Swim for your life! (Swimming as fitness)

Hello all,
I want to add swimming into my normal exercise regimen, but time(as with us all) is tight, and I don't want to add overall time to my workout.
Some background on me: I go to the gym 3-4 times a week for a little over an hour at a time. I primarily focus on moving my own weight around(pull-ups, crunches, sit-ups, push-ups, etc), then move to the treadmill for 20-30 min(depending on time) at an avg speed of 6mph(2-3 miles total). I train in Aikido 5-7 hours a week, and I walk my dog about 30 miles a week.
I have been considering replacing my running with swimming. What are your thoughts on this? My gym has an Olympic size pool, so hitting the pool is just as convenient as hitting the gym.
If you agree that swimming is a good idea, what sort of swimming regimen would you recommend?
Thanks,
pollywogg

Depends on how much time you have. I also go to the gym 3 times a week, don't do treadmill but ride my bike quite a bit. after the gym of about an hour I drive over to the 50M outdoor pool. My routine is about 45-60 minute. I swim a total of 2000 meters with 1000 freestyle, then use paddle boards, leg buoys, and fins to work out my legs or arms for 800 meters using a few different strokes, then cool down with 200 meters of freestyle. I think if you were pressed for time you could do it all in 30 minutes by decreasing the distance.

Thank you, Blue Steal. Anyone else with any tips/ideas/input?

If your time is tight and you have ~60 minute per minute, I would start with replacing one of your gym visits with swimming. I can't say about distances but I can say that personally when I swim I find it way too much trouble to do other gym stuff during the same visit.

Also, I do not find it particularly useful to do only 20-30 minutes of swimming when you are doing it for fitness, especially on level that you are at (impact wise, since you are already doing a good amount). 40-45 minutes minimum in water would be good, constant motion, regardless what distance you cover at first (people move at different phase, and usually you get better fast after first few visits).

Get in the water, it's great. I have been bad this winter, feeling very cold and putting off the water portion of my exercise regime. I'd be interested in hearing about the other water exercises too, esp more rigorous ones. I have done some rehab ones but those are quite mellow ones.

A CrossFit coach I know gave me this to try...I'm gonna hit the pool after work today and give it a shot:

30 min, as many rounds as possible
50m freestyle
4 wall muscle-ups
50m breast stroke
4 wall muscle-ups
50m backstroke
4 wall muscle-ups


Basically you do the above circuit as many times as possible in 30 min. If you get to like the breast stroke in your 10th time through, that is what you score: 10 + breast stroke. Then next time you do the workout, beat that score!

Wall muscle-up: hang from wall in pool head under water, like you're going to do a pullup...use arms to pull up then transition to lift yourself up like you're gonna get out so that your arms are extended straight, body is almost all the way out of the water, then back down.

* Do an appropriate warm-up first, as this is intended to be a high-intensity workout *

I'm a swimming coach and if you want to get the most out of your swimming you have to be very consistent even if you have very little time:You want to swim no less than 2000M and make sure you do your sets complete, e.g. 1x400 (try not to stop until you do the entire distance)

easy swim practice example:
warm up: 1 x 500M free
upper boby: using padles if you have them 3 x 200 (1 free, 1back, 1brest)
lower body: 4 x 100 stremline kick (free) with fins
Main set: 1 x 400(free), 2 x 250(1 free, 1 back), 4 x 100(breast) and 8 x 50 (hard free)
200M cool down, then strech and your set