Any swimmers out there?
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when you say you breathe after every lap you mean you have to stop and catch your breath? You should not be going a lap without breathing. Do you know what kind of stroke you are doing? Honestly 10 minutes at a stretch is good for a new swimmer! Some people can barely do a few laps when they get started.
It will get easier as your technique and your fitness improves. As others have mentioned, learn how to control your breathing (presuming your are doing freestyle). If you're doing freestyle literally start this by standing in the pool not moving, putting your head face down in the water and concentrate on exhaling into the water, turning your head to the right and then inhaling and then putting it back in and exhaling. You should be taking a couple strokes while you exhale which will mean a quick inhale and a long exhale. When I was on a swim team growing up I was taught to breathe every third stroke on my right so that is what I still do. You could also try using a snorkel that goes above your head (this is what my husband uses) and then breathing becomes a non-issue.
Breastroke is a great "starter" stroke as it is easier to pace breathing and is not quite as demanding or weird to master as freestyle. I might suggest swapping a lap of freestyle then a lap of breaststroke which is inherently easier and allows you to pace your breathing more naturally until you feel you can go further. One of my favorite strokes is sidestroke- it really cranks your transverse abs and you don't have to worry about breathing because your head is above water, but it can be an awkward stroke to master.
IMO Swimming is tough but so fun because you're *really* working everything: arms, legs, core, moreso than most other types of exercise. Its refreshing and meditative and a good workout all at once. Freestyle is my favorite because I feel it gives me the best workout overall. Come back and talk to us if you ever master butterfly or dolphin!
Hi,
Yes, sorry I meant I get very out of breath after 1 lap. I breathe during the crawl..but by the end of the lap, I;m already winded! Maybe I am just really out of shape. lol Thanks for the advice and not sure about the butterfly or dolphin! But I'll let you know! haha0 -
snowflake954 wrote: »I've been swimming for 20 yrs. Breathing is crucial--it's your gas, so to speak. Yes, it does get better. At the end of your lap, if you're winded, stop--take a breath, duck under water, blow out--do this 10 times. Another trick is to swim slower, but never stop. Watch the better swimmers to pick up tips. I used to breath every 3rd stroke, alternating sides, but I decided to push myself, and now I breath every 4th stroke, and I may take it to 5th soon. Swimming is great, but it dehydrates, so watch your water intake. Also be very careful logging your calories. Most people are famished after a swim. I know alot of people that think swimming will slim them down, but they gain weight.
WHOA why do people gain weight? It does make me hungry after but I'm still trying to do my calories. Thanks for the heads up!!0 -
Love to swim! Add me if you want to talk more about it!0
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Can't wait to start swimming again I swam competitively for years, backstroke and butterfly (I could never get my form right for freestyle) I can't wait to be able to do the fly again. Going to start again this week!0
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I have an awesome pond in my backyard that I can use for swimming, IF I can get over my fear of the fish and whatever else may be lurking in the water.
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To really enjoy your swimming and get the best workout possible, consider taking an adult stroke improvement class. Then when you learn how to do the strokes more efficiently, you will not become so winded because you aren't breathing much. You will however become winded because you are working very hard in your workout.
There are also lots of videos and self-help swimming tutorials online, if the expense is too much. You can also ask pointers from the "better" swimmers around you. Usually they are happy to give you a small suggestion to improve your technique.
I agree.0 -
Hi. I'm new to swimming . Any advice out there for beginners? The pic you see if from 15 lbs ago... I gained most of it back and trying to lose it again but I have a foot issue. That's why I started swimming instead of my usual spinning classes at the gym! It seems like you have to work alot harder to burn calories swimming but I know it's super healthy for your body all around.
I find it's hard for me to swim. I lose my breath after 10 minutes! But I keep going, having to breathe after every lap. I try to do at least 30 minutes. Does it get easier? How long does it take to build up endurance?
Also, what kind of stroke is your favorite and why?
