why is swimming so out of favour right now?
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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 -
I swam competitively as a teen. I sucked. Badly. Oh, so badly.
For many years I disliked it for that reason and additional body image issues. Hey, one is pretty naked there.
Now I don't care, I'd rather be outdoors cycling. I can run anywhere for free. Climbing doesn't burn my eyes. Parkour is more challenging.... Etc. I swim as a compliment to other training or specifically when I have goals in that area. But there isn't any hate towards swimming. Pools are still pretty full.0 -
I really truly don't like getting wet (in a pool). It is a hassle. To change into a suit, then shower, dry off, lotion up and get dressed afterwards is significantly more of an annoyance than any pleasure I get out of swimming.
And I HATE what chlorine does to my hair. Add that to the fact that I don't like getting my hair wet any more than I have to anyway, and I find styling it a chore, leaves swimming pretty much out of the question. It's just not fun to me. I probably swim 2-3 times a year and that's it.0 -
I love swimming, but the last time I swam laps I limped out of there with horrible tendonitis in both knees. I was out for like a week and I was not happy about it. I haven't been back. I do CrossFit and run instead, all without pain. Weird.0
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I love swimming! (Can you tell from my picture? lol). It is a hassle, but it's a great workout, and I find it relaxing. I used to be a swimmer and then stopped when I had a neck injury. I've been getting back into it and recently completed a swimathon (2.5km). I'm going to sound grumpy, but I'd rather it not be a trendy thing to do because the quieter the pool is, the happier I am.0
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I pay membership for a council run gym which has classes, gym and swimming. I like to swim before work and take 20p with me so that I can dry my hair and then head straight to work. I am not a make up person so no issues there as long as my hair is under control lol. I go even when I only have 15-20 mins sometimes and just make sure I swim fast0
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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?
There are a couple of people on my friend list who include swimming or water aerobics as part of their exercise regularly.
I don't swim very well and I don't really enjoy it. I never have. I don't exercise at a gym because it costs money and would be a hassle to get to for me... A pool would be the same. So I would turn you down too but not because I think it is a bad exercise. It just isn't for me.
If you love swimming and want company there maybe try to make friends with people you meet at the pool through your classes and such just like runners seek out other runners.0 -
So the muslims own & run the pools, and you have to agree to their rules in order to use it?
Or the entity which owns the pool (city?) just caters to them?
Why allow the city to ignore other residents?
Cater for the market. If there's demand for women only sessions then there's going to be a fair need for women only sessions. It's not merely where there are areas of significant islamic population, I don't recall being in an area where the municipal pools didn't have a large proportion of women only sessions. Equally they do tend to be in the working day.
My local pool has very few sessions that are suitable for training tbh, generally at quite inconvenient hours, given the need for women only sessions, family sessions where an unaccompanied man is treated with suspicion and sessions where they won't put out a lane in case it inconveniences the slow breast stroke, chatting to your mate segment of the market.
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All my reasons are covered
- chlorine is hard on hair and skin. Some indoor pools use so much of it to counteract pool grossness people leave that you choke on the smell alone
- showering it off properly is annoying and takes extra time out of the day, especially with wavy or curly hair
- issues with prescription goggles
- scheduling doesn't always work (timing meals can be a problem too)
- swimming technique - I don't know if I'll ever do a not-crazy-feeling front crawl, and can't seem to get a grip on breathing properly for that stroke. I feel totally out of control with that one. I can only do breaststroke, a kind of modified side stroke, and kicks with the board. Doing the same strokes all the time is bad in that it sets you up for repetitive strain.
That said, I enjoy the bad swimming I can do, especially in outdoor pools (less of that chlorine haze)0 -
LovelyIvy466 wrote: »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.
The cost and opportunities would vary greatly depending on where you live but I find the other points easy to overcome. I avoid changing at the pool by going in my swim attire under a coverup, shorts/pants and a shirt that just need to be quickly removed. Similarly, if the showers there are busy or unpleasant, I just drive home sitting on a thick towel and use my own shower. I'd surely have equal need of a shower if I'd run far enough or engaged in any workout enough to work up a sweat. Fortunately for me since I prefer water exercise, I do have affordable pool access for at least a couple of times weekly in colder weather and daily in summer.0 -
I absolutely love swimming and we have a backyard pool.
However, even being that lucky there are some barriers to overcome.
First, the Northeast weather! We can only use the pool about 3 months/year.
Second, it IS time consuming to get changed, get in pool & do your thing, get out, change & do your hair & make-up AGAIN, etc.
I make an effort to commit to 4x's/week for at least an hour. It is truly my favorite form of activity b/c I have bad knees, and it is SO relaxing.
And I love the solitude some days of being in their by myself...floating around listening to my favorite music with all the neighbors at work!0 -
My fitness center pool for lap swimming is a saline pool so it is so much nicer than having to deal with the chlorine. The warm pool is a chlorine pool and that is where I do my water aerobics. I have found that Curel Itch Defense lotion does a great job eliminating the chlorine itchies. As far as the hair thing goes, swim caps. They make nice ones specially for long hair which i use.0
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I am in favor of swimming in theory, but prefer open water swimming to pool swimming and currently have pool issues. I'd go more often if I had a friend inviting me, though. I know a couple of people who swim, but we don't have compatible schedules or locations.
