Swimming - 15mins... Am I just that unfit?

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  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 694 Member
    Well done on getting back in the pool, remember that no-one cares as much as you do, they are all more worried about what they look like.

    It is a different set of muscles that need to work. Stick with it, see if there are some floats you can borrow at the pool ( there is just a crate full available at mine) with a pull buoy or kick float you can just do arms or legs.

    It also sounds like you would benefit if you slowed down a bit. Concentrate on breathing and form, as you get stronger/ more efficient you'll get quicker.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    The word "fit" is a tricky one - fit for what? I certainly find I might be quite fit in one area, but really lacking fitness in others. Swimming is not one of the things I am fit for.

    My husband was quite a competitive swimmer in his teen years, and just recently started again (early 40s) - he struggled through 10 lengths the first time...and that's with him doing boxing and other reasonably intense exercise a few times a week. But it didn't take him too long to build up from that - he was able to add another 5-10 lengths each week, swimming twice a week and is now doing 50, and working on speeding up a little.

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    I've swum on and off throughout my adult life. My last comeback, about 3 years ago after a 10 year absence, I swam 15-20 min with lots of stops. Now I can swim for an hour non-stop (most days). I've taken adult brush-up lessons and masters swim to help me improve my stroke mechanics. Swimming is largely about technique. The most fit person can't make it down the pool without exhaustion without decent form, and there are many many refinements to be made.

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