I started swimming in a pool one year ago. Until then, I was just swimming in the ocean in summer and was self taught. Pretty good as self taught, but never had to pay attention to breathing, and trying to swim laps. Someone gave me the advice to use a swim board and spend several laps concentrating only on breathing and nothing else. It made me feel a bit silly, a little like a huge 5 year old, but the difference it made in just a few weeks was amazing.0 -
I have a hard time swimming more than one length of the pool without stopping to catch my breath. Please message me if you know of a good video to teach me the backstroke and/or breast stroke, so I can alternate (and presumably catch my breath). Thanks!0
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Hi. I'm new to swimming . Any advice out there for beginners? The pic you see if from 15 lbs ago... I gained most of it back and trying to lose it again but I have a foot issue. That's why I started swimming instead of my usual spinning classes at the gym! It seems like you have to work alot harder to burn calories swimming but I know it's super healthy for your body all around.
I find it's hard for me to swim. I lose my breath after 10 minutes! But I keep going, having to breathe after every lap. I try to do at least 30 minutes. Does it get easier? How long does it take to build up endurance?
Also, what kind of stroke is your favorite and why?
Breast stroke is probably going to be the best for you if you're trying to build up endurance. I say this because it doesn't require the coordination of freestyle or the decision to hold your breath and bury your face in the water for a few strokes, or try to hold your neck up high and keep it up the entire time (both make it extremely fatiguing). Plus, with the breaststroke, you can slow down a little to catch your breath while still moving and staying afloat, as opposed to freestyle, where it's sort of an all-or-nothing style. Just my opinion, I'm not "right".0 -
Awesome. I just signed up for some classes! It's great to know there are other swimmers out there. I'm gonna ask about the breast stroke.0
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Awesome. I just signed up for some classes! It's great to know there are other swimmers out there. I'm gonna ask about the breast stroke.
Great news! You will learn a lot, and you will enjoy it more than ever before once you see how improved efficiency in the water allows you to go faster with less effort. When you are working with the water instead of against it, you become an efficient swimmer and you can improve your speed, which is fun in itself. Knowing different strokes ensures it never gets boring, and strengthens different muscles, not to mention your cardiovascular fitness.
Don't worry about gaining weight from swimming. Just be careful not to eat back too many of those calories that MFP gives for swimming because that calculator is using a formula that assumes the speed for "light, moderate freestyle" is 50m per minute.
Have fun!
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Awesome. I just signed up for some classes! It's great to know there are other swimmers out there. I'm gonna ask about the breast stroke.
Great news! You will learn a lot, and you will enjoy it more than ever before once you see how improved efficiency in the water allows you to go faster with less effort. When you are working with the water instead of against it, you become an efficient swimmer and you can improve your speed, which is fun in itself. Knowing different strokes ensures it never gets boring, and strengthens different muscles, not to mention your cardiovascular fitness.
Don't worry about gaining weight from swimming. Just be careful not to eat back too many of those calories that MFP gives for swimming because that calculator is using a formula that assumes the speed for "light, moderate freestyle" is 50m per minute.
Have fun!
thanks!
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sarahkanzalone wrote: »Can't wait to start swimming again I swam competitively for years, backstroke and butterfly (I could never get my form right for freestyle) I can't wait to be able to do the fly again. Going to start again this week!
Awesome! You should do it! We can motivate each other, Add me if you want!0 -
shannie018 wrote: »I have an awesome pond in my backyard that I can use for swimming, IF I can get over my fear of the fish and whatever else may be lurking in the water.
haha yeah I don't know if I would do that...maybe if you swim with your head above the water? Be one with nature! 0 -
We have a really great swimming group here. Very friendly and helpful people of all skill levels:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/122-swimmers
There's a great way to build endurance very quickly and at your own pace. This is what I did:
Distance-Based Approach:
How many lengths can you swim without stopping? If it's one, that's fine. If it's less, that's fine too. Whatever amount it is, that's your current benchmark.
Make sure you do that distance three or more times every time you swim for at least 1-2 weeks. Keep doing this distance until you can do it six times in a workout. Catch your breath and rest as much as you need to in between swimming this benchmark distance (but not before you complete the distance).
Once you are comfortable doing this distance six times, then add a length to the first of the six sets. Then add it to the first and second set, etc. Keep going like that, until you're able to swim six times six lengths. In a 25-yard pool that's a half-mile. A very respectable work-out.
