LAP SWIMMING —DIVE INTO A GREAT WORKOUT
I have to say that I enjoy swimming in the ocean more than swimming laps in a pool. However jumping into a pool lane is so much easier & less time consuming than the whole wetsuit routine I go through at the shore when I’m getting ready for a triathlon. These days I feel stressed for time plus I’m not participating in another triathlon anytime soon. So once or twice a week I go lap swimming at the Ventura YMCA. Depending on how much time I have I’ll swim 30 or 40 laps of 25 meters each and if I feel especially invigorated 50 or 60 laps.
I loved watching Michael Phipps and Katie Ledecky perform in the Olympics. I don’t know how they do it! I’m one of the slowest swimmers in the pool. Still, it’s a great workout. And when I’m not training for an event, I don’t feel like I have to just do the crawl. After a few laps that gets pretty boring, so I mix it up with the backstroke, sidestroke and breaststroke. (I don’t think I’m coordinated enough to do the butterfly stroke, I’ve never even attempted it.)
If you’re a senior who isn’t already swimming regularly, you may want to add in this exercise that’s easy on your back, hips and knees. To give you an expert’s look at lap swimming, I’ve chosen excerpts from an article by Heidi Godman, Executive Editor of the Harvard Health Letter, Simplify your workout with lap swimming:
Everyone likes a bargain, and lap swimming is a good deal when it comes to exercise. Swimming is a remarkably effective workout because it combines three important types of exercise in one: aerobics, stretching, and strengthening. “Simply keeping yourself afloat activates the core muscles in your back and abdomen. And you have to move all of your muscles to swim,” says Leigh de Chaves, a physical therapist and clinical supervisor of rehabilitation services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (She also swam competitively in college.)
Are you a good candidate for lap swimming?
Consider lap swimming if you’re generally healthy, you’re a good swimmer, and your doctor says it’s okay. It’s no problem if you’re not a fan of the crawl: “Any stroke is fine. The breast, side, and back strokes are often favored because a lot of people don’t like putting their face in the water, like you have to do with the crawl,” de Chaves says.
Start your lap swimming routine slowly
A green light for a lap swimming routine doesn’t mean you should start with 20 laps. Ease into it. “Focus on the amount of time you spend swimming, at first. For example, swim for five or 10 minutes, a few times per week. Gradually increase the amount of time each week, and note how many laps you can do within that time. Eventually, set goals to increase your speed by doing more laps in your set time, so that you can measure your progress,” de Chaves explains.
A big payoff
Once you’re in the swim of things, you’ll notice lots of benefits to lap swimming. It’s easy on the joints, thanks to buoyancy in water, and it has a meditative quality that forces you to focus on your movement and breathing.
Lap swimming also
- improves endurance and cardiovascular health
- helps lower blood pressure
- increases flexibility
- helps you control your weight
- boosts your balance
- reduces fall risk
- helps sharpen thinking
- helps reduce stress.
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The only downside to swimming is that it doesn’t help build bone because it’s not weight bearing. So you need to supplement it with strength training. Otherwise, it’s a fun way to get in your workout. Jump on in—the water’s great