10 Reasons......

SWIM SUITS

In a recent conversation with a friend, an occasional beach goer but not a swimmer, he asked if I stripped down to a beach bikini.  HAHAHAHA!  For several reasons, no.  Mostly, though, because swimming is working out, emphasis on "working".  For that I need the proper gear, and in swim suits that means it must stay on, stay up and stay down throughout the movement and duration of the swim.  If I like them and they are flattering, so much the better. I've mentioned before that I like to collect new suits during my spring vacations in Tucson.  I'm down to these five.  Yep, there's a shopping trip planned this year.

Look at these beauties! 

TOYS

It took me some time to add accoutrements.  I started with the basics: suit, cap and goggles.  Next came ear plugs.  Not for the noise, but because it was taking too long for my ears to clear the water that inevitably gets in.  This amount of toys kept me happy for a couple years. Then I had to shorten two swim seasons drastically because of injury.  This season I'm recovered enough to enjoy my full one-hour in the pool, with the aid of these additional two toys:  fins and snorkel.  It's a shoulder injury that's nearly healed.  It's time for it to go back to work, supported with fins which give a really nice push to the stroke.  It gets to rest when I use fins only on my back, or fins and snorkel on my front; either way no arms. Fins and snorkel have both been a lot of fun.  As my snorkeling technique isn't perfect, I was taking too much water in to my nose.  This caused the addition of the most recent toy: nose plugs.

Coincidentally, there have been two other people at the pool using snorkels and fins this season-when before there were none!

LAP ROUTINES

 Don't we know I love a list?  Lap routines are a list.  In an hour of swimming, there can be enough variation to satisfy the most inveterate list maker.  Sometimes I keep a routine for a few swims; sometimes it changes every swim.  Here's the routine I started in January:

8 laps front crawl.  Shoulder has to work, supported with fins.
2 laps on my back, kicking only, shoulder rests.
8 laps breast stroke, shoulder works.  The fins don't really help this stroke, but I don't want to keep taking them off & putting them on.
2 more laps on my back, kicking only, shoulder rests.
2 laps side stroke, shoulder works.
4 laps on my front, kicking only, with snorkel, shoulder rests.

This takes a little over 15 minutes, and I do 3+ sets in an hour.   I've altered this routine twice already. First I added a few laps of arms to the back kicking to test the shoulder for the back stroke.  Ouch.  Too many laps.  So I cut it back to 1 lap, replacing one lap of breast stroke in each set.  Then the last time I swam the other woman who uses snorkel and fins was swimming too.  She uses the snorkel for her front crawl, not having to breathe to the side.  I decided to try it because turning your head to breathe changes your alignment, and I can tell it's causing the recovering shoulder to fatigue.  Yowza!  A completely different experience!  I think I'm going to like it!  I'll keep it up for a few swims and see if it allows the recovering shoulder to experience less fatigue.  See?  There's no end to it!!!

IT'S MEDITATIVE

I know it's cliche, but lap swimming is meditative. Especially over an hour, the back and forth of the laps is rhythmic, and being supported while moving through the water is lulling.

IT'S CHALLENGING

But don't let that meditative thing fool you.  According to WebMD, it's considered a medium intensity workout.  It targets all areas of the body-arms, legs, core, glutes, back.  It's aerobic, and increases flexibility and strength.  One of my measures is how hungry I get.  Look out!  I have to feed a swim like no other workout!

I DO IT IN THE WINTER

Yes, swimming is a winter activity for me.  In the 4-season climate where I live, winter puts the kibosh on the hiking and biking I do in the summer.  It's the perfect indoor activity to keep me interested and fit, and I like the seasonal change in activities. And there's something about swimming and watching the snow fall out these big viewing windows at the pool where I swim.

No snow this day, but the windows are the greatest!

CHATTING WITH STRANGERS

Sometimes just a little bit of human interaction is so satisfactory.  I've initiated (mostly) short conversations with other swimmers, usually related to gear or how-to.  Most recently I responded to a conversation.  The third of us using fins and snorkel is a man, and as I was turning for my laps, I could see he was DYING for a conversation.  I was almost at the end of my time; I finished and engaged most enjoyably about fins and snorkels.

ENJOYING OTHER SWIMMERS

This doesn't involve interacting.  I go at a time that's restricted to adult swimmers and parents with tots.  I love seeing people with all body types and abilities, including disabilities, using the pool to enhance their quality of life.  There are regulars who come in for water walking and water aerobics as well as lap swimming.  And it's really nice to see parents-both moms and dads-with their little ones, playing with them, allowing them to play, and giving them their first water experiences.

SUITCASE CARRY

My personal trainer has given me an exercise called the suitcase carry.  According to menshealth.com, it improves core, lats, grip strength and shoulder stability.  It's done with all the weight in one hand while striving to keep yourself from tipping to that side.  As my gear bag gets heavier and heavier with all the toys, I have an opportunity to improve my suitcase carry. 

Wrong                                         Right

THAT WHIFF OF CHLORINE

Am I weird?  Okay, you don't need to answer that, because here's proof:  after a swim, I shower AND use a (nicely) smelly lotion.  Even so, throughout the remainder of the day, I'll randomly get little whiffs of chlorine.  It puffs up from under my clothing, it's on my skin when I don't expect it.  And even though I thoroughly dislike the smell of bleach used for household cleaning, that whiff from swimming is very pleasant.  Perhaps because I like swimming so much, it's the association.  Fun Fact:  I looked up the difference between household bleach and swimming pool chlorine:  it's only the concentration.  Household bleach is ~6%, swimming pool ~12%.