I’ve done some long distance swimming at Scout Camp. Earned my mile swim badge 3 summers in a row. It was a lot of laps around the lake. The swim instructors checked off the laps for each scout.
I wore the badges on my swim trunks well into adulthood.
It was good exercise. I remember being pretty tired afterwards. It takes a lot to wear out a 15 year old.
I agree with other posters that swimming laps gets tedious. Be careful not to to over exert yourself. It’s easier to do in water because you’re not getting over heated. Like riding a bike. You know when you’ve over done it on a hot day.
I was just thinking about this thread as we prepare for a trip to a family vacation home. It is on a private 8-acre lake. I consider myself a pretty strong swimmer, and used to swim 30 min regularly for exercise.
I can EASILY swim the width or length, and have several times - but always w/ a rowboat/canoe accompanying. Never even considered it worth risking doing it alone - despite never having experienced a debilitating cramp or anything while swimming
Folk who do unaccompanied distance swimming - especially in oceans - really have something I lack (or lack something I have).
The big risk in solo swimming is that the drowning/panic reflex is not something you can really control. It’s not necessarily about not having the strength to swim the distance. There are experienced athletes who drown in triathlons because they swallow water the wrong way and they panic. Physically someone may be perfectly fit to swim long distances, but if something happens which triggers their drowning or panic reflex, the lower part of the brain may take over and the person essentially goes in an autopilot survival mode. Likely, the solo open water swimmer is not considering the risk rather than they have the ability to overcome any problems they may encounter.
I hope the OP doesn’t mind if I tag on a couple of related questions. I too am competent enough to swim for at least 30 minutes at a time for pleasure/exercise, but wouldn’t consider myself a ‘strong’ swimmer (though I have occasionally ventured out of my depth in the ocean, alone - this thread has made me think twice about doing so again, in my defence it’s usually ‘between the flags’ at a lifeguarded beach but still). My problem is that while I can sustain a steady ‘head underwater’ breaststroke more or less indefinitely (coming up to breathe every three or four strokes), whenever I switch to front crawl I can only manage around 50m before completely tiring out. I will try the two ideas suggested by QuickSilver upthread, anyone else have any tips? If I attempt a really slow crawl I can sustain it a bit longer, but then it’s about the same speed as my breaststroke, which rather negates the point. I think a big part of my problem is I have little natural buoyancy - I can just about float, but when I exhale I tend to slowly sink. Therefore I inevitably spend a fair amount of energy propelling myself upwards rather than forwards.
Since I like cycling and running, I’m tempted to enter a mini triathlon and take a few swimming lessons as a way of improving my swimming. Or could I just use breast or backstroke in an amateur tri and not be laughed at too much?
Nice humblebrag, but would a buoyancy belt help in your case? Something as unobtrusive as possible, that helped you stay more afloat so you could expend more energy going from A to B? I don’t think it would have to provide very much lift to be useful.
In an amateur/mini-tri, no one cares what you’re doing and in any other year there would be people dog paddling & backstroking out there. (if there are any happening this year - it’s probably people who are very serious about it).
Also, that sounds vaguely like you could be helped with better technique? Maybe?
I think this really depends on the goal of the exercise.
Are you old and just need to have some light exercise? Are you looking for a strong cardio workout? Are you looking to lose weight?
Each will be different. Swimming is excellent exercise since you move a lot of things and it is no-impact (easier on your joints).
Just remember that exercising for weight loss is not the best. Sure it burns calories but you have to do a LOT of exercise to burn off a pound. That is not to say exercise is worthless, it is very worhwhile for overall health and it does burn some calories. Everyone should do at least a little exercise every day.
If you want to lose weight most of that will come from a diet. And I do not mean a fad diet. I mean eating better, more healthy, smaller portions and that sort of thing.
In combination a good diet and moderate exercise will suffice for most people to be in good physical health.
Thanks, that hadn’t even occurred to me! I gather swimming in a wetsuit can also help buoyancy, I’ve never really tried it and wouldn’t really want to in the local indoor pool.
@amarinth, thanks, I agree it’s likely better technique will help me, and I suspect a few one-on-one swimming lessons are the way forward there.
You don’t want to swim in a pool with a wetsuit on, you’ll get way too hot quickly. Pools are hot enough already. You can get a pull buoy for $10-15 that you put between your legs that will help them stay up.
What’s most likely happening is that when you breath you’re looking up too much which is causing your hips and legs to sink, which in turn slows you down. To breath you rotate and turn your head out of the water. You also don’t get your whole head out of the water, just enough to take a breath. Usually only one goggle should come out of the water. You should also be breathing out underwater and not trying to do both with your face out of the water.
Other things that can help, look down and not forward. Looking slightly ahead of you is ok, but looking towards the other end of the pool will also let your hips and legs sink. Another drill you can try is a catch-up drill. Keep one hand out in front of you and bring the other hand on top of it. Also bring your stroking hand past your hip, I try and touch my thumb to my hip, so that you’re getting a full stroke and not stopping halfway.
Interval training is much better than just going straight. Doing 50s or 100s with 10-20 seconds of rest in between will give you a better workout and help make you faster over all.
With apologies to the OP for the continuing hijack, thanks for the help, I’m sure you’re right. I’m fine with breathing out with my face fully underwater, no problems with that at all, and with looking straight down with my head underwater, but I think I try too hard to get my head well clear of the water before breathing in. And that is probably because after 3 strokes of crawl, I need a big breath (even going pretty slowly), and I feel like a mistimed breath or unfortunate wave will just leave me choking on a mouthful of water if my head isn’t high enough - any tips on getting past this?
There’s no good way to get past getting a mouthful of water from time to time. I don’t know if I’m just used to it, but I rarely choke on water, even in open water swimming.
I’m trying to think now, and not being at the pool doesn’t help, but I believe I start to breath before my arm comes out of the water. And checking by stroking standing up my body rotates when the opposite arm goes forward. Basically, as your forward arm is out as far as it will go your stroking arm should be by your hip. This will help rotate you and you can start your breath. I actually rub my chin with my shoulder. When I do longer distances I have to make sure I’ve shaved and put something on to keep from rubbing my shoulder raw. That’s only for 5k+ in salt water though.
You don’t HAVE to breath every 3 strokes, I don’t, I breath every other stroke, and only on my left side. Also, make sure you’re still looking to the side and not to the front when you breath, unless you’re sighting in open water.
Finding a coach might be helpful, but I don’t know how to go about finding one. You can check to see if there are any Masters groups in your area. For the most part they will have no problems helping people who don’t swim well, that’s what they are there for. And the coaches will know how to help you pretty quick.
