why is swimming so out of favour right now?
nik_nak_83
Posts: 37 Member
Just curious...
In my quest to.become fitter I have found a renewed love of swimming, splashing about for fun, dedicated lane swimming and specific swimfit classes. I have tried to encourage friends who are also trying to get.fit to come with me but each time I ask I am.met with scrunched up noses and comments like 'i don't like getting wet', or 'its such a hassle'.
Just wondering if this is a general trend or if there are people out that that still love a swim?
In my quest to.become fitter I have found a renewed love of swimming, splashing about for fun, dedicated lane swimming and specific swimfit classes. I have tried to encourage friends who are also trying to get.fit to come with me but each time I ask I am.met with scrunched up noses and comments like 'i don't like getting wet', or 'its such a hassle'.
Just wondering if this is a general trend or if there are people out that that still love a swim?
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Replies
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I love swimming but have no pool access.
But doing legit lap swimming requires a decent swimsuit. I've almost lost my top wearing a bikini from Target lol0 -
I love a swim, but I have to admit, before I got my (at the time very long) hair cut quite short, I'd often not go swimming because it was a pain. I don't like washing my hair at night, because it is thick and stays wet, and I don't have a dryer. So yeah, I was on the hassle bandwagon!0
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(given that swimming burns way more cals than running, is less strain on joints and brilliant for toning too, why is it so undesirable at the moment?)0
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lishie_rebooted wrote: »I love swimming but have no pool access.
But doing legit lap swimming requires a decent swimsuit. I've almost lost my top wearing a bikini from Target lol
Haha, yes, like all activity it does require appropriate gear!0 -
it is a pain. Unless you can do it after work.
I get ready for work and don't want to have to worry about applying makeup and doing my hair again at lunch.
and the pool in my town is cold...I hate swimming in cold water.0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »I love a swim, but I have to admit, before I got my (at the time very long) hair cut quite short, I'd often not go swimming because it was a pain. I don't like washing my hair at night, because it is thick and stays wet, and I don't have a dryer. So yeah, I was on the hassle bandwagon!
I get the hair thing! I recently had my long locks chopped...maybe that's why I'm so into it now!
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nik_nak_83 wrote: »(given that swimming burns way more cals than running, is less strain on joints and brilliant for toning too, why is it so undesirable at the moment?)
To each their own, IMO.
Some people like swimming, some don't.0 -
The cost of it nowadays (here in the UK where I am anyway!) is prohibitive for a lot of people. It is almost £5 each for a short session (an hour at a push) in the pool due to the many different "sessions" that are offered (usually women only due to the Islamic community where the pools are all situated in).0
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nik_nak_83 wrote: »given that swimming burns way more cals than running, is less strain on joints and brilliant for toning too, why is it so undesirable at the moment?
Swimming at an intensity that's enough to burn more calories than running is very hard work, and needs good form. Pootling along doing breasts stroke while talking to your mate, doesn't burn much at all. For me, swimming is a solitary activity as I'm working hard to improve performance.
I wouldn't say that it's out of fashion per se, but the vast majority of people at the pool aren't training, they're relaxing. Even at a dedicated adult lane swimming session I'd say fewer than half do a decent workout.
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I love swimming, and use it as my main form of exercise. I currently live in a tropical climate so swimming is much more pleasant than trying to run in this heat and humidity!0
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »nik_nak_83 wrote: »given that swimming burns way more cals than running, is less strain on joints and brilliant for toning too, why is it so undesirable at the moment?
Swimming at an intensity that's enough to burn more calories than running is very hard work, and needs good form. Pootling along doing breasts stroke while talking to your mate, doesn't burn much at all. For me, swimming is a solitary activity as I'm working hard to improve performance.
I wouldn't say that it's out of fashion per se, but the vast majority of people at the pool aren't training, they're relaxing. Even at a dedicated adult lane swimming session I'd say fewer than half do a decent workout.
