Swimming

Former Member · April 2010

i've recently started going swimming as part of my get fit regime, how much swimming should i actually be doing each session in order to well...get fit? ha.

at the moment iv been going twice a week and swimming lengths for around half an hour/40 minutes. is that going to make any difference? everybody says swimming is really good for you etc etc. what should i be aiming for?

BUT just a question does anybody find themselves reeeeally hungry after swimming? i sometimes feel like theres no point as when i leave the pool im so hungry i have to go home and eat something straight away, whereas if i hadnt gone i might not have. doesnt happen after other exercises (spin classes at the gym etc) but just always with swimming.
x

Former Member · April 2010

It'll be hard for anyone to gauge if you're doing the correct amount of exercise because it's dependant on how fit you are personally and how much effort you're putting in during the swim.
Anything is better than nothing though, and the fact that you're hungry afterwards probably means that your body is craving the nourishment you've just worked up through swimming. If I've had a heavy session in the gym the first thing i wanna do is eat! So that makes sense.

As for how much should you be doing each session to get fit? Well that's down to you, try and remember how many lengths you're doing in each session, then slowly try and build that up in the same amount of time.

Former Member · April 2010

thanks timmy icey :thumb: i try and count how many lengths iv done up and down and make sure i do at least that the next time, and more. i suppose being hungry is a good thing though, i must be burning something off if its making me starving after it. x

Former Member · April 2010

I always feel hungry after swimming too. Maybe it's a good idea to have a healthy snack on hand to eat afterwards like carrot sticks or something. That way you'll fill the hole but not undo the good work. It's probably also worth thinking about what time you're going so that meals can be structured around this.

Icey's idea about increasing the number of lengths is a great one. There's no point in comparing yourself to other people in this regard. I used to swim in competitions so I'm a very efficient swimmer. This means that if I do the same number of lengths as someone who hasn't had training, I've probably burned less calories in the process.

Former Member · April 2010

I don't like swimming because it's wet :no:

Former Member · July 2010

I just wanted to post that I have now taken up swimmming and am loving it! Trying to get fit and lose weight. I started off doing ten lengths at a time (25m pool), now I do 100 lengths a time! I started in May. Also I have started doing swimming lessons to improve my stroke and to learn the technique for front crawl as I mostly swim breaststroke and a bit of backstroke.

FF how is your swimming going?

Former Member · July 2010

Randomgirl wrote: »

I just wanted to post that I have now taken up swimmming and am loving it! Trying to get fit and lose weight. I started off doing ten lengths at a time (25m pool), now I do 100 lengths a time! I started in May. Also I have started doing swimming lessons to improve my stroke and to learn the technique for front crawl as I mostly swim breaststroke and a bit of backstroke.

FF how is your swimming going?

iv been going pretty much twice a week till up until about a month ago when it was really busy and i got really put off by seeing (sorry this is disgusting) a big floating snot coming towards me, i've always been a bit put off by the hygiene of swimming like i hate getting changed in the changing rooms etc i always think they arent very clean. but this just was the final straw. so iv been going to gym classes instead

well done though, 100 lengths is really good x

Former Member · July 2010

FireyFirenze wrote: »

iv been going pretty much twice a week till up until about a month ago when it was really busy and i got really put off by seeing (sorry this is disgusting) a big floating snot coming towards me, i've always been a bit put off by the hygiene of swimming like i hate getting changed in the changing rooms etc i always think they arent very clean. but this just was the final straw. so iv been going to gym classes instead

well done though, 100 lengths is really good x

I can relate to this. I am a keen swimmer but have to work hard to overcome my heightened sensitivity and disgust about things like hair, snot, plasters. I always used to wear some goggles that had tinted lenses, but they started to leak so I replaced them with some perfectly clear ones and now I can see absolutely everything floating in the pool. Occasionally I'll see what is clearly snot floating toward me and I can't get out of the way because it would get in someone else's way, so I have no choice but to swim into it :sour:

Still, I love it though, it's my favourite kind of exercise. I hate hate hate feeling hot and sweaty, which you never get with swimming no matter how hard you push yourself. Plus I don't like running as I think it is bad for your joints. So I make myself keep going, and force myself not to look too closely at the side of the pool or the corners of the showers!

Former Member · July 2010

jamelia wrote: »

I can relate to this. I am a keen swimmer but have to work hard to overcome my heightened sensitivity and disgust about things like hair, snot, plasters. I always used to wear some goggles that had tinted lenses, but they started to leak so I replaced them with some perfectly clear ones and now I can see absolutely everything floating in the pool. Occasionally I'll see what is clearly snot floating toward me and I can't get out of the way because it would get in someone else's way, so I have no choice but to swim into it :sour:

Still, I love it though, it's my favourite kind of exercise. I hate hate hate feeling hot and sweaty, which you never get with swimming no matter how hard you push yourself. Plus I don't like running as I think it is bad for your joints. So I make myself keep going, and force myself not to look too closely at the side of the pool or the corners of the showers!

i'm glad somebody else feels the same

yep i've had times where im swimming and you feel something in your fingers and its somebody elses hair which grossed me out a bit but the snot was just the last straw. i go swimming at a local leisure centre so all sorts of people use the pool. i used to go to the adult only swim later on at night so it was usually quiet but that one night it was packed. it is a shame because i do enjoy it, in a couple of months i might have gotten over it hehe.

Former Member · July 2010

Ugh, yeah I can't stand it when I have someone else's hair on me. Especially between my fingers! I know this is irrational, but I can't stand it. I see girls with long hair in the pool without it tied back and it makes me furious!

Former Member · July 2010

:sour: to the snot comments! That's gross! I was thinking of swimming this afternoon, not sure that I will now that is in my head. I did see a plaster last week.

The changing rooms where I go are really clean though, they have someone cleaning it all the time so it's really clean.

My swimming lessons are going well, we got moved up a group last week which was good. I'm learning to do front crawl which I find quite difficult. We did diving in yesterday too which was fun. I'm swimming about three times a week now.

Former Member · July 2010

Last time i went swimming. There was a poop.

Former Member · July 2010

notanotherusername! wrote: »

Last time i went swimming. There was a poop.

WTF? Where do you go swimming?!

Former Member · July 2010

Randomgirl wrote: »

WTF? Where do you go swimming?!

It was a proper pool, i don't think i have seen so many people swim away so fast before.

Former Member · July 2010

jamelia wrote: »

Ugh, yeah I can't stand it when I have someone else's hair on me. Especially between my fingers! I know this is irrational, but I can't stand it. I see girls with long hair in the pool without it tied back and it makes me furious!

yeah, me too! im glad im not alone. another reason i stopped swimming is i have really (fake) blonde hair and its almost impossible to NOT get it wet when swimming, unless you wear a hideous swimming cap that hurts my head. it was turning a funny colour because of all the chlorine. not a good look

i wish i was rich and had a swimming pool in my house then i could keep it all clean and go in it whenever i want

Former Member · July 2010

I was thinking of getting my hair highlighted but have decided against it due to all the swimming I've been doing. Even with a swimming hat it would still get wet. I used to bleach my hair when I was younger and that ended up going green, I didn't even swim then, it was just due to the high levels of chlorine in our water supply. I remember night s sat with ketchup in my hair trying to get it back to blonde again (apparently ketchcup helps but I'm not too convinced!)

I go on holiday in a couple of weeks to Cyprus and the villa where we are staying has it's own pool (and regular visits from the 'pool man' who cleans it) so that will be nice and clean :d

Swimming

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