why is swimming so out of favour right now?
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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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I think it's just a matter of access and time. I've never heard of it going out of fashion. I see people swimming laps or participating in water aerobics all the time at my gym. I'm not a strong swimmer, so it's not my exercise of choice due to safety.0
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1) swimming is no more expensive than any other sport in terms of gear. Yes, swimsuits may be expensive, but get this: most running shoes are just as or even more expensive. Goggles and a swim cap last far longer than your average workout outfit. As for memberships to a pool, most recreation centers include pool access in their gym memberships.
2) if you live close to a pool, you DON'T have to shower there. Just throw your hair in a towel and put on a zip-up jacket and shorts.
3) no, you won't burn many calories if you 'pootle', but isn't it the same with running, and any other exercise? Plus, even if you swim lightly you'll still burn quite a few calories more than if you jogged, because of the fact that your body has to keep you warm in the water in addition to everything else (there's research on this). I'm on a swim team so I obviously swim pretty hard every time I hit the pool, 3-5 days a week. Also, breaststroke can burn calories if you swim 25 yards under let's say 40 seconds. It's not as hard as it may sound to some people. (I swim 50 yards in 40 secs)
4) get a proper moisturizer for post-swimming. You won't even need to get a face wash because the chlorine does all of it for you. My skin is very clear compared to my non-swimming friends
5) being hungry after swimming is a good thing—usually means you scorched calories. Michael Phelps' diet is upwards of 10,000 calories a day, and yet he doesn't gain weight. That's the best thing about swimming heavily—you can eat a ton and not get fat.0 -
meganlanxinli wrote: »
3) no, you won't burn many calories if you 'pootle', but isn't it the same with running, and any other exercise? Plus, even if you swim lightly you'll still burn quite a few calories more than if you jogged, because of the fact that your body has to keep you warm in the water in addition to everything else (there's research on this). I'm on a swim team so I obviously swim pretty hard every time I hit the pool, 3-5 days a week. Also, breaststroke can burn calories if you swim 25 yards under let's say 40 seconds.
I breaststroke only and average 53 second lengths (I can to a 36 lap mile in 64 minutes). According to most calculators that adjust for speed, stroke, and my weight I burn about 550 calories an hour.
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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?)
I can go running without having to share my space with a ton of screaming kids who see no reason to get out of the road to pee.
I love swimming, I used to swim all summer as a child, but I'd only do it if I had my own pool. The thought of using a public pool makes my skin crawl. Your friends may have the same "Ew, disgusting" response, they're just too polite to say it to your face.
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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?
I have not experienced this...I do not believe swimming is out of favor at all.
That said, as a matter of convenience it's not the most convenient form of exercise in the world.0 -
I hate exercise. Forced myself to walk and do an exercise video hating every minute of it. Then I threw caution to the wind and decided to try water aerobics. There was no class at a time I was not at work. So I researched and spoke to instructors and have now started my own class. And for the first time in my life I am addicted to exercise. I do water aerobics 4 to 5 times a week for an hour and half followed by 20 minutes in the hot tub and I love it. It is more like play than exercise. And I have 6 "students" really friends who now join me. Lovin' it!0
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Larissa_NY 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?)
I can go running without having to share my space with a ton of screaming kids who see no reason to get out of the road to pee.
I love swimming, I used to swim all summer as a child, but I'd only do it if I had my own pool. The thought of using a public pool makes my skin crawl. Your friends may have the same "Ew, disgusting" response, they're just too polite to say it to your face.
[/quoteI hate exercise. Forced myself to walk and do an exercise video hating every minute of it. Then I threw caution to the wind and decided to try water aerobics. There was no class at a time I was not at work. So I researched and spoke to instructors and have now started my own class. And for the first time in my life I am addicted to exercise. I do water aerobics 4 to 5 times a week for an hour and half followed by 20 minutes in the hot tub and I love it. It is more like play than exercise. And I have 6 "students" really friends who now join me. Lovin' it!