Totally get it, each of my.swim sessions is minimum a mile in 45mins (is that pootling?) I am talking about dedicated swimming for fitness, swimming that I am hoping will build up my stamina and breathing for other things like running...in my.own world.that is my training.0 -
fannydazzle wrote: »I love swimming, and use it as my main form of exercise. I currently live in a tropical climate so swimming is much more pleasant than trying to run in this heat and humidity!
Very jealous!!!0 -
mynameisoliverqueen wrote: »The cost of it nowadays (here in the UK where I am anyway!) is prohibitive for a lot of people. It is almost £5 each for a short session (an hour at a push) in the pool due to the many different "sessions" that are offered (usually women only due to the Islamic community where the pools are all situated in).
See my local council run pool does a monthly membership for about £35 and you can swim as much as you like for that. However I stopped going because the lane swimming sessions were so busy you couldn't really swim properly and continuously. It's a real shame!0 -
nik_nak_83 wrote: »MeanderingMammal wrote: »nik_nak_83 wrote: »given that swimming burns way more cals than running, is less strain on joints and brilliant for toning too, why is it so undesirable at the moment?
Swimming at an intensity that's enough to burn more calories than running is very hard work, and needs good form. Pootling along doing breasts stroke while talking to your mate, doesn't burn much at all. For me, swimming is a solitary activity as I'm working hard to improve performance.
I wouldn't say that it's out of fashion per se, but the vast majority of people at the pool aren't training, they're relaxing. Even at a dedicated adult lane swimming session I'd say fewer than half do a decent workout.
Totally get it, each of my.swim sessions is minimum a mile in 45mins (is that pootling?) I am talking about dedicated swimming for fitness, swimming that I am hoping will build up my stamina and breathing for other things like running...in my.own world.that is my training.
Well it's not shabby, that might be part of it as that's a decent session so friends just aren't up to that.
Notwithstanding that, I can see the hassle argument for many.
It should help your aerobic base, but it's not particularly analogous to running as the muscle groups are different. It is a good cross training discipline though.
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I used to love swimming as a kid, my dad would literally have to drag me out of the pool. Maybe I'll take it back up when the moob's are smaller lol.0
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nik_nak_83 wrote: »Just curious...
In my quest to.become fitter I have found a renewed love of swimming, splashing about for fun, dedicated lane swimming and specific swimfit classes. I have tried to encourage friends who are also trying to get.fit to come with me but each time I ask I am.met with scrunched up noses and comments like 'i don't like getting wet', or 'its such a hassle'.
Just wondering if this is a general trend or if there are people out that that still love a swim?
Is it? I swim a couple of times most week I never new it was out of favour. It probably depends on who you know etc0 -
isulo_kura wrote: »nik_nak_83 wrote: »Just curious...
In my quest to.become fitter I have found a renewed love of swimming, splashing about for fun, dedicated lane swimming and specific swimfit classes. I have tried to encourage friends who are also trying to get.fit to come with me but each time I ask I am.met with scrunched up noses and comments like 'i don't like getting wet', or 'its such a hassle'.
Just wondering if this is a general trend or if there are people out that that still love a swim?
Is it? I swim a couple of times most week I never new it was out of favour. It probably depends on who you know etc
Well, it is definitely not "trending" at the moment that I have seen. On MFP, lifting heavy seems to be the go-to du jour. I go to a gym that has a 3 lane lap pool and see maybe 2 people a week in there working. This could be due to WHEN I hit the gym, but still, the pool is included in membership cost, and I wonder at the lack of users. I swim only occasionally because I am currently on the lifting bandwagon and I know I "pootle" (hee hee, that amused me 'cause it is exactly what I do and is a cute word to describe it) in the pool rather than getting a more focused workout. Besides, I am not training for triathalons. Also, I find that when I swim, I get -hungry-! It is hard to have an evening swim, even with the pootling, and come home with a growling tummy. I just want to Eat All The Things after swimming, so I find myself avoiding it.0 -
mynameisoliverqueen wrote: »The cost of it nowadays (here in the UK where I am anyway!) is prohibitive for a lot of people. It is almost £5 each for a short session (an hour at a push) in the pool due to the many different "sessions" that are offered (usually women only due to the Islamic community where the pools are all situated in).
