swimming

melissasue0317

AHHH!! Such a topic among the obese , the do's and don'ts...

Anyways, at my physical the other day my PCP suggested swimming laps for cardio. I broke my arm several years trying to snow-ski, and still have some residual nerve damage/weakness mostly in my hand and stiffness in upperarm. I would say its back to 90% though. I enjoy swimming but have never had formal lessons etc. My mom taught my brother and I young as she was a lifeguard.

Who would be brave enough to venture out into the world in a suit? I feel like I am but as I type this and then was texting my husband, I am getting more and more anxious and I'm sitting here fully clothed in scrubs at work hahaha.

Also, for those of you who are exercising when you can, is this truly an effective workout to burn calories and lean muscle?

kaliya89

I love swimming! I don't love being in a suit, but it is something I'll do when I have to. Of course, I'm usually only in a suit around my family or my boyfriend's family, not a bunch of strangers. I'll be going to the beach this weekend, which will be the first time I'll be out in a suit in front of a bunch of people. Oddly, I'm finding myself not caring all that much. I mean, I'm a little nervous, but not much.

Swimming really is a great form of exercise, or at least I've always thought so. I can always feel it in my arms, and I hate sweating, so swimming's great for getting me moving without feeling all gross like I do when I work out normally.

julieworley376

I would not be seen in a swimsuit for decades.. wouldn't wear one with my kids at the beach or at the pool on holiday. I regret all that lost time so much. When I wanted to swim at the Y I was still having this problem, but one of the Wellness coaches showed me the YMCA special needs bathrooms and said.. we are here for the issues of the mind and spirit as well as the body. I can't fit a towel around me and I just CAN'T use a shower stall situation. So I go in, ask for my bathroom key and I am good to go.

Also, because I hate the skin on my inner thighs I bought a swimsuit with legs in to the knee.. competition style, they make them in plus sizes.

KarenZen

I swim almost every day and do all kinds of aquasize classes at the Y. If I can rock a suit at 466 pounds, I. Bet you can. OneStopPlus.com has suits in every style for every shape plus great clearance and sales. Go for it!

PatrickB_87

I loved swimming as a kid. I had formal lessons from my mom who was a swimming instructor ( I still give her a hard time about how she would have me swim to her and say i'm almost their while backing up, the cruelties of childhood). I also had lessons as I was on several swim teams as a kid. My asthma made it hard but I loved being in and under the water. I also love the feeling of energy and exhaustion it brought. It truly is a fantastic cardio workout. You use every part of your body but without the stress on the joints, you just need to be comfortable in the water.

If you have a community pool I would look their to see if they have any instructors. I imagine you can find some one for a week or too who can help give you some formal lessons and teach you the strokes. My father did the exact thing at our community pool, they offered some adult lessons on swimming strokes and he did it for a few weeks.

I haven't felt comfortable in a bathing suit in a long time. I want to get back in the pool to exercise but I need to get myself comfortable with idea again. It's my goal to be back at swimming without a shirt at some point. Till then I may have to go with a swim/sun shirt. But for now I have some more weigh to loose. I'm just not as brave or confident as Karen.

KarenZen

To be brave and confident---fake it til you make it, baby!

scubasuenc

I like to swim in suits that include bicycle length shorts for the legs. This minimizes the thigh friction and keeps things from jiggling quite so much.

For me swimming laps burns more calories that walking but less than riding my stationary bike or an elliptical. It is a great low impact form of exercise because the water supports our excess weight.

debunny34

I went swimming yesterday at our community pool. Yes, I wore my swimsuit and felt like a cow as usual in it, but at the pool swimsuits are required to use it so not much of a choice. Honestly though, I live in Florida so unless I plan on living under a rock I just have to suck it up and put one on if we go to the beach. I actually feel weirder wearing regular shorts to the beach than a suit. Plus whenever I have went I see such a variety of different sizes of people there that I do not really feel like the odd one out. I do not like seeing myself in it, but I really don't feel like people are staring at me in it either. I think we all judge ourselves more harshly than other people judge us. I for one know I do. This weekend I will be wearing it at the beaches there at the campground and not caring what other people think. I know ME, and I know I am trying to get healthy. Those people do not know me, nor will I have to worry about seeing them again lol

blondageh

I swim at our community pool. Last year I was doing laps for exercise when it wasn't busy. I haven't been too self conscious in my suit except for last weekend when we met some friends. I didn't really want them to see me in my suit and have since decided I really need to go suit shopping and find something that covers my legs better and has better boobie support. My friend isn't as big as me but not then but the biggest difference was she was so stylish and pulled together. I envied that.