This is brilliant!! Good work! Like you I just cant get enough of being in the water, earlier post made a good point about getting a decent moisturizer and having the clearest skin in my life thanks to the regular dose of chlorine!0 -
I hate exercise. Forced myself to walk and do an exercise video hating every minute of it. Then I threw caution to the wind and decided to try water aerobics. There was no class at a time I was not at work. So I researched and spoke to instructors and have now started my own class. And for the first time in my life I am addicted to exercise. I do water aerobics 4 to 5 times a week for an hour and half followed by 20 minutes in the hot tub and I love it. It is more like play than exercise. And I have 6 "students" really friends who now join me. Lovin' it!
This is brilliant!! Good work! Like you I just cant get enough of being in the water, earlier post made a good point about getting a decent moisturizer and having the clearest skin in my life thanks to the regular dose of chlorine!0 -
I'd love to swim, can't afford a pool membership (even for the county parks pools), county buildings
are posted off-limits for self-protection and are often in bad neighborhoods where I don't want to be
without protection let alone leave my pistol in the car for the car to be broken into. (They'd be unlikely
to get it out of the safe, but I'd still have to deal with the damage to the car.)
And yes, we have this nice big lake to play in, but it's cold right now & I don't feel like trying to swim
in a drysuit. Even a wetsuit would be too cold.
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So the muslims own & run the pools, and you have to agree to their rules in order to use it?mynameisoliverqueen wrote:£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).
Or the entity which owns the pool (city?) just caters to them?
Why allow the city to ignore other residents?
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I went to a session at one YMCA where all the lanes were packed, and the pool was pretty small.paula wrote:the lane swimming sessions were so busy you couldn't really swim properly and continuously
The only opening was in the middle of the slow lane, where people were almost walking around in
circles. They weren't happy with me. It was kinda mutual. If you're here to _swim_ laps, then swim.
Didn't go back. Found another Y with a bigger, better pool. Only problem I ever had there was when
some swim team decided they wanted to take over. Kids just jumped right into the lane I was using!
Completely ignored me. The coach even tried to tell me to move into a lane with another regular
member. I reminded him that the sign on the door said that there were to be 2 open lanes at that
time period, and the lane he wanted me to use was not open, it was in use. We compromised in that
the 2 outside lanes were left free of the team, for use by regular people.0 -
I swim twice a week and love it, IF I manage to go when it's not too busy.
It's not too expensive for me - as a student I can swim at my local pool for about £2.50 a session. The full price is ridiculous though at £4.50 a session.
I swim laps and at the time I go there are three speeds available so I'm not constantly being overtaken by people who swim competitively. I do end up overtaking quite a lot because I haven't got the courage to leave the slow lane yet!
I think the things that put me off initially were appearance, but I'm cool with wearing a costume now, and my pool has cubicles to change in; the icky factor, which I still haven't got over; and hassle with washing afterwards. I don't wear makeup often and I work really early, so not on days when I swim, so it's just the fact of having to shower after swimming to get rid of that horrible chlorine feeling that I don't like. I have short hair and I've got a good shampoo for after the pool, so there's not too much hassle as long as I have time to shower at home.
The thing that really puts me off it now, having gone regularly for a couple of months, is the people! Some people just have no courtesy or common sense at all. I get that in the slow lane people might swim really slowly and that's fine, they have a right to use the pool same as me, but I had to put up with a mother and daughter swimming side by side, in the middle of the lane the other day. Impossible to get past them, and pretty difficult to go in the other direction as well! Then there are the people who swim backstroke in a crowded pool... And the ones who veer off diagonally at the end of the length and cut you up when you're overtaking them! And the people who you overtake safely and wait at the end of the length to make sure they've seen you and don't push off without looking and hit you, who then push off before you and get in your way so you have to overtake them again.
Maybe I need to try a faster lane next time I go!0
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