the "perfect" exercise
 

A few months back I had a couple of acute episode with my back, and at the third one my chiro told me that I needed to get to a pool and get serious about rehab. Basically she said, "if you don't change your life and make your body a priority, you'll be on a surgeon's table in 6 months." Of course she has been telling me variations of this for years, but hard headed me...

I took her seriously, as it was a bad stretch where I couldn't do anything without pain. As luck would have it my wife got me to join her at the local YMCA a month or two prior to these episodes so I'd been swimming a few times but it was "oh, when I have time I'll go..." Given the fact that I couldn't walk upright and was sick and tired of being sick and tired, I decided to shift priorities. I started arranging my schedule around the pool time. At first I was just floating and walking in the water. I felt like the seniors who often are at the pool, but that's what my body could tolerate. Eventually I started doing laps swimming breaststroke.

Fast forward 2.5 months. I have only missed 4 days, and one of those the Y was closed so I didn't have a choice. Despite getting rear ended on Monday, my back is functional, and now I'm up to 30 min of laps, mixing breast and some free (have to be careful with rotator cuffs). I'm probably in the best shape I've been in since grad school when I was racing bikes - and with no aches or pains. I can see the results, especially with upper body.

Any other exercise would either be hard on my body (which is pretty shot from years of competitive sports) or require a lot of planning to get whole body fitness. Swimming though - just get in and go. I admit that I have a bias towards water, as I grew up in a pool and the ocean, and played water polo in HS. But I always hated swimming laps - boring and hard. Now though I find it meditative. The great thing about doing laps in the pool is that there are no freakin' electronics around. Just you and the water. And the old guy in the lane next to you. And the cute woman lifeguard who can swim twice as fast as you (but I digress).

Downsides? Well, the YMCA can be an interesting place, and public indoor pools have a special ambiance. Plus you have to show up - get there, change, swim, change, head back to home or work. But the results are addicting. And no knee pain (running), back pain (cycling), etc.

May sound like a commercial, but I'm sold. ymmv.

Swimming IS great exercise, but I've never been able to get into it. So, I run (and deal with the knee pain) and lift (and deal with the bum shoulder and wrist).

And I'm the opposite of you when it comes to electronics...I get lost in the music while I'm working out (especially running) and it makes me forget about the screaming my knee is doing.

The problem is at some point you'll have to stop the running. The knee will only take that for so long. My wife is getting to that point.

As for music, back when I used to ride a lot I never had music. When I was off road, I would get lost in the sound of the wind and my breathing. I loved climbing, probably because I have a masochist streak. But I didn't want anything to take my mind off it. I'm finding the same with swimming. I just listen to the water and the bubbles and focus on the next stroke. Moving meditation. And I don't have to worry about cars or other dangers. Other than when I'm sharing a lane with someone who isn't clear on the concept...

If that's the YMCA in SM, keep an eye out for Neil Peart there. He writes about it on his blog once in a while and works out there. If you ride your bike there, it'd be a good conversation piece.

Yes, a great thing for me too. I swam competitively in HS and UCSD, but tired of the lane lines and got into triathlons. But running seemed destined to harm something sooner or later, and I did less and less exercise the last 10 years as work and the kids grew to take more of my time. And I feel like I used up all of my road bike luck vs. cars. The results were showing and 50 was approaching, and so I rejoined a local Master's swim team in June. They swim in indoor pools in winter, and outdoor pools, an old quarry, and Lake Michigan in summer. They're friendly and supportive if - like me - you just want to be non-competitive and feel better and live longer and generally attack non-Western goals. But you can compete too if you wish. The water is refreshing, and the lack of electronics is too. Just got back from Hawaii where I spent every morning swimming out to a buoy, and every day snorkeling. Grew up in SoCal water, and not sure why I spent so long away from it. It makes me feel good in a very deep way. And that is enough reason to keep returning.

It is the Santa Monica Y. Haven't seen him, but did see Greg Germann awhile back. It certainly has plenty of industry types floating around (pun intended).

I have a very similar story... bad back, bad knees. I really needed to get back into shape and started swimming for the same reasons as you.