Lap swimming in a pool is something I have to get in the right frame of mind for, which is easier when I'm doing it regularly and go in with planned drills, but hard when I haven't been. It's also just much easier for me to find outdoor activities relaxing/fun and not feel like I'm just doing it for the positive effects (and yet I almost certainly burn more calories in an hour running and can easily run 90-120 mins for fun, and can't stay in a pool that long). That said, I always feel great after swimming--and plus am training for triathlons--so need to start going more. I'm currently trying to talk myself into going today!
The pool issue is a huge one, though, and so is the convenience. I like to go to the gym right before work or lunchtime, and can't get my hair wet at those times without them taking longer than I have. Years ago I had a gym with a great (and usually not crowded) pool, plus a tri training group, and it was fabulous, but I no longer work near it. I love my current gym, but it has no pool (although it allows me access to an affiliated location with a pool on Sundays). The closest gym with a pool I checked out was weird, and on the weekends the pool was open to hotel guests, which made it unbearable (they didn't see what a pool had to do with lap swimming). Others are as expensive as my current gym without the benefits such as location that make me love my current gym. There's a Y near me I should check out and once I can start leaving from work at a reasonable hour I'm going to start swimming with a master's group who use a high school pool near my house on some evenings.
I enjoy swimming in Lake Michigan, but that's its own set of hassles, and right now it's too early in the year.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?
I am not sure
I learned how to swim as a boy in a neighborhood pond, nearly drowning my older brother in a panic filled early lesson. From there to a summer club and Y for summer and winter swim teams and four years on high school team. I didn't pursue swimming beyond high school because I lacked 2 critical elements, talent and speed. Into adulthood, swimming fell out of favor for a variety of excuses; availability, access and cost among others. Other forms of fitness also fell because of my perceived lack of ability. So in time that along with eating poorly and smoking took it's toll on my health. It was not until my mid to late 50's that messages started getting through, starting with medicines I am now on. 5 years ago I finally found away to stop smoking. Then I found my way back to the pool abd even then it was in fits and starts until I retired in April '15 when all excuses for not having time evaporated! I swear by the pool now. Twice, 3 times a week c I am there. I don't just swim. I alternately water walk 75 Yards (3 laps) and swim 75 with sets of leg exercises in between, mainly as a way to get some air. My goal among the others is comfortable walking which the last few years my weight and health have hindered.
Based on recent past, if you want to get me into a pool to splash around and have fun make it a pool in Vegas or Myrtle Beach, or as I am thinking of joining, the pool at my apartment complex. At an indoor pool, it's all business
Based on numbers of families I see at the Y and numbers I f younger on c swim teans, not sure it's falling out favor.
Sorry for taking so long to make point.0 -
I began swimming as a young girl but as I got older, I moved away from it as I got involved in school, work, etc. Now that I am retired, I've rediscovered my love of all things water and do lap swimming at our local high school 4-5 times a week. The hours aren't convenient and some days I have to wake up at 4:15am to swim, but it's worth it. It's a saline pool, so I don't have the hair & skin damage that chlorine does. Since I'm retired I don't give a damn about how my hair looks after swimming and I don't wear make up if I don't feel like it. I'm down 60 lbs and am loving every minute of having time to finally take care of myself.
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I swim 60 lengths twice a week and love it. Got a good swimsuit from an online company and have never looked back. Slight lack of motivation on cold wet nights after work but my better half swims too, so we talk each other into it and never regret it once we're in the water.
I used to run but my boobs are huge (hate the blooming things) and swimming is more comfortable.0 -
a lot of people don't like swimming because it has all the drawbacks of running, and it includes drowning.0
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For me, it's the cost. It just works out so much cheaper for me to go to the gym; it works out cheaper per-day membership wise, and I don't have to hop on a bus for an hour there and back (which makes it cost even more). They've shut so many pools here (London and the north-east of England) in the last 10 years, it's no wonder people can't access them anymore.
I do love swimming though - I hadn't swam for almost 10 years until last Christmas. I pretty much had to relearn it (so was miserable and fed-up at first) but as soon as it all came back I started really enjoying it again. I can't wait until summer; I'll have daily pool access where my boyfriend is living in Bangkok and he's going to have trouble getting me out of there.0 -
My fitness center pool for lap swimming is a saline pool so it is so much nicer than having to deal with the chlorine. The warm pool is a chlorine pool and that is where I do my water aerobics. I have found that Curel Itch Defense lotion does a great job eliminating the chlorine itchies. As far as the hair thing goes, swim caps. They make nice ones specially for long hair which i use.
Where do you get your swim caps? I have a tiny head, but still struggle to get regular latex/rubber ones over my head and it feels like my hair is being torn out when I go to take them off.
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I think this a fairly easy question to answer... Many people don't know how to swim well, and takes a reasonable mastery to get the kind of benefit that many of you are talking about.....On top of that, I swim well above average and have competed in Triathlons up to and including 1/2 IM. I understand the benfits of swimming, I have a daughter that is on the swim teams and until recently have had almost unlimited access to a lap pool (this is another limiting factor as lap pools are in pretty limited supply), but to me, I hate swimming more than once or twice a week, cause it is very boring... but to each his/her own0
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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?)
It is????? I'm headed to the pool now to workout.
There's even a great swimmers group that started here on MFP. 
Guess it depends where you live or something... It's never gone out style here. Course I guess if you don't go to a pool one might be thinking it's not a favorite anymore. (I meant that as a general comment..not directed at you) 0
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