bad ankles so swimming is all I can do, will I weight loss?

katbirdinpa
katbirdinpa Posts: 105
in Motivation and Support
I have a bad ankle, it has no socket and has to be replaced. Of course i am too young. I have to swim for exercise and I am not sure this will be enough to get the weight off. Anyone have ideals for me?

Replies

  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    What gets the weight off is calorie restriction. Exercise only accounts for a relatively small percentage of weight loss. But yes, in answer to your question, swimming is good exercise.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Eat at a deficit to lose weight. The amount of exercise you do does not matter as much as you think.
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    As others have said, diet is the main component of weight loss, but aside from that, swimming is great exercise, but you could also look into rowing, and weight lifting (perhaps with nautilus-type machines, so you don't stress your ankle with standing exercises).
  • lesliek312
    lesliek312 Posts: 14 Member
    I lost weight without exercising too much. However, I FEEL better when I exercise and I find that I am able to make better food choices when I've 'moved' a bit. I have a pool and I try to swim a few times a week (weather permitting). Swimming is an excellent exercise because it engages so many of your muscles at once. So...just keep swimming....just keep swimming! Good luck!
  • 13suzie
    13suzie Posts: 349 Member
    Hey there! Sorry to hear about your ankle but wanted to chime in with some suggestions --

    I was a competitive swimmer in high school and from time to time have flashbacks about what we did for workouts.

    I think most swimming can be great for maintaining because it can be a gentle whole body workout if you are casually swimming laps. However, for losing, you have to step it up in the pool!

    (1) buy a kickboard (if kicking doesn't bother your ankle). Do intervals of kick only and full stroke; also buy foam floats for between your thighs - you can do arms only and drag your legs - very intense.
    (2) use dumbbells and tread water with hands out of water holding small weights. Take breaks - again, interval training - even 30 seconds on - 1 min off will get your heart going.
    (3) when you swim, do "builds' - start easy and by the end of the length or the lap, work up to a sprint.
    (4) alternate your breathing so you aren't breathing every stroke....breath left...hold it...breath to your right...hold it....breath to your left. THis will keep you breathing rhythmic and force your body into an efficient stroke. Also, it will keep you from favoring a side (for freestyle).
    (5) Get hooked up with water aerobics!
    (6) Get a swim coach to work with you so that you are comfortable doing all strokes and all sorts of training.

    Biggest thing - swimming can make you hungry bec it can be so depleting! Watch you don't eat back your calories! :o)

    Good luck!!! Enjoy - and don't forget to invest in excellent goggles and a swim cap. The goggles should be comfortable and the swim cap will keep you aero-D in the pool!
  • dnunny70
    dnunny70 Posts: 411 Member
    I have arthritis in both knees and in June got plantar fascistic which actually seems to affect my ankle more. It is hard to bear weight on it at times.

    I do swim. If you can, water walk or jog. See if you can do water aerobic classes. My knees are usually a problem, but I do have to be careful of my ankle--but I just don't push myself as hard.

    I also went on Youtube and looked up water aerobic exercises. When I go with my family to our community pool, I spend about 20-30 minutes do laps, water jogging/walking and some of the exercises. Also, when the plantar fascistic was at its worst, I did some chair aerobics-found the video on Youtube. There were several of them. My heart rate was up, for me, it was a great alternative.

    No, you don't have to exercise, but you wanted to, swimming can be a heart cardio workout for you. You don't realize you sweat!

    Can you ride a bike?
  • AlexisJ330
    AlexisJ330 Posts: 97 Member
    There is a couch-2-5k program for swimmers called zero to 1650 (a swimmer's mile). Here's the link.

    http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html
  • janeinmia
    janeinmia Posts: 6 Member
    I have all kinds of foot issues -- when I started this I couldn't really stand for very long. I got a private yoga teacher and he gives me mainly floor exercises that don't require any weight bearing on the feet at all. This REALLY helped me get started and out of the vicious cycle of too much weight to exercise.
  • katbirdinpa
    katbirdinpa Posts: 105
    that was cool thanks

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