Amyandtheguys, on Jul 31 2007, 07:42 PM, said:
gorgeous pool! I have no idea bout your guestions, sorry, just wanted to say congrats.
Thanks for looking and commenting, Amy ; )
rachinaz, on Jul 31 2007, 08:02 PM, said:
Swimming is one of the best cardio workouts you can get. It also has the added benefit of being so gentle on your body compared to the other top cardio workout (running). Most injured runners turn to swimming to keep up cardio fitness. It also gives more full body toning since you use so many more muscles than running.Have you tried an aqua belt to run in the pool? I love it. I even rigged up a visor with a plastic bag to put my MP3 player in hooked to the visor so I could listen to my music and books on tape while I ran! LOL! got some weird looks (since I was at my gym), but it was worth it. It takes a few sessions to get used to the belt and technique, but once you get the hang of it, it's awesome. The articles I've read say that if you normally run a 10 minute mile, then 10 min running in the pool is comparable to a mile on land. Unfortunately, the gym I go to now doesn't have a deep end so it's no good for pool running.When I first picked up swimming (because I was injured and couldn't run, of course!) I had a hard time believing I was really getting the same workout. But don't be fooled. The hot, sweaty body and heavy breathing we normally associate with a good cardio workout (running) really is a result of the body's inability to cool itself efficiently, not an indication of the quality of the cardio workout. With swimming, the water keeps the body cooled down so you get a comparable cardio workout without all the other stuff. Same with pool running. I had to take about two months off running to let a nagging IT band problem heal up. I was swimming about 3-4 days a week for 20-40 minutes at a time. When I was finally able to run again, I was doing 3-5 miles immediately without a lot of effort. Swimming was great at keeping my cardio fitness level up while letting my injury heal. Oh yeah, and congrats on the new pool!
Thanks so much for the response, Rachel. I really appreciate the assurance that swimming can be a good cardio workout. I remember when I had the tendonitis in my ankle two summers ago and the podiatrist told me to take 6 weeks off from the treadmill and swim. Unfortunately we live in an area where there was no access to a pool so I didn't take the time off. It also didn't seem like it was comparable (swim vs. running) but after a few short days of swimming I am starting to believe it is. I haven't picked up the aqua belt yet though I have seen them at the pool store and in a few pool supply catalogs. That will definitely be my next purchase!!!Thanks again for the info. I am happy to hear that if I do it right I can get as much exercise as I would from 40-45 minutes of misery on the treadmill, LOL! Mellissa
okatybug, on Jul 31 2007, 09:18 PM, said:
Gorgeous pool. Congrats. I always heard swimming was excellent cardio work!!
Thanks Katie!! I appreciate your post ; )
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