Anyone here use swimming as one of their main forms of exercise? I've been swimming a fair amount lately (mostly in the evening) but this morning I actually got in the pool before breakfast for the first time this summer (better late than never, right?) and it felt great!

I haven't been doing anything super strenuous, but I definitely think it's making a difference....

So I'm just curious how people might me incorporating it into their plans...

Thanks...

I used to be a big time swimmer. I wasn't much for sprinting but I did a lot of distance. A week before I had the little goddess, I did a couple miles (slowly) in the pool before having a day at the spa (my other pregger friend and I decided we needed to "eat our vegetables" before lazying away the day).

When I was swimming regularly, I liked this book A LOT. It's water proof and it's bound in a way so you can use it in the pool. For me, it was for days that I needed more mental stimulation than just banging out mileage.
http://www.amazon.com/Workouts-Binde...swim+exercises

I don't swim a lot now. With the little one, it's really hard for me to squeeze a swim into my day. It's much easier for me to run (or walk with her in the baby stroller) than go to the pool. However, my fourth tri is in September and I did my 3rd tri without getting in the pool beforehand and BOY, did I regret that!!! So I'll have to get in soon no matter what.

Thanks for the reply... I guess I used to be what some people would have considered a "big time swimmer" too... I swam competively from the time I was 10 through college with twice a day workouts during the summers, and than I swam with masters swim teams as an adult... I've also done open water swims of up to 4 miles, but I never really felt comfortable in the ocean... This was all awhile back and seems like a lifetime ago...

Now I'd just like to get back in the pool because I find it so relaxing that I actually find it therapeutic...

Good luck on your upcoming tri! I used to do them and I even did an Ironman once... took me over 15 hours, but I finished... that was one long day... Now I just want to get back in shape and most importantly have fun doing it...

Hey! I was a competitive swimmer as well!

The marathon is keeping me away from the Ironman! I feel like I *could* train and do everything else but that!

It is totally relaxing and therapeutic. Let me know how you get back into it. I'm swimming on Sunday but it will probably only be a mile. I'm taking a friend who signed up for the same tri and has never done one before. Yay!

I am so not a swimmer, I can do laps for an hour or longer just with the breaststroke, but that gets you nowhere. I am however getting into cycling and running quite a lot, did a half marathon a few weeks ago and went cycling for 100k (60miles) last weekend. My dream is a half ironman someday. But I need to get better at swimming! Haha.

I am considering either joining a triatlon group to get lessons or get private lessons to improve. You can't really get your heartreate up with the breaststrke, though it's good 'resistance' training .

I've just about conquered my fear of the water enough to go back to swimming lessons (The first round of lessons were pretty much all about making me less afraid).

Now I'm waiting (three weeks) for enrollment to start for private swim lessons at the city pool one town over. I'll be pretty happy if I get freestyle and backstroke down enough that I can go and swim laps. If I can't get in at that pool, I can pay twice as much at my town's pool.

Hey GoddessJessica... don't let the marathon scare you away from an Ironman... I had run the New York City Marathon and the Philadelphia Marathon before doing the Ironman (great experiences by the way... they're like big parties...!) and lets just say that even though the Ironman Marathon is a completely different animal compared to a straight stand alone marathon... the marathon leg of my Ironman turned out to be the best part of the day for me (I had a lot of trouble on the bike... I really thought that I might drop out and not finish) I mean I was never so happy to get off a bike in my life! I just couldn't wait to change my cloths and put on my new hot little running outfit and head out on the course with all those people cheering you on (that really made all the difference in the world to me!) I really don't think I could have done it without all of my friends and family, not to mention the other competitors and complete strangers for that matter cheering me on... and even though there were times out on that course that I literally thought I was going to die, it truely was AWESOME!

...and philana... definitely join tri club if you can... I was on a Tri Team and a member of tri club as well... and it made a huge difference and it was great to have group workouts and lots of training buddies to do open water swims and long bike rides and runs with... as well as brick workouts too...!

Gee with all this talk about tri's... I think I'll get out there and go for a swim... That's how it all starts...

I swim M-F every day at lunch. I started there because it is less impactful on your joints and really helps you learn how to breathe. If you can manage the freestyle for just 1/2 and hour a day you will see your improvements, I think, in most areas. I have muscles in my legs after 7 weeks that had been dormat for years. I have gone from swimming the first 50m and stopping to swimming 1100m without stopping. I sweat... yes in the pool. I can go easy or hard depending on where I am that day and when I get out I can still walk. In fact right now I feel like I could probably get out and walk miles right after. If you are looking for a place to start I highly recommend it.