What's the future of swimming?

Does swimming have a future?
Do you live in a big city? Remember busy hot summer day when you are stinky, sticky and even more exhausted because of the heat? Have you ever had to resist the desire to jump into random fountain in a square?
I’ve always lived in a big cities with a big rivers and lakes. Big rivers are not swimmable, I get it. But it is a pity on a hot day u can’t jump into refreshing water, because lakes are also polluted.
Running and cycling on rise as outdoors work outs get more and more popular. And swimming is not. And it is a pity as it is the only sport that is injury free (I am not talking about professional athletes) and recommended by most of the doctors as it benefits people with different kinds of chronicle decease. And it doesn’t affect joints in a long run as a majorty of ground sports.
If only i could swim more often.
Do u think will it be more accessible one day?

[IngeA]

I can't confirm what you write for where I live.

Here the pools are crowded, in summer the lakes are crowded. You can't easily go to a swimming club just because you like swimming as a sport. In the clubs I know here, you have to show your talent and if you are not good enough, you can't join. And that's not because the clubs are self-opinionatet but because there are so many people who want to swim and join a club. They can't take all of them.
And Triathlon is very popular for years, there is not only running and cycling, but also swimming.
Perhaps it's also the question what you define as "swimming". For me the people who only go swimming for their pleasure, not for racing are also swimmers. Even if it takes them over an hour for a mile. Many of them are swimming nearly every day, so for me that's also sports even if they don't fight for speed.

best regards
Inge

[dougalt]

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Originally Posted by elena

Does swimming have a future?
Do you live in a big city? Remember busy hot summer day when you are stinky, sticky and even more exhausted because of the heat? Have you ever had to resist the desire to jump into random fountain in a square?
I’ve always lived in a big cities with a big rivers and lakes. Big rivers are not swimmable, I get it. But it is a pity on a hot day u can’t jump into refreshing water, because lakes are also polluted.
Running and cycling on rise as outdoors work outs get more and more popular. And swimming is not. And it is a pity as it is the only sport that is injury free (I am not talking about professional athletes) and recommended by most of the doctors as it benefits people with different kinds of chronicle decease. And it doesn’t affect joints in a long run as a majorty of ground sports.
If only i could swim more often.
Do u think will it be more accessible one day?

Swimming, whether as a sport or for recreation, has and will have a future. ;-)

As to availability/accessibility of places to swim at - which should be safe/secure/convenient - this may vary depending on where you live. I happen to live in a city but I do have access to pools scattered in the metro - and if I choose to, I can drive an hour or two to the nearest beaches (lucky me I guess for living in a country surrounded by water ;-)).

Perhaps, one suggestion for you is to have your own endless pool - whether as a built one (try to Google it) which you can buy and install or from DIY from scratch - or you can get one of those swim tethers and get a large enough Jacuzzi/tub or tank where you will fit in lying down with your arms and feet stretched - and perhaps with some space allowance between you and the walls of the Jacuzzi/tub or tank - and have one end of the tether secured to a wall or a pole and the other to your body (waist or feet - depending on the model which suits you comfortably - you can also Google for this).

Swimming will always be there - only the places where to do it - safe/secure/convenient - may become limited or challenging to find over time, especially in cities.

[CoachTeresa]

Originally Posted by elena

Does swimming have a future?
Do you live in a big city? Remember busy hot summer day when you are stinky, sticky and even more exhausted because of the heat? Have you ever had to resist the desire to jump into random fountain in a square?
I’ve always lived in a big cities with a big rivers and lakes. Big rivers are not swimmable, I get it. But it is a pity on a hot day u can’t jump into refreshing water, because lakes are also polluted.
Running and cycling on rise as outdoors work outs get more and more popular. And swimming is not. And it is a pity as it is the only sport that is injury free (I am not talking about professional athletes) and recommended by most of the doctors as it benefits people with different kinds of chronicle decease. And it doesn’t affect joints in a long run as a majorty of ground sports.
If only i could swim more often.
Do u think will it be more accessible one day?

You have made me very thankful for something I take for granted living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We have an abundance of private and civic pools. In the summer, the open water swim options are endless. When I swim tomorrow morning, I will look around and feel a whole new sense of gratitude.

Originally Posted by CoachTeresa

You have made me very thankful for something I take for granted living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. We have an abundance of private and civic pools. In the summer, the open water swim options are endless. When I swim tomorrow morning, I will look around and feel a whole new sense of gratitude.

Yes, I must agree for all those of us who have the pleasure of having access to pools and other bodies of water to swim in - we should be so grateful to have been blessed with our circumstances. By the way, I am assuming that most of the pools where you are located may likely be heated, unless most people there are able to tolerate the "cold" water of open/"unshaded"/unheated pools - this coming from someone who lives in a tropical area where most pools do not require heating year round in order for people to be able to swim in these. This - the availability of open/unheated pools - I am further grateful for.

[CoachBillGreentree]

I live in Kailua Kona Hawaii. We are fortunate in that we have a relatively pollution free ocean right nearby. The water is warm even in mid January 2018 by anyone but our won standards so barring the monthly jellyfish (box) bloom or a south swell, it's almost always available for a swim.

In addition though our county government here (the are no city level governments in Hawaii) has placed a priority on recreational activity for residents and visitors. Our county pools are "free" to all (paid by our local taxes) and open year round save for the occasional cleaning days or swim meets.

It's a matter of priority is all. If it's convenient for more people, they're far more likely to engage in the activities. If it's work or a bother (long drives, dirty pools, crowded lanes etc.), they'll just blow it off.