Even though a lot of folks can't swim, just remember that thirty minutes of water walking is equivalent to two hours of walking on dry land!

Chlorine is not a chemical it's my perfume!

Wow! Someone else who likes to walk in the water!!!

'Pool jogging' is my favorite exercise (just look at the past few entries in my gym log). I did not know how good it is until I saw your post. Thanks so much for the info!

Hi Peg!

Nice to meet a fellow water lover! They advertise at the sportsplex I do laps at about water walking and was real impressed by what the resistance of the water does to walking. Try walking backwards and feel the muscles you use, it's great!

I read where your feet had a blister. The folks I've seen walking all wear tennis shoes. I think the weight on your feet enables you bit more traction.

Have fun with your liquid motion!

Caution: Dangerous When Wet!

Thanks for the tip! I'll try walking backwards tomorrow! It's probably the last day I'll be able to use the pool for the rest of the week (back to the treadmill for a few days ). We have an above ground back yard pool, but the weather this year has been awful! Tomorrow's forcast is sunny and 83 degrees -- great weather. But then the cold front moves in along with the rain -- rest of the week and into Saturday is 60's for highs and rain!

I started wearing water shoes and it's helped -- the blister is gone and I'll continue to wear them -- I think the blister was from slipping on the vinyl liner.

It must be great to have an indoor pool to walk/run in so you aren't limited by the weather!

Peg, sorry to hear about your weather, send us the rain, we're in a drought!

I feel very blessed to live so close to an indoor competition pool, strange enough, there are days when I'm the only one swimming in it. I swim laps freestyle for an hour and find the time goes by quickly, a great stress relief after a day in a law office.

There's a recreation pool also where they do the water walking. I have several friends who love it. There is one lady who I see daily hanging onto the side of the pool or on a kick board reading a book, just moving her legs, she looks so content!

Hope you'll be back into the sunshine soon!


Seven Days Without Swimming Makes One Weak!

Hi there fellow water lovers! So glad that I found this thread!! I swim at a great private health club here in New York City at least 5 days per week. Even before I was low carbing, I loved to swim. I too have had days at my pool where I am the only swimmer in the water, which is just fine by me. There is nothing better for taking the stress off of one's body than a nice swim after a hard, toxic day. When I travel, I must stay at a hotel that has a pool on the premises--I don't care if it is the dead of a snowy winter morning in Chicago or a rainy evening in London....I HAVE to have my swim.

Recently, I have added 20 minutes of light weight lifting to my exercise plan and I am seeing some nice results. But, I have to admit, I just don't fit in around all the nuts using the torture machines in the gym. I'll take my 'cement pond' any day over the sweaty and painful dangers that lurk in the regular gym.

Hi Twiggy!

I could have sworn I wrote your paragraph! You love swimming as much as I do. Isn't it great that we can't feel our sweat!! I so much agree, the stress level is way down when my hour is up each day. I can dive in with the world on my shoulders and come out thinking about how beautiful the sky looks! I swam for many years and then stopped for about a year and a half....turned 40 and well, things caught up with me...mostly my waistline! What type of job keeps you traveling so much?

I notice we have the same stats, except you're closer to your goal....GREAT JOB! I used to think if I filled up with carbs that would give me energy through the swim. I was so wrong..now I have a steady amount of energy through the day and even more so in the pool. Very nice to meet you here and Happy Laps!

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Hi Swimmer and thanks for the warm welcome and this great thread. You mention you stopped swimming for a year and a half, turned 40, etc...I did the same. I stopped for a year when I got married [at 40! I saved up and got a good one, it took so long!] and gained approximately 25 lbs. I went back to swimming a few months before I started low carbing and found I was still gaining weight. What did I expect while I was wolfing down 2 bagels before my swim and then a box of brownies afterward?! These days, the combination of low carb eating along with swimming is great and I know what you mean about feeling energetic all throughout the day without having to 'carbo-load.'