Still not in great shape but much, much stronger. I am now running again after a year of swimming. I too find it meditative as well. I was a lifeguard many years ago and am a water person by nature but was never into swimming laps in pool previously. I am finding that working on my technique is really gratifying.

If you haven't seem this website - go check it out. Lot's to learn.

Swimming Technique: Animations & Articles From Experts Swim Smooth

Swimming is great exercise, no impact, works the whole body, can't do it. I find it boring and I sink. I have always liked cycling, but that can be brutal on your back. Water aerobics is also good, or using an elliptical machine.

I took up Aikido for a year to just spend time with my 13 yr old son. We had been sprint kart racig for years. then all of a sudden I had karts that were not getting driven. :rolleyes:

Anyway this form of Martial arts is pretty neat and low impact more of an art than Martial . I got stronger, more flexible, lost some fat and gained muscle fitness and endurance.

Stay active and you will live longer. yea I just made that sound easy huh?

The only martial art I can still do is tai chi and my body was so messed up I actually hurt myself a few times doing that. :D

Mom's 85th is coming up...
she comes over almost daily for laps..
laps..lot's of them..
I get tired watching her..
she's in great shape..


Rika

I was thinking about jumping rope as a high-intensity workout (interesting data on the health benefits). But then I lay down and let the feeling pass. I'm lucky so far but deep in my brain I know I have to find something one day.

Anyone ever tried one of those home lap pools - the ones with an offset current so you can swim in place? That would avoid the whole, "having to go there" problem.

Good for you.....

We've got a fairly typical residential in ground pool, so it's a bit short for laps and the shallow end is a bit shallow for kick turns. Still, I manage to do some resistance exercises for my knees and shoulders just staying in one position. Also, you don't overheat like you do exercising in the dry, so it's got that going for it. I'm really enjoying it.

Swimming is the best cardio from what I have read. I hope to fit it in soon. I have read swimming doesn't do anything for bone strength you need resistance training.
Like others mentioned I too have a knee issue from yrs. of running. Still do it once a week.
I have back discomfort from yrs. of Martial Arts, no more of that but I miss the training.
Now it's weights,eliptical sometimes I skip rope, running/jogging planning on buying a bike.
Oh yeah and eating healthy....health is the number one wealth.

I'm kinda grossed out by public pools....don't really know why and I also find it boring. BUT.... I can see where it would be a very good low impact full body work out. Good on you and good luck on this new journey.

Yours is good news.
Educate me on how to do breast stroke and crawl w/o pain, if your rotator cuffs are shot. I'm dealing with cuff issues in both shoulders, and the 20 minutes of pool time I did with my wife on vacation was excruciating. She asked me how I was doing and I answered it only hurts when I move my arms.
Bill K

Freestyle is hard with bad shoulders. I have snuck up on it, and now can do a few laps after I've warmed up. Breast stroke shouldn't be bad, and you can limit your stroke to angles that don't hurt.

fwiw when I got in the pool I literally was floating on my back and walking in the shallow end. That was all my back could take. There is a reason that the seniors do water aerobics - it is as low impact as it gets and it works. Then I started doing very slow breast stroke with limited range of motion. Now I've worked up to being able to do full motion though I have to be careful about the kick and my hip (bike injury). Back in the day I used to do eggbeater kick/exercises but my chiro said "no no no" - that I'd end up hurting my knees or hips. Turns out she was right. As usual.

Public pools take a certain amount of turning a blind eye. The good thing is that there is enough chlorine to kill most any bug. I wear flip flops from the locker room to the pool and back, and into the showers before and after. So far no creeping crud but no way I'd be walking around barefoot other than the few feet from the wall where I hang my towel and leave my flip flops to the water.

Before the acute back issues I was swimming once or twice a week and I really didn't see that much benefit. Every day though has been inspiring and transformational. If you can swing it, I think it is worth challenging yourself to hit the pool every day for a month and see what happens.

I maintain that the best involves two people, build the core like no other but it must be done for at least 30 to 45 minutes twice a day and the tempo and cadence must achieve a working heart rate of 145+...

damn, todd.

i didnt know you had back troubles. good luck!! good thing you're fit and trim..but it has been a long time since i met you. ;)

back pain is worst when heavy.