever method I can to do a few laps before worrying about form? My freestyle form is decent (coach was watching me yesterday) but forget being able to breathe right that way - so I don't get very far as I take on more water than Titanic.

I guess I'd fell better just being able to go back and forth a few times first - is that so bad? Sorry this is rambling but any advice is greatly appreciated.

When I was 215lbs I could barley move nevermind swim or get in any kind of exercise. I thought swimming would be the better option over running so I got in the pool. I tried to swim one lap freestyle and barley made it half way before I was dying...So I turned over and swam backstroke, this was still difficult but atleast I could make it a lap. After in order to give my arms a break I just kicked with my legs backwards a lap. I alternated this moving slow but steady for 30 min. 3months later using only the pool I dropped 30lbs and found my self swimming for over an hour and I could do any stroke I wanted to complete the laps including freestyle

My point is just do whatever method you find easiest until your body builds up the stamina to do everything else. Also if you alternate the type of stroke you use ever lap or so you will build up all the weaker muscles to allow you to do more. Good luck

_MG_

Thanks for all the great replies. Today was day 2 and I can feel it in every part of my body. I'm really enjoying it. I think I'm just getting to where I can go 2 laps (50 yards) any way I can without stopping. From there I'll start mixing in some real practice. I got 250 yards done today, obviously not all at once.

I wonder if I should log all the water I take in? :P


*edit typos

snowflake954

I'm 59 and learned to swim 18 years ago. I now swim laps for 40 min 4 times a week. The most difficult thing is to breath under water. Until you can breath correctly it's hard to build up stamina. When I started my instructor had me do 10 breaths after every lap. It was uncomfortable and annoying, but thats what did it. Now I love inhaling and then exhaling under water--easy as pie and relaxing. I don't need to do it anymore, but I like it. I just do one deep breath after every lap and then take off again---I'm also pretty fast for an old lady. If I can do it, you sure can.

PoesyP

I'd say slow down a bit and try doing a lap entirely focused on getting a regular breathing pattern. I found with front crawl it's about finding your sweet spot on pace, where you can go slow enough that you don't get short of breath and start gasping for air, but fast enough that you don't have to leave it too long between breaths - and start gasping for air because of that.
Also be sure to never hold your breath - breathe out steadily all the time when your face is under water. It keeps you more relaxed and helps prevent the gasping.
Once you can get that comfortable rhythm sorted and practiced, then you'll find you can speed up and vary your stroke and things so you are working hard and out of breath at the end of laps, but still breathing comfortably as you do it.

DangerJim71

Just keep it up. I would also suggest some lessons to make sure you have the form right. When I first learned I had a small flaw in my stroke that caused me to take on a lot of water and was easily fixed. Having said that, even with good form you're going to get some water. You get used to it.

It took me months to get where I could swim 50 laps nonstop. I started with doing 20 laps no matter how long it took and how much I had to stop to catch my breath. I did that 4-5 times per week and kept building from there.

I'm so glad I kept up with it as I was able to reach my goal of finishing a triathlon and it is a great way to keep fit.

Myhaloslipped

I love swimming. It is a wonderful, full body exercise and a killer calorie burn.

zerryz

I used to teach adult swim classes at my local Y. If your looking to swim for fun and fitness not for competition than form is less important. ..

This is not sound advice. Form is important from day one, for 2 main reasons: 1/wrong form leads to injury eventually 2/wrong form will need to be un-learned to be replaced with proper form, which is more work in the end.

1.Take a 10-sessions class at your local Y or similar to master breathing/stroke/rotation technique
2. Start small (4 lengths for EX) and *swim consistently 3 times/week. Stick to it. Refine technique along the way. Set monthly goals by increasing distance.
3. Repeat 2 from *

Practice makes permanent.

Wishing you success!
.

DangerJim71

I used to teach adult swim classes at my local Y. If your looking to swim for fun and fitness not for competition than form is less important. ..

This is not sound advice. Form is important from day one, for 2 main reasons: 1/wrong form leads to injury eventually 2/wrong form will need to be un-learned to be replaced with proper form, which is more work in the end.

1.Take a 10-sessions class at your local Y or similar to master breathing/stroke/rotation technique
2. Start small (4 lengths for EX) and *swim consistently 3 times/week. Stick to it. Refine technique along the way. Set monthly goals by increasing distance.
3. Repeat 2 from *

Practice makes permanent.

Wishing you success!
.

^^^^^ this. She knows what she is talking about.

snowflake954

Another thing that helps alot with swimming is doing stretching excercises before, especially neck and head turns. That way you wind up with less tightness and injuries.

KeithAngilly

bump for later

yogicarl

Learning proper form in a few 1 to 1 sessions with the local coach made it clear where I was holding myself back in the water. After just three half hour sessions, I was gliding much further and not getting in my own way as I was before.

Proper form and the whole thing becomes so much easier and far more enjoyable.

_MG_

I've been to the pool three days now and decided to sign up with the local Master's Program here in town. The group has been real good and helping me out, as terrible as I am.

I've already made big strides in the three days so I just look to keep getting better. My lungs and stamina are terrible - but baby steps.

snowflake954

I've been to the pool three days now and decided to sign up with the local Master's Program here in town. The group has been real good and helping me out, as terrible as I am.

I've already made big strides in the three days so I just look to keep getting better. My lungs and stamina are terrible - but baby steps.

Good for you! Keep us posted on your progress. Swimming is great.

snowflake954

So, why swim? Why not spin or box or do something else for exercise?

Because swimming is addictive.