Change in workout

I am 66 and have been swimming for exercise for several years. I swim in a 20 yard pool and swim 44 laps (a full mile) in an hour. I used to break up my freestyle with laps of breast stroke and backstroke. Recently, however, I have dropped those two and now swim almost exclusively freestyle. Have I done myself a disservice in substituting freestyle for breast and backstroke or is this a good thing?

[Danny]

I think the answer to your question depends on what your goals are. I am almost 68 and my joints are becoming tighter and more inflexible every year. By swimming different strokes, I think you are helping your joints to stay loose and the more different things you do the better off you will be.

On the other hand, if you are interested in swimming faster (or maybe just because you enjoy it more) you might want to focus more on freestyle. The other thing that has happened to me is that (after almost 20 years of lap swimming) I see so many things that I want to correct in my freestyle, that I know I won't have time to work on them if I mix in too many other strokes in my limited time in the pool.

So I compromise. The two strokes I enjoy are freestyle and butterfly, but my main focus is on freestyle.

[Grant]

Hi Danny and dk2943.
I am now 81 and took up swimming when I was 59. Had to give up running because of knee injury. Have followed TI since about 1999.
Until I got to be 75 my times in all strokes improved. Concentrated mainly on Free and Fly but did the other strokes only not as much. At 75 I found I did better swimming just three times a week as I needed more recovery time. Am of the opinion that using the different muscles that all the strokes require is good for the overall fitness and flexibility for the body.
Though my timer says I am taking longer to swim the 25m lengths I thoroughly enjoy my M,W,F swims and come out buzzed every time as well as a lot looser.
I wish you both the best in your swimming program.

[Danny]

Hi Grant,

We hear from you all too seldom these days, but I like to think of you as my window into the future (even though that window is way too optimistic for me). I wish you good luck in forging ahead and I look forward to learning from you. By the way, it's been a long time since we heard from Richardsk. Do you know how he's doing by any chance?

Danny

[gary p]

At 66, if you regularly go swim a mile in the pool, you're lapping 99.9% of your peer group. Swim whatever stroke, or strokes, you want.

[borate]

At 66, if you simply make it to the pool regularly, you're ahead of 99%. ^_^

[Grant]

Hi Danny.
No I don't have any info regarding Richard. If I remember his last post he was still swimming. Us 81 yr olds should keep,in closer contact.

[CoachBobM]

Originally Posted by dk2943

I am 66 and have been swimming for exercise for several years. I swim in a 20 yard pool and swim 44 laps (a full mile) in an hour. I used to break up my freestyle with laps of breast stroke and backstroke. Recently, however, I have dropped those two and now swim almost exclusively freestyle. Have I done myself a disservice in substituting freestyle for breast and backstroke or is this a good thing?

As Danny said, it depends on what your goals are. If you are training for an event where you are going to be swimming nothing but freestyle, it may make sense to concentrate just on that stroke. But if your goal is fitness, you will definitely get a broader workout by swimming multiple strokes, since each stroke uses a different combination of muscles. When I began learning breaststroke in 2000, for example, I actually got sore muscles for a few days because I was using muscles I hadn't been using much, even though I had been regularly swimming freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.


Bob

[StuartK]

Good to see more postings from people just learning the TI style and older learners and practitioners. The experiences from fellow learners certainly helped me swim TI and swim my first mile.