All you have to do to swim for fitness is to jump in!

6/29/09 Posted in Cover Story  |  0 Comments

Are you an independent individualist who likes to work out on your own schedule? Are you looking for a form of exercise that can challenge you to your limits but still be safe for your joints? If you answered yes to these questions, swimming may be the exercise you will come to love.

Swimming can be very affordable and convenient, because most pools charge less and have more open times for lap swimming and family swim than they do for water exercise classes.

What is the difference between lap swimming and family swim? Lap swimmers swim up and down the length of the pool in marked lanes. The way they do this is highly variable, with some swimmers pushing toward Olympian speed while others putter along at a leisurely pace. As the name implies, family swim is geared toward families, and I have observed children ranging from babyhood to teenage in the water with one or both of their parents. In practice, family swim tends to attract young families.

It will be hard to swim laps during a family swim period unless the pool has set up separate lanes for this purpose.

How can you learn to swim, or improve on your skills if you already know how? Many local venues offer swimming lessons or classes for children, and some also offer instruction geared toward adults. You can also work with a personal trainer or swimming coach. Trainers who specialize in dry land exercise are usually not as helpful in the water.

Water-based personal trainers can help a lot, but they don’t focus exclusively on swimming. A coach or trainer who focuses specifically on swimming can help the most. Check with local schools and colleges that field a swim team to get the names of specialist swim coaches.

There are many places in mid- Michigan where you can swim. Schools and colleges, athletic clubs and country clubs, diving equipment stores, and hotels often have pools. Pools can also be found in community centers, senior centers, and physical therapy and rehabilitation centers. Many apartment complexes have pools, and there is an increasing number of pools in residential back yards. Public parks sometimes feature lake or river swimming.

Perhaps the best way to get a knowledgeable recommendation of good places to swim is to ask a teacher of water exercise, a water-based personal trainer, or a person who frequently swims. A recent search of the AT&T hard copy yellow pages was distinctly unhelpful because the entire content consisted of swimming pool contractors, dealers, installers, repair services, and places to buy supplies. It was much more helpful to go online and google “swimming Lansing, MI” and “swimming instruction Lansing, MI.” There is also a website www.swim.com that has listings of more than 33,000 pools.

Entering “Lansing, MI” returned a list of 26 pools within a 25 mile radius. It was a good list, but I know of excellent pools with active instructional programs that were not on this list. You can click on a listing and learn many helpful details, including who can use the pool, prices, temperature, length, and use of chlorine. Information is not always complete.

Outdoor locations, such as lakes and rivers, tend to cost less, but they may lack sufficiently deep water, they won’t have temperature control, and they won’t offer the sanitary benefits of chemical treatment and filtration. Sometimes leeches can be a problem.

Swimming instruction is offered at many pools, especially in the summer.

The format can be classes, which cost less, or individual or very small group lessons at a higher cost. The needs of children and adult learners are different, so it is important to check whether the instruction you are considering is geared toward children or adults.

People who frequently swim tend to acquire specialized equipment. Those who swim for speed prefer the type of bathing suit that causes less drag in the water. Some swimmers like to use ear plugs and goggles, plus webbed gloves to increase the power of their stroke, and drag inducing equipment to require a more powerful stroke. The more common types of equipment can be bought at local stores, but it will be necessary to go to the internet or a catalog to order some things. One good source for internet ordering is www.kiefer.com, the

Chicago area company founded in 1947 by American swimming legend Adolph Kiefer. At the age of 17, Kiefer won a gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, also receiving the dubious distinction of personal congratulations from Alolph Hitler.

During World War II he served in the navy, designing instructional programs to teach American sailors to swim. At age 90 in 2008, Kiefer was still swimming every day.

Swimming can be a quick, high intensity workout. If you work near a pool, you can be in and out in the time of a lunch hour. Swimming can also be a way to relax and mentally unwind as you exercise. You owe it to yourself to try this rewarding form of exercise.

Written by Al LeBlanc. LeBlanc teaches water exercise for the Delta-Waverly Activities program and does water based personal training at Aquatic Sports, Ltd. in Mason. Contact him at 517.655.6454, or send e-mail to fitnessal@broadstripe.net.