See my local council run pool does a monthly membership for about £35 and you can swim as much as you like for that. However I stopped going because the lane swimming sessions were so busy you couldn't really swim properly and continuously. It's a real shame!
That's a great deal, not surprised its packed!0 -
I love swimming. Like someone else mentioned, it's a good cross training activity, and even though I am working hard I find it relaxing - probably a mixture of the quietness of the pool I go to, the warm water, time to think.
However, it is £5 a session so it's not cheap, especially if you're already paying for a gym membership elsewhere like I am, I find it makes me hungry way beyond the calories I've burnt (which for me is under 200 per half an hour, because I am small and not a very accomplished swimmer), and to be honest there are days I do not feel like being in swimwear in public.
I don't think it's particularly un-trendy or gets a bad rap though. I think a lot of people are aware of its benefits, like being low impact and using all the main muscle groups.0 -
Well, there are two types of swimming: anything goes and lane swimming. With anything goes, people get in your way and you can't do laps. With lane swimming, you get told off by the serious swimmers for being too damn slow.
The chlorine is bad for your skin (if you have eczema or sensitive skin, it's particularly awful) and if you're quasi-blind, you need to buy prescription goggles, which aren't ideal or flattering. You also have to shower at a public shower afterwards because you're wet and covered in chlorine - if you go to the gym and don't live too far away, you can go back to your own space and clean up there. With swimming, you're committed to the public shower.
Simply put: it is one giant hassle.
Probably not clear from the above, but I did actually really enjoy swimming when I was younger. I think it's a great form of exercise, particularly if you need something easy on your joints. It's just not for me anymore.0 -
I love swimming especially aquarobics. What is puttign me off it the opening hours or lack thereof. I'd love to go straight after work as I did when I was in NZ. My gym there had a wonderful 25m pool and I joined the gym solely for that pool. However over here, when I go back home the pool is only open to school classes only and or just playtime.
Only a few hours a day are for lane swimming and those are solid full of people. Half of them in the really fast lane (too fast for me) and the other half float from one side of the pool to the other yapping away. I have recently managed to get some aquarobics in again, but it has been a puzzle to fit it into my schedule.0 -
I don't think it's particularly un-trendy or gets a bad rap though. I think a lot of people are aware of its benefits, like being low impact and using all the main muscle groups.
While I do think it is un-trendy, I agree with this snip. Swimming doesn't get a bad rap and does get generally acknowledged as legit and highly beneficial exercise. If this board had more retirees, you might see more people who are avid about aqua activity, be it swimming or aqua-cise classes or whatever. I have never seen anyone going off the deep end about how swimming/aqua is dangerous, harmful, or useless/pointless. So I wouldn't say it is out of favor per se.
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I spend 6 hours a week in the pool at my fitness center. 3 days a week I go there and swim laps for an hour, then go directly to a water aerobics class. I love it! I get the hassle thing, though. You do have to take time to shower afterwards, including washing your hair. My fitness center provides shampoo, conditioner, and hair dryers so you can go out looking the same as when you came in. I would love to go every day for an hour rather than every other day for two hours but I don't want to shower that often. My hair is just above waist length and I don't like washing it so much. I do wear a swim cap, but I sweat under the cap so it isn't even the chlorine that is the problem.
Swim gear is no more expensive than any other athletic wear, so that is not a good excuse. You can get a good chlorine resistant suit, swim cap, and goggles for less than it would cost for a good pair of running shoes.