Don't worry about swimming fast. In fact, it will help a great deal to purposefully swim slower to find a easy, consistent pace that you can sustain for longer periods of time. There's no timetable for how quickly you increase your endurance or how far you end up swimming in your workouts. You will find your own pace and challenge yourself as you are able and when you feel ready. Swimming is a great exercise and is easily tailored to exactly meet your current ability and goals.
I used this method to go from swimming 3 lengths to swimming 3 miles in 3 months and lost 60 pounds.0 -
We have a really great swimming group here. Very friendly and helpful people of all skill levels:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/122-swimmers
There's a great way to build endurance very quickly and at your own pace. This is what I did:
Distance-Based Approach:
How many lengths can you swim without stopping? If it's one, that's fine. If it's less, that's fine too. Whatever amount it is, that's your current benchmark.
Make sure you do that distance three or more times every time you swim for at least 1-2 weeks. Keep doing this distance until you can do it six times in a workout. Catch your breath and rest as much as you need to in between swimming this benchmark distance (but not before you complete the distance).
Once you are comfortable doing this distance six times, then add a length to the first of the six sets. Then add it to the first and second set, etc. Keep going like that, until you're able to swim six times six lengths. In a 25-yard pool that's a half-mile. A very respectable work-out.
Don't worry about swimming fast. In fact, it will help a great deal to purposefully swim slower to find a easy, consistent pace that you can sustain for longer periods of time. There's no timetable for how quickly you increase your endurance or how far you end up swimming in your workouts. You will find your own pace and challenge yourself as you are able and when you feel ready. Swimming is a great exercise and is easily tailored to exactly meet your current ability and goals.
I used this method to go from swimming 3 lengths to swimming 3 miles in 3 months and lost 60 pounds.
Wow!! Thanks for commenting! I will have to join the group. Congrats on your weight loss as well! That's amazing! I often don't even count how many laps I do. I just keep going as much as I can for 30 min...with stopping when I need to. When you say "length", do you mean a lap?0 -
Ya, in general. A length would be one length of the pool, and that can vary, but I think the standard is 25 meters. I don't remember what that is in yards/feet. As long as you're adding distance, or decreasing time, you will definitely lose weight, so don't get too caught up in the actual distances just yet, focus on how you feel, controlled breathing, and oh ya, not drowning.
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Some swimmers use lap and length interchangably to mean the same thing. I'm more old fashioned and consider a lap to mean two lengths of the pool, there and back. Good luck!We have a really great swimming group here. Very friendly and helpful people of all skill levels:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/122-swimmers
There's a great way to build endurance very quickly and at your own pace. This is what I did:
Distance-Based Approach:
How many lengths can you swim without stopping? If it's one, that's fine. If it's less, that's fine too. Whatever amount it is, that's your current benchmark.
Make sure you do that distance three or more times every time you swim for at least 1-2 weeks. Keep doing this distance until you can do it six times in a workout. Catch your breath and rest as much as you need to in between swimming this benchmark distance (but not before you complete the distance).
Once you are comfortable doing this distance six times, then add a length to the first of the six sets. Then add it to the first and second set, etc. Keep going like that, until you're able to swim six times six lengths. In a 25-yard pool that's a half-mile. A very respectable work-out.
Don't worry about swimming fast. In fact, it will help a great deal to purposefully swim slower to find a easy, consistent pace that you can sustain for longer periods of time. There's no timetable for how quickly you increase your endurance or how far you end up swimming in your workouts. You will find your own pace and challenge yourself as you are able and when you feel ready. Swimming is a great exercise and is easily tailored to exactly meet your current ability and goals.
I used this method to go from swimming 3 lengths to swimming 3 miles in 3 months and lost 60 pounds.
Wow!! Thanks for commenting! I will have to join the group. Congrats on your weight loss as well! That's amazing! I often don't even count how many laps I do. I just keep going as much as I can for 30 min...with stopping when I need to. When you say "length", do you mean a lap?
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Haha thanks guys.0
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Browse the Swimsmooth website, it has some great info and videos for technique but check out also the CSS - 'critical swim speed' section. This is advice on what pace to swim at to improve your endurance and thus also your speed, it's different to just trying to swim as fast as you can each time and I genuinely think it made a difference to my swim times working at this lower intensity. Good luck on your swimming journey 0
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