Normally when I do my swim, I’m fixated on getting a certain yardage in. Today I tossed that and went for time rather than distance. You see, I have a bad habit of swimming mostly with my arms, kicking mostly for balance and not getting the propulsion I could if I used my kicks properly.
So, I did some kickboard drills for the first time in at least 30 years and am beginning to see why the woman who passed me on my lifeguard cert all those many moons ago made me promise I’d work on my legs. No wonder I am such a slow swimmer!
Do I really need to bother with this, what with being a lap swimmer rather than a competitive swimmer? Well, no, not really. All I’m really worried about at the end of the day is challenging myself a bit physically and getting an endorphin fix so I’m as mild-mannered as a little lamb.
On the other hand, there’s no harm in drilling to become a more balanced swimmer and getting the benefits of a proper full-body workout. I do get my heart rate up kicking!
There were several aqua-joggers in the pool today — from a woman recovering from a marathon last weekend to a woman stubbornly resisting having to use a cane due to arthritis. I find the range of fitness levels in the pool and the different fitness goals incredibly comforting. To me, it’s cool what you can get out of a water workout.
I’m wondering, though, if anyone else does something that’s as flexible as water workouts on dry land, and how do you like them?