Swimming isn't a sport that most people think of getting into when they're an adult and looking for a recreational fitness thing to do. Somehow, going out in public with a small amount of clothing on generally isn't the most friendly thing for a not-so-fit person to do. Of course, once you get out there and take a look at the folks swimming in your "beginners" lane, you'll probably feel a lot better about yourself. There's always someone there who looks worse in their swim suit than you do. Swimming has many qualities that help make it sport that's worthwhile for adults looking to get fit and keep in shape: - Low-impact exercise
Very rarely do you hear of a swimmer who has pulled a muscle during a practice, during competition, or during play. Injuries are primarily of the "repetitive" type, by overtraining or training using anatomically incorrect technique. Overexertion difficulties generally surface as intestinal cramps and "stitches", which are short-term afflictions that no longer impede the athlete within 15 minutes.
- Life Skills
Humans live on land which is surrounded by, and pitted with, bodies of water. Many of us drive/fly/walk over water on our daily treks. Summer is filled with water and water play. Every kid in your family would love to go and spend a day at the beach/pool with you, and would have a genuinely good time doing it. Knowing how to swim and being a relatively strong swimmer provide advantages in our regular, everyday environment. Nevermind the environment surrounding things like the Great Barrier Reef, which I'm sure every swimmer is pleased to have the skill to explore!
- Lifetime Sport
Swimming is an individual sport, a family sport, and a lifetime sport. From infanthood through retirement, people of all ages participate in swimming. Swimming is a sport you can participate in indefinately, and compete in indefinately, without worrying about great amounts of preparation. Join a team, and go and swim. Don't worry about whether your "team" has enough players, because for the most part, it's just you and the water and the walls.
- Competition is "different"
The very word "competition" scares people. Immediately, they picture themselves up on the block besides Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, or even Rick Say and Rhiannon Leier... and they completely fail to see the hilarity of that mental image.
Competition at the Masters level is what you make of it. You can choose your own races, or have your coach choose them for you. Whatever you swim, it's likely your coach and teammates will be happy for you - even if you added time on to your previous best. You can focus on the technical "bits" that will give you a speed advantage over your competitors, or you can simply dive in, do your best, and get out of the pool when the race is over. Getting in to most competitions is easy - no "Qualifying Times" except in the largest of competitions, like the Worlds. And even then - there are no qualifying times for events under 200M. Adult swimmers aren't heading down the same Olympic road the teenagers and kids are, and I think that makes our competition a lot lighter.
So what are you waiting for? If you're in Canada looking for an adult swim team, find one here. If you're outside Canada, find one here. |
