Beginning swimmer needs advice!!!?

Question

I used to be a very active person who worked out at least three times a week. Unfortunately, I blew out my knee a couple of times and I'm stuck with arthritis at the age of 22.

I've been told by my physical therapist that my best option for long term fitness without doing any further damage to my knee is swimming.

I used to hate it, but I've accepted that it's the only thing I can do so I'm excited to learn and get back into better shape again. The only thing is, I haven't a clue on what I should do. I'm unfortunately in class or work during the only swim classes my university holds, and I'm at a loss as to how I should begin getting fit again through swimming.

Any advice?

Answer 1

Here's what I'd recommend:

Start with a yardage goal.  I'd say shoot for 1000 yards for now, depending on how it feels.  Over time, build up the yardage.  For reference, a good high school workout might be 6,000 yards in 2 hours, twice per day.  College is more of course.

Second, think of a workout ahead of time, so you're not in the water bored out of your mind chasing a black line back and forth.  There are many ways to vary your workout, by changing:

- stroke (free, fly, back, breast)

- intensity (easy, medium, sprint)

- type (normal swim, kicking, pulling, drill)

- length (25's, 50's, 100's, 200's, 500's)

- Misc (breath control, underwater, ...)

Here's an example workout (for a beginner):

1 100 yard warm up (freestyle, easy)

10 25's, freestyle - alternate between an easy 25, then a sprint 25

kicking: get a kick board - do 5 50's, alternating between flutter kick (freestyle), breaststroke kick, and dolphin kick

3 100's IM (fly/free/back/breast)

1 100 yard warm down (concentrate on breathing every 3 strokes, so you alternate the side of your body you're breathing on)

For each of these sets, when you do the first one, check how long it took you.  Add 15-20 seconds, and try to maintain that interval through the entire set.  For example, if it takes you 30 seconds on the first one, then on the following reps, you have 45 seconds to complete the rep, rest, and take off on the next rep.

You get the idea, right? If you just jump in and go back and forth, it can be super boring.  But if you mix it up, it's much more interesting.  In addition, you get a better all-body workout.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Swimming is easy to get fit in. Just...swim!

I started by doing laps around my tiny blow-up pool.

Then, I took lessons at my local recreation center.

Then, I just taught myself from there.

Answer 3

Well.... I'm a swimmer and my best advice for you and your knee would to just go to a pool and hand on to a wall with both hands and kick. That works. Or, you could do the breaststroke, which is pushing off the wall and putting your hands in front of you pulling the water away from you, and at the same time kicking your legs in the same motion of your hands.

Not a very clear def. but hard to explain. Hope this helps

:)

Answer 4

I used to be a personal trainer in college and this would be my workout routine for you.  first don't over exert yourself!  Start by doing just a regular freestyle stroke (normal swim arms coming over your head legs kicking) for 10 laps (to start incress 10 laps every 2 weeks). then back stroke (on your bak legs kicking reverse stroke from the freestyle) for 10 laps (increases same as the freestyle), 4 laps of butterfly stroke(arms come up over your head and push down as you kick your legs) increasing by 2 laps every 2 weeks, to finish as a cool down tread water (in deep end just stay up right kicking your legs), then go to the shallow end and hold the side of the pool and just kick your legs for 10 min. after in the shallow end still do 50 squats in the water (this will not put stress on  the joints yet give you a nice burn.  While doing the squats you can also do curls and pushing motions under the water (good resistance).  Then  hit the showers.  For arthritic knees try using Glucosamine and Chondroitin they are amino acids and branch chain sugars that help lubricate joints and lessen the effects of arthritis.  My mother has sever arthritis and uses this product with astounding results! good luck!