A while back you might recall I was debating joining the local gym. I really wanted to because I wanted access to a pool. I’ve always loved to swim, but running has been my main form of exercise for about 12 years now and honestly I can’t think of doing anything different.
Yet while training for this marathon I’ve been considering trying a sprint triathlon, and so I decided that to prepare myself for the next race, and to condition my body in a different way,I would start swimming.
I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. I haven’t really swam in years and have never done so as a form of exercise. I really wondered if it would even be beneficial. I know running is: I can feel it when I’m done. But swimming? How could floating in the water, paddling even, really work me out?
But it has.
I love it.
Swimming is a lot like running in many ways. As a form of cardio, it is outstanding. It is amazing how out of breath I was those first few swims, and how I could barely make it down one side of the pool and up the other without gasping for air.
It is also a solitary sport, one that you can do alone with little equipment and just by yourself. I get lost in the water much in the same way that I get lost when I run. It is just me and the water and my body pushing itself. I can clear my head, think about other things, and suddenly realize that half an hour has passed.
The difference, I’ve noticed, is that swimming is much easier on the body than running. No constant pounding, no jarring of the feet, no toe numbing going on when I’m swimming. I may ache some in the morning, especially my shoulders, but it is nothing compared to the pain I feel when my toes begin to lose sensation.
I’ve been able to increase from 20 minutes to 35 my length of swimming, and I’ve found that it really is a great workout along with being a wonderful means for stress relief.
If you are training for a marathon or if you are just a regular runner looking for something else to do on your days off, consider swimming. I would say that it has increased my ability to run the distance as well, being able to work on cardio without pounding my legs on those days when I would normally do no exercises.
A while back you might recall I was debating joining the local gym. I really wanted to because I wanted access to a pool. I’ve always loved to swim, but running has been my main form of exercise for about 12 years now and honestly I can’t think of doing anything different.
Yet while training for this marathon I’ve been considering trying a sprint triathlon, and so I decided that to prepare myself for the next race, and to condition my body in a different way,I would start swimming.
I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. I haven’t really swam in years and have never done so as a form of exercise. I really wondered if it would even be beneficial. I know running is: I can feel it when I’m done. But swimming? How could floating in the water, paddling even, really work me out?
But it has.
I love it.
Swimming is a lot like running in many ways. As a form of cardio, it is outstanding. It is amazing how out of breath I was those first few swims, and how I could barely make it down one side of the pool and up the other without gasping for air.
It is also a solitary sport, one that you can do alone with little equipment and just by yourself. I get lost in the water much in the same way that I get lost when I run. It is just me and the water and my body pushing itself. I can clear my head, think about other things, and suddenly realize that half an hour has passed.
The difference, I’ve noticed, is that swimming is much easier on the body than running. No constant pounding, no jarring of the feet, no toe numbing going on when I’m swimming. I may ache some in the morning, especially my shoulders, but it is nothing compared to the pain I feel when my toes begin to lose sensation.
I’ve been able to increase from 20 minutes to 35 my length of swimming, and I’ve found that it really is a great workout along with being a wonderful means for stress relief.
If you are training for a marathon or if you are just a regular runner looking for something else to do on your days off, consider swimming. I would say that it has increased my ability to run the distance as well, being able to work on cardio without pounding my legs on those days when I would normally do no exercises.