Category Archives: Swimming

Circle Swimming How-To

Posted on February 16, 2011 by

I swear I get the craziest looks sometimes when people come up and ask if they can share the lane with me. I usually respond with, “Of course, would you like to circle swim”?

They look at me kinda funny and say, “how about we just split the lane.”

I cringe a little and reply with a “sure why not,” and off I go to continue on with my workout in my tiny little half a lane (usually with a few laps of butterfly, so they know what they are getting themselves into:)).

Maybe I’m overreacting, but its just an irritating a pet peeve of mine.

Here’s why…

I never really thought there was any other way to swim laps than circle swimming when I was swimming competitively because it just seemed so logical. We had to swim 4, 5, 6+ to a lane, and the only way to accomplish this was to