Swimming endurance advice & tips

[kaylee_ann]

I'm starting diving lessons the 28th and want to increase my swim endurance for the 200m test. I figured I've wanted to be more fit for a while, what better time to start than now? I've been doing combined leg/cardio workouts and found that my cardio endurance is good. Any arm exercises, swim practice advice or breathing exercises you could give? Also when swimming, is there anything I could practice to be more efficient in the water and use my energy better in terms of strokes/breathing? TIA!

 

[Hojo in SC]

When I took the PADI course a few years ago, it wasn't about speed, it was about just finishing, hence, I just swam at a leisurely pace and finished with plenty of gas in my tank.

 

[kaylee_ann]

When I took the PADI course a few years ago, it wasn't about speed, it was about just finishing, hence, I just swam at a leisurely pace and finished with plenty of gas in my tank.

Yeah, thing is, I hadn't swam in 2 years before the discover dive where I swam 2 laps. So, it's tiring doing 2 full laps at the 25m pool by my house lol. I have to do 10 at my dive center pool. No matter if I go fast or slow I'm still tired out. Wonder if it has to do with me keeping my head out of the water kind of craned up and it makes it harder to kick/do arm strokes? Not sure.

 

[Marie13]

I did it a combo of side stroke and on my back. I was very slow. Didn’t matter.

 

[BrackaFish]

I'm starting diving lessons the 28th and want to increase my swim endurance for the 200m test. I figured I've wanted to be more fit for a while, what better time to start than now? I've been doing combined leg/cardio workouts and found that my cardio endurance is good. Any arm exercises, swim practice advice or breathing exercises you could give? Also when swimming, is there anything I could practice to be more efficient in the water and use my energy better in terms of strokes/breathing? TIA!

The best help /advice that I ever received when learning to swim as a youngster was to “Don’t fight the water as you will always lose”. If you can, get a lesson or two and improve your stroke. Since you say your cardio is pretty good, improving your stroke and breathing pattern will go a long way toward becoming more efficient. Good luck and be safe.

 

[kaylee_ann]

The best help /advice that I ever received when learning to swim as a youngster was to “Don’t fight the water as you will always lose”. If you can, get a lesson or two and improve your stroke. Since you say your cardio is pretty good, improving your stroke and breathing pattern will go a long way toward becoming more efficient. Good luck and be safe.

thank you. I would get lessons but they don't start until march and my first day is the 28th. however my instructor said I don't have to pass it first day, that if my endurance isn't high enough yet we will work on it. but because I have a Y membership I'm going to work on it as much as I can. then if I still need help so be it. I will see about private swim lessons though. still don't trust myself much in the water, something about going in the deep end scares me because im scared I won't be able to swim and sink. which isn't based on anything real as I have the ability. so swim lessons will help a lot with my confidence

 

[kaylee_ann]

I did it a combo of side stroke and on my back. I was very slow. Didn’t matter.

okay cool. I still don't think I have enough endurance to go that far regardless of speed. which is pretty embarrassing LOL but I guess everyone starts somewhere.

 

[Marie13]

okay cool. I still don't think I have enough endurance to go that far regardless of speed. which is pretty embarrassing LOL but I guess everyone starts somewhere.

Don’t worry about it at all.

And when it comes to the float or tread water for 10 minutes, float. You’re a gal with dual life preservers. Use them! Me and the other gal in my OW pool sessions floated. I almost fell asleep! The guys couldn’t float. They had to work hard to tread water for the 10 min. Work smarter, not harder.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yeah, thing is, I hadn't swam in 2 years before the discover dive where I swam 2 laps. So, it's tiring doing 2 full laps at the 25m pool by my house lol. I have to do 10 at my dive center pool. No matter if I go fast or slow I'm still tired out. Wonder if it has to do with me keeping my head out of the water kind of craned up and it makes it harder to kick/do arm strokes? Not sure.

I found myself in a similar pickle when I signed up for a dive course a few years ago. I had never learned to swim for real; I could muddle my way across a pool and back, but that was about all. I couldn't do more than a single lap without feeling massively tired and nearly unable to continue. But I recalled that there was a time when I had never run a mile and wanted to conquer running, too. I recalled that I had started with a run down the street and back and just built it up bit by bit. So I resolved to do the same with swimming. It took a few months, but I was able to build my endurance up just as I had with the running. Also, there are many videos online that help with form, and adopting some of what I learned there helped a bit, too. Getting the breathing part down is apparently a difficult hurdle for everyone who isn't a natural. But what helped the most--by far--was simply keeping at it, adding another lap or two every week or so.

I don't really enjoy either swimming or running, by the way. To me, both are still a means to the end. And now that the knees are starting to object to the running, I suppose I should hit the pool more often.

 

[kaylee_ann]

Don’t worry about it at all.

And when it comes to the float or tread water for 10 minutes, float. You’re a gal with dual life preservers. Use them! Me and the other gal in my OW pool sessions floated. I almost fell asleep! The guys couldn’t float. They had to work hard to tread water for the 10 min. Work smarter, not harder.

it is so hard for me to float because I get really tense. but with practice I will be comfortable, just have to get used to it!