I have been gone for a while but I am trying to motivate myself to lose weight again. I lost nearly 30 pounds a couple years ago only to gain it all back plus a couple additional pounds.
Here is my question. I started swimming this week at a local gym. Last night I did 72 laps which is just over a mile! My muscles in my arms and neck hurt but I have been pushing through. I have been researching the benefits of swimming and I don't really like what I have been reading! It doesn't look like swimming is a very good exercise for weight loss!!! Should I keep swimming all together? I plan on doing some cardio and weight lifting too. Is swimming worth it? What are the benefits if it's not really going to help me lose weight?
1. your avatar is ADORABLE... totally made me smile
2. Way to go on 72 laps!!! Amazing!!!
3. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is how does swimming make YOU feel?? Do you feel great? Do you feel like you got a great weorkout in? Do you feel ravenous after you swim? If it makes you feel good - then don't stop... Swimming is good for you and a tough work out!!! Plus it doesn't have the risks of injury like other activities...
Keep up the good work... Don't let all the articles be your gauge.. YOU are your best gauge.
Last edited by Marathon Mom; 05-08-2008 at 08:19 AM.
When I started swimming last fall, I was having neck pain, too. But I think I was not relaxed when I started out. That has gone away now.
However, I did do something to my right shoulder, which I have just seen an orthopedic doctor for. He told me to stay away from freestyle and concentrate on breast and back strokes. So that's what I am doing.
Swimming accelerates the heart, strengthens the lungs, and tones the arms. I think it is a wonderful exercise, especially if you have a significant amount of weight to lose as it helps take some of the strain off of joints.
I think the overall issue with swimming is hunger afterwards. I did a quick look online and the point made was that with unrestricted diets, swimmers gained more weight. The key points were that they ate more after a swimming workout in colder water. The studies I saw were 20C/68F water as well, with none being done in heated pools.
I've been doing most of my exercise on the treadmill, and to some extent it's harder to get my heart rate as high in the pool. However, it puts a lot less stress on my knees, so I'll be doing more of it as the weather gets warmer. I've had a little pain in my shoulder, but I've been lifting weights as well, so I can't pin down if it's the weights or the swimming. I suspect it's more likely the combination of the two. However, with any exercise program, doing different types of exercise may be more beneficial.
I'd suggest doing a mix of cardio, strength training, and swimming. The one thing I like about the swimming is that it feels more like fun than exercise. Good luck.
Not that I am an expert, but I think swimming is WONDERFUL for weight loss. I wish I had a closer access to a pool. I used to swim once a week and I was getting up at the ungodly 5:30 am to hit the pool at 6:00 am (the pool opened at 6 am) and I swam 45 minutes (lanes).
I had beautifully toned arms and I also felt how swimming toned my abdominal area. It is a low impact exercise, very healthy for your heart. True, afterwards, I treated myself to a bagel with cream cheese from Tim Horton's (I do get very hungry after swimming) but that was years ago when I was not mindful of what I was eating. I could have chosen something healthier, of course. But if I had access to the same pool now (I moved) I would be still swimming. Sometimes I think I should start going there again, but it is a long drive across town, then I have to return home, and then back to work again not too far from the pool (I have dogs so I cannot extend the time when I am not at home beyond the regular work hours).
Thanks for all the great feedback! I do love swimming. I use to swim all the time...competitively from fourth grade until high school. I thought this would be a good thing to go back to because it is low impact on the body. I broke my ankle several years ago and have plates and screws in it. Then, about a year ago I started having trouble with the other foot…I have plantar fasciitis that won’t seem to go completely away. These two problems don’t always bother me, but sometimes my plantar fasciitis flares up. I think if I were to lose some weight I could eliminate the plantar fasciitis problem.
Swimming is tiring and I am hungry after I finish! I have been going later at night when the pool is less busy. By time I get home it’s nearly 9 p.m…not a good time to eat! I am also really thirsty when I get done! So I come home from swimming and drink a bottle of water and have some type of fresh fruit like an orange or some pineapple.
With all the effort swimming takes and the time I put into it, I just want to make sure I am not wasting my time. I do feel it in my arms so I know I am getting a workout. I have only been doing it for a couple days so I defiantly want to give it a chance.
Plantar Fascitis is exactly why I started swimming. I can only walk about 1/2 mile on the treadmill before my feet are KILLING me. I have very short legs, so when I sit in a chair, my feet do not touch the ground. So I usually point my toes up against the chair leg so that my feet can touch. Result: shortened heel cord = plantar fascitis. In addition, I am a stomach sleeper. Result: plantar fascitis. I have terrible foot problems.
There is nothing fun about plantar fasciitis! I went to a podiatrist about the pain about 8 months or so ago. I didn’t know what the problem was…I had never heard of plantar fasciitis! Prior to going to the doctor my husband and I moved into a house. The podiatrist thought that I had got plantar fasciitis from straining it during the move and from wearing flip flops and sandals all summer. She gave me a cortisone shot in my heel and if felt better almost immediately. She really didn’t think I would have any more problems but told me to come back if I did and I could get inserts for my shoes. Well I never went back because I think it’s just from being overweight. The inserts were going to be really expensive and it’s not like I work on my feet all day. So I am hoping that once I start dropping weight I can have relief!
Ditto here on the plantar fascitis and swimming. I too started swimming for the same reason. I swim about 3 X a week. I haven't been following my plan regularly so I'm unsure about how effective it is for weight loss, but I love to swim. I have a waterproof MP3 player that really keeps me going. (I'm a music fanatic) My heart rate gets way up and I am totally out of breath, so I feel it's a great workout!
I have gone the cortisone shot in the heel route, too (NEVER again. OUCH!) It did not work for me. I have been through two sets of VERY expensive orthotics ($300 a piece); oral steroids, Celebrex, having my right foot in a cast for 6 weeks (no pain while in the cast. Pain returned 30 minutes after taking the cast off), night splints (again, I am a stomach sleeper. Couldn't stand the night splints), physical therapy, stretching my heel cords until I am about ready to hit someone. My calf muscles are SO thick and tight, even at rest.
I, too, am hopeful that when I drop the weight, hopefully my plantar fascitis will cease to be a problem. Hubby really gets aggravated that I can't even take a walk with him. And so do I.
Sorry to hear that you’re plantar fasciitis is so bad. Mine is not nearly as severe. It comes and goes from either severe pain to just a mild discomfort. Of course it hurts most in the morning when I first get up. I try doing stretches with it before I get out of bed and that usually helps some.
I have a friend that has had plantar fasciitis in both feet for several years. She has been giving me advice on things to do to make it feel better. She advised me to invest in a pair of Birkenstocks. I’m going to look into that this weekend.
Plantar's fasciitis does not have to endured, just because you're overweight. About 15 years ago, I had it really badly (at about 50 lbs lighter). I was usually wearing Keds and cheapy shoes without arch support. It took years to get rid of it (mostly because I couldn't bear to give up "cute" shoes with little arch support).
New Balance and Birkenstocks saved my life. For a long time, I wouldn't buy any other brand of shoe, because I was afraid to try anything else (finding and being willing to spend the money on a Birkenstock dress shoe was a challenge). Now I've branched out a little to Haflinger and Echos and one pair of Sketchers.
There are of course expensive shoes I cannot wear, but I've found that there are very few cheap shoes that I can. Basically, if a shoe cost me less than $60 on sale, I am going to probably be in pain wearing it.
Cute shoes are a problem for me too! I have tons of shoes that I should't really wear anymore. I hate spending a lot of money on anything. But I also hate having this pain in my foot all the time! LOL! I have stopped buying the cheap cute shoes. It's going to be hard to drop that kind of money on a single pair of shoes. But I figure it is worth a try!
I had no idea so many people could relate to my foot problems!
I know what you mean about cheap shoes. I resigned myself to the fact that I simply CANNOT wear cheap shoes anymore.
Unfortunately, the good, expensive shoes are usually U-G-L-Y. I can only wear New Balance athletic shoes because of the HUGE orthotics I need to insert, and because my foot size is an 8/12 EE width. My kids tell me the shoes look like Bozo shoes :>(
I only wear expensive shoes with my orthotics, or expensive shoes with good inserts, and still I can't get rid of the plantar fascitis.
Unfortunately for me, I think the only way to get relief is to lose the weight.
Swimming
I do love swimming. I use to swim all the time...competitively from fourth grade until high school. I thought this would be a good thing to go back to because it is low impact on the body. I broke my ankle several years ago and have plates and screws in it. Then, about a year ago I started having trouble with the other foot…I have plantar fasciitis that won’t seem to go completely away. These two problems don’t always bother me, but sometimes my plantar fasciitis flares up. I think if I were to lose some weight I could eliminate the plantar fasciitis problem. 
Mine is not nearly as severe. It comes and goes from either severe pain to just a mild discomfort. Of course it hurts most in the morning when I first get up. I try doing stretches with it before I get out of bed and that usually helps some. 
