Do you swim?

[awakenedsoul]

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been trying out aqua fit classes at a few different locations in my area. I got a free pass to try 24 Hour Fitness for three days. I took their aqua fit class yesterday, but it was more of a social hour. I like the pool and the jacuzzi, though, so I went back today. I spent about 45 mins. swimming, and loved it! It was really quiet and peaceful. There were about 4 other people there. They were relaxed and mellow. I felt so good after I finished. It really released a lot of endorphins. I used the kickboard and weights, and it felt great on my joints and muscles. I was never much of a swimmer, but I think I'm hooked! The two year membership through Costco works out to around $15.00 per month. Such a great price...
Anyone here swim? What's your routine, and how much do you pay?

[razz]

As I mentioned in another thread, I've been trying out aqua fit classes at a few different locations in my area. I got a free pass to try 24 Hour Fitness for three days. I took their aqua fit class yesterday, but it was more of a social hour. I like the pool and the jacuzzi, though, so I went back today. I spent about 45 mins. swimming, and loved it! It was really quiet and peaceful. There were about 4 other people there. They were relaxed and mellow. I felt so good after I finished. It really released a lot of endorphins. I used the kickboard and weights, and it felt great on my joints and muscles. I was never much of a swimmer, but I think I'm hooked! The two year membership through Costco works out to around $15.00 per month. Such a great price...
Anyone here swim? What's your routine, and how much do you pay?
Awakened, that is a fantastic price for membership. Here it seems to be starting at $100p/mth. I would like to get back to swimming before I make a trip to the Florida Keys and go swimming in the coral.

[Songbird]

I love to swim! It is my favorite form of exercise. I swim here in the lake during the summer and at the YMCA during the winter months. I also take a late morning aqua class there twice a week that is for arthritic adults or anyone with physical challenges, during the cold weather months. It helps keep my muscles strong and thus not so much stress on my aching joints.

My swimming here at the lake, where I live, is free of course, and the YMCA bases their rates on age and income level, so I couldn't give you an exact price there.

[awakenedsoul]

razz, I know, the price is incredible! I heard about this deal through Costco from Spartana. I had no idea they sold gym memberships! I was taking a class for $5.00 through the City, and I thought that was a good price. That teacher gave a much better workout. I may go back and write down the sequence afterward so I can practice it on my own. I hear the Florida Keys are gorgeous!
Songbird, Hi! Welcome to the forum. It's starting to become my favorite form of exercise, too. That's wonderful that you can swim for free in a lake. I love swimming in natural places, especially lakes. I started this because I was feeling arthritic in my hip. One of the ladies at the aqua fit class told me it healed the arthritis in her knee. I can't believe the difference after just a few days.

[mtnlaurel]

love, love, love the water. It's one of the places that I feel really free.

[awakenedsoul]

mtnlaurel, Yeah, I know what you mean. I think I'm going to try going every day. It was so relaxing. It makes me want to bring a sandwich and a thermos of juice or tea. I might bring my knitting next time and just relax afterward by the pool. They have a jacuzzi, too. It's nice and hot and it feels great after a swim!

[Spartana]

I still occasionally do open ocean swimming and body surfing but no t as much as I use to (which was pretty much daily). But once the weather warms up a bit then I'll go more. I also like to swim in a pool as it is very relaxing but hate the chlorine (had perpetually green hair when I was a high school swimmer). Glad the 24 Hour Fitness membership will work for you. I don't know about the aqua classes (never did those) but they have a lot of other really great classes but they can get crowded.

[mtnlaurel]

Growing up in foothills of the southern mountains... going to the lake and swimmin' holes was our FUN!
Then when I lived in the Rockies I discovered the beauty of natural Hot Springs!!!
As soon as warm weather hits, the swim bag is in the back of my car... you never know when a dip opportunity may hit.
Where I live now I can be at the beach in an hour. Love that!
And I love Polar Plunges too.

Swim team is some of my happiest memories as a little kid. Just sitting there under the tent endlessly goofing around with your friends until your event was called.
I've always liked water aerobics, especially since I'm overweight right now, you are under the water and no one can see you giggle & I have less fear about bumming out my ankles/knees.
Pre-natal Water Aerobics was a God send when I was expecting.