As to my stats, I recently changed my goal from my fantasy/ delusional goal of 123, up to 130 lbs. That is why I am closer to my goal weight.

Hi ...

I can not swim, but wish I could. I fell in a pool at the deep end ... at the age of 6. Today I am 38 years old and even in spite of swimming lessons I still can´t swim. I panick ...

I was in a car crash and injuries made lower body workouts in the gym difficult, so a biocineticist gave me a "pool program" after testing me.

Any ideas of how to overcome the fear???

Thanks
Rey

Hi Rey! Though I have been in love with the water since I was a kid, I really did not know how to swim in the proper manner until about 6 years ago. A cutie young 19 year old life guard at my health club taught me to swim. Before that, I used to doggie paddle with my hair in a high bee hive bun, wearing huge prescription sunglasses and lipstick, mascara and eyeliner. I as too afraid to put my head in the water until I put on swim goggles and my Speedo swim cap. Using the right equipment helped me to get over the fear of being submersed. As far as your fear of the water, why not start out in the shallow end of the pool and just have some fun moving around. Also, I think the RIGHT teacher makes all the difference. The young kid who taught me how to swim was infinitely patient and he made the lessons so much fun. I also think one-on-one is better than group lessons when it comes to swimming.

Hi Rey,
I learned to swim by being thrown into the deep end by my brother! I'm very lucky that I didn't develop a fear of the water. As Twiggy mentioned, getting used to putting your face in the water is a good first step and in your case perhaps your Doctor can prescribe water therapy and the therapists can help you feel more comfortable in the water. Perhaps you could be put into or get into a jucuzzi and start sitting on the steps then standing up on the bottom, then putting your face in the water. Another kinda silly way is to get in the bathtub and put your face under the water assuming you can do this. Opening your eyes under water and knowing that you are safe may help. Another method is to get a facemask (diving mask) and put that on before putting your head in the water and again as Twiggy mentioned wearing goggles.
The water is one of the best places to exercise and to heal the body. I think everyone can benefit and I've seen non-swimmers slowly make progress over the course of months to feel safe in the water. Good luck to you and I admire your courage. Maureen

I, too, cannot 'swim' -- panic if my face gets in the water. But I still love my pool! I can keep myself afloat -- back float, my version of a side stroke, and 'swim' as long as my face doesn't get in the water.

I do love to walk/run in my pool! It's the greatest exercise. I never get too hot no matter what the temperature outside, and there's no stess on the joints. I only missed one day of pool jogging this past week.

I really admire all of you who can swim. I watch my kids and grandkids go down water slides, jump in the pool, and they have such a great time! Maybe some day I'll try taking lessons to see if I can overcome my fear, but at age 51 I might be too old and set in my ways.

With my grandson (he is 8 years old and we are raising him, so he is more like a son than a grandson), we don't lounge in the pool. When I'm not running, we're playing water basketball, water volleyball, water ping pong (yes, we have a floating ping pong table!), keep away, tag, racing, etc. There is never a dull moment!

Swimmer, I wish I could send you some of our rain -- it's rained several day each week since the snow quit.

Here is an article that helps you get over the phobia of water.


http://www.relaxnswim.com/



Let us know how it goes!

Thanks, Swimmer! It looks like the site has some very good tips. All I really need to do is get over that feeling of panic when I get my face in the water. I keep trying, but so far nothing has worked -- I will try the tips that the link offers.

Have you gotten rain yet? We're drenched here! Seems like it rains just about every day -- didn't know Wisconsin has a monsoon season. It's been good for the bugs, though. We have a bumper crop of mosquitoes and nats right now!

Hey Swimmer--

Thanks a ton for the info about doing it in water.

Since I read this I've been doing tae-bo kicks in the water, our pool is about chest deep, and low and behold, I'm seeing results on top of the back side of my hips, you know, what I refer to as the "ponches"!!

I haven't seen any results there since I started BFL 9 weeks ago and this week they just seem to be melting away . . .

Thanks Again!!