When I go, sometimes all of the lanes are filled and sometimes not. I have never seen it filled to where we have to circle swim but about 1/3 of the time I share a lane with one other person. My fitness center is $58 a month for unlimited use (some classes have an additional charge but most are free) so I figure I am spending about $2 an hour to use the pool.0 -
I don't swim swim. I float or splash around in a pool but don't do it for exercise. I'd need to take lessons for that at this point and I don't have the time or inclination to do that.
I also hate swimsuit shopping and find it incredibly depressing so I avoid swimming as much as possible. I go swimming once every other year when we go on a big vacation and that's it.0 -
nik_nak_83 wrote: »Just curious...
In my quest to.become fitter I have found a renewed love of swimming, splashing about for fun, dedicated lane swimming and specific swimfit classes. I have tried to encourage friends who are also trying to get.fit to come with me but each time I ask I am.met with scrunched up noses and comments like 'i don't like getting wet', or 'its such a hassle'.
Just wondering if this is a general trend or if there are people out that that still love a swim?
Don't think it has. Its always recommended on MFP as a starting exercise (because it supports your body weight) along with walking. It cna be expensive and it doesn need access to a pool.0 -
To kind of answer the OP's question, I don't think swimming is really on the radar of personal trainers or fitness magazines. A lot of the weight loss organizations and RD's will mention water aerobics to their very overweight patients for the no to low impact aspect of it, but it just isn't something trainers are familiar with and most are not certified for swimming.0
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I don't swim swim. I float or splash around in a pool but don't do it for exercise. I'd need to take lessons for that at this point and I don't have the time or inclination to do that.
I also hate swimsuit shopping and find it incredibly depressing so I avoid swimming as much as possible. I go swimming once every other year when we go on a big vacation and that's it.
The best line I heard about being uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit (in reference to those who swim for exercise): "Remember, everyone there is running around in shiny lycra with a condom on their head. Nobody goes to a pool to look cool".
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It's cost and location prohibitive for a lot of people. It's relatively cheap to buy weights or a cardio machine and running is free, but if you don't have a pool you're pretty much out of luck. Some people have nice pools nearby, but there is generally an ongoing cost to use them. Plus you'll have to drive to get to the pool, change in a yucky damp dressing room, finally work out, change out of your gear, wash and condition your hair thoroughly, and then drive back home. Huge hassle compared to almost any other workout activity IMO.0
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I don't swim swim. I float or splash around in a pool but don't do it for exercise. I'd need to take lessons for that at this point and I don't have the time or inclination to do that.
I also hate swimsuit shopping and find it incredibly depressing so I avoid swimming as much as possible. I go swimming once every other year when we go on a big vacation and that's it.
The best line I heard about being uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit (in reference to those who swim for exercise): "Remember, everyone there is running around in shiny lycra with a condom on their head. Nobody goes to a pool to look cool".
Lol. Oh I know. I think I need to look for suits at a sporting goods place. I always end up at a regular department store and the suits there always have some sort of flaw with the fit. So I end up ordering a few from Lands' End and keep the one I think is the least bad because by that time I need something, anything for vacation. I just never find any that I truly like. Or I do find one but the price is high enough that I can't justify it for 2-3 days of swimming.0 -
I think there are many reasons why many don't think of swimming as an exercise, Vanity is one, people don't like how they look in a swim suit--have you seen what some look like in yoga pants! The showering in public, the hassle with drying hair, putting on make up, etc. I don't think going to the gym before work and getting all sweaty and smelly is too desirable either! The biggest drawback it times a pool is open for workout swimming or classes are not necessarily the most convenient. I loved the water aerobics classes the YMCA had here but there were weeks throughout the year when there was no class. Here there are classes at the Y, the Municipal pool, and the local community college but there were still times when all three were closed. Add to that the fact that paying for classes at three different locations can get a bit pricey it's not the most accessible. Although, around here gym memberships are not that cheap either and I really hate the fact that most do not have dressing rooms and showers. Nothing like getting a sweat on then having to drive home! Public showers are the least of my worries!0
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