Good Swimming Workout

V-Tog wrote: Got any advice for people who are terrible at swimming and practically die of exhaustion after 2 lengths? :blush:

Relax. Don't be concerned with moving foward. Let your breathing regulate your movements so your always breathing easy. Feel and enjoy the sensation of the water moving on your body. I think of myself as a gracefull whale slowly gliding in the water and rasing my head when I need to breath. You're exercising, being natural and having fun in the water not compeating.

This has really nothing to do with swimming but it does have something to do with water. As known by some, waterboarding is a torture technique designed to simulate drowning. I have been waterboarded 14 times voluntarily. Its stupid and dangerous but it was for a purpose. I'm deathly afraid of drowning and wanted to face my fears. Also I figured it would be good for practicing controlling panic responses. I'm now able to withstand "drowning"(loosely used wording) for about 33 seconds. To put that in perspective, CIA training operatives can on average go for about 25 seconds, if my memory serves me well. I'm not saying do this, because without proper safety and observation, you very well may drown. But I did succeed in some small way af controlling my fear. It wasn't the best or safest way, but its my way and a very direct way for me. Again this is very dangerous and don't do it.

Now I want to try it....just to test myself...

I advise against it but if you are always have multiple people with you and some type of noisy objects in your hand so that when you need to stop you can drop them and everyone knows to stop and let you up.

It has to be absolutely right or you could really hurt yourself.

I'm always willing to push my limits...I've even practiced drown proofing alone....after making very specific preparations of course....I don't recommend doing that unless you've already completed it and prepared very thoroughly... I knew what the worst case scenario was, but I also knew my preparations inside and out because I ran through multiple dry runs and had every confidence in them as well as myself...looking back at most of the stuff I did when I was younger...I was very, very wreckless...or just arrogantly confident (one of my exes made that claim)

Well waterboarding will take a lot of confidence and determination because you are essentially drowning, something people often don't want to experience more than once.

My roommate, my Cpl and I got bored and waterboarded eachother once... It was crazy...

I know. Its an experience you don't forget.

Wow that's tough! :ohmy:

I think most of us can just get swim lessions from: the Red Cross, YMCA or local recreation dept. At least in the US.

I learned to survival swim when I became comfortable letting my head bob up and down from under water to breath. I learned at Boy Scout camp as an adult when I built up to the mile swim or in my case the mile float. :laugh: