Swim Tips? (asthma & shoulders)

[Miranda]

...It's well worth the price, and the anxiety over getting up the nerve...
As for being self-conscious, the thing I learned at my clinic is that *everyone* was self-conscious...
Anyway, all of that to say that it's totally worth it to take lessons. Promise.

That makes me feel better about the self-conscious part. I believe your promise.

Miranda
I am a swimmer
I am asthmatic
I can relate


ANYWAY if you really want to learn how to swim and to do it correctly take some lessons from a reputable coach, watch Total Immersion videos, AND buy a good swimming snorkel for about $30. Swim w/ the snorkel until you have the body roll, arms and kick memorized, that totally takes care of the asthmatic panic that can set in. Wearing swim fins helps a lot too.

Wear the snorkel, do lots drill laps, get efficient, then learn the breathing - it works.

Many years ago I went snorkling on vacation. When I first put my face in the water, I panicked. But, it quickly passed and I was ok. I never would have thought about that! Thank you so much. It really helps give me some perspective that someone as experienced as you can still wheeze. It gives me hope.

I forgot to add re the breathing under water. Did you take any lessons when you were a kid? Do you remember the old bob and breathe?

just stand there, take a breath, squat down under water, breathe it all out, stand up take another breath, squat and breathe out. Just repeat that slowly to get used to breathing out under water.

Another way to do it is hold onto the side of the pool w/ both hands, float your legs back, put your face in blow out, roll to your side trying to leave one ear in the water, roll back face down, breathe out.

BUT still wear the snorkel when doing the drills and doing the full stroke - the breathing will come naturally later on believe it or not - I have seen it work time and time again.

BTW keep us informed of your progress

Childhood swim lessons were not so happy. I'm thinking maybe I'd better tell the teacher to start from scratch. AND I am going to tell her about the snorkle tips too.

Believe me, a lot of us totally understand this feeling. Here's what I always conclude: I may look stupid out there but I would feel far, FAR stupider if I let that stop me from doing this...

Here is a book that might help: Slow Fat Triathlete, by Jayne Williams. You don't have to be slow or fat to benefit from this book! She's VERY funny, and she's very good at inspiring us all to just forget about how we look, and just go do it anyway.

Thx for sharing your story with me. I'm up for reading any books that would help. I just hate not knowing which book is good. I'll look for this title. I'm a goof-ball normally (when not freaking out about breathing swimming). The humor part will be welcomed.

[tribogota]

Right shoulder, mine hurts too sometimes swimming but recently discovered when my internet was out for 2 weeks that IT stopped hurting...I think a lot of arm shoulder pains are mouse behaviour...

[eclectic]

Right shoulder, mine hurts too sometimes swimming but recently discovered when my internet was out for 2 weeks that IT stopped hurting...I think a lot of arm shoulder pains are mouse behaviour...

Very very good point!

[bmccasland]

One other thought about swim coaches - I had swimming in college, and as I recall, the coach was one of the coaches for the 1968 US Olympic team. Anyway, I never could do the front crawl very well. Took Coach to reteach us how to do it right, or more correctly, more efficiently. Not that I was ready to join the University swim team, but it was no longer my least favorite stroke. I still remember the difference in his method and what I learned at the city pool when I was a kid. And there was a marked difference in the stroke. But, I never mastered butterfly, but then he didn't try hard to make us learn that one either.

So, I'm all for finding a swim coach, it is possible to swim and breathe at the same time. You still may need to work with your doctor to make certain your meds are right.