Spartana, I hear you on the chlorine.. I've been lucky to have lived a couple of places where I've had access to a saline filtered pool, really loved that.

I try to shower before getting into chlorinated pool to save my swim suit a bit.
The last few years, I have been wetting my hair then putting on conditioner & braiding it before going to the pool/beach, to try to mitigate the chlorine/sun.
And if I am regularly swimming or water aerobic classes, I spring for the UltraSwim shampoo that removes chlorine.

Plus they make such great swimsuits/sarongs/coverups these days that you can look attractive no matter what your self-perceived 'imperfections' are (aka real human being that is not photo-shopped in real life).

[lmerullo]

I absolutely love swimming! Currently we have our rv at a park that has a phenomenal pool. I try to swim as much as possible. Being Florida, summer is the off season - so the park sells sites to locals at a discount and one can leave their rv on a site and "sleep over" 12 nights per month. I get full value from that, as I swim every chance I get!

I have done aqua classes, and they can really differ based on the instructor and the goals of the class. Our local pool has a class that's just a time waster for me - not enough real exercise going on there. I have participated in a pay-per-class session of something called White Water and it's very vigorous. I can't justify the expense, and feel ridiculous doing it on my own not in the class, though.

Lap swimming is very relaxing. I don't feel it helps with slimming me down if I need to drop a few pounds, though... more like a recovery - stretching and working muscles.

Getting wet before going into a pool is great advice. I have used my newest suit less than ten times, and it's already starting to thin and lose elasticity. And good suits are soooo expensive!

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for all the replies. Spartana, I'm thrilled with the price to just use the pool and jacuzzi. I'll probably go every day. I do yoga and pilates at home, and walk every evening around the track.
mtnlaurel, I've been showering before I go in the pool or jacuzzi, too. This suit I have is a Speedo that I bought five years ago. It's been sitting in my drawer all this time. The class at the city pool was an excellent workout. The one at our 24 Hour is the opposite. I didn't really feel like I had done anything. The teacher talks about everyone going out to lunch at Sizzler, and everyone is chatting the whole time. They mostly just stand there. They love it, though. Yesterday I did my own workout with the weights, kickboard, and noodle. I felt like my body was humming with energy all day. I can always go take a class at the City pool if I want to push myself.
lmerullo, I've taken aquafit from four different instructors, and you're right, it all depends. Your pool sound great. I really liked being around the other swimmers yesterday. I felt more compatible with them. It's really making my muscles much more defined. I think it's the perfect exercise to do as I get older. The bus takes me about a five minute bike ride from the gym. the schedule works out perfectly.
Time to get back to the pool. I love hearing about everyone's swimming experiences...

[dmc]

Yep, new house has a lap pool, hot tub, and sauna. Plan on swimming some everyday. Its a salt water pool, which the wife likes, I don't know anything about them. And we are close to the Gulf, a couple of miles, by canal, about 20 miles to drive to a nice beach by car.

We close next Friday, have to settle with the pool here at the condo or drive to the beach for now.

[Spartana]

You might want to check out this : http://www.swim.net/scaq.cfm as they have tons of swimming classes. Other areas around different parts of LA county as well, as well as other swim clubs that offer classes.

Of course you're not a real swimmer until you get the swanky wet suit complete with the clown hat that squishes your face all up :-)!
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1426&d=1403286634

[awakenedsoul]

dmc, Wow! That sounds luxurious! I would love to have a sauna someday. They have one at the gym, but everyone goes in there in sweaty workout clothes, so I don't use it. I like European style: clean and nude. The jacuzzi feels great, though.

Spartana, Red's your color! I felt like I needed a wet suit at the city pool, because I was shivering the whole time. At 24 Hour, the pool is 82 degrees, and it's super comfortable. I've been wearing my one piece Speedo, but I may start wearing my bikini. I bought it 10 years ago, and it still looks like new. It's just been sitting in my drawer.

Met a nice woman today at the pool. She's trying to get me to take the Body Pump classes. I'm happy with what I'm doing for now. I'm going to try to work up to biking there. That way I save the bus fare and/or gas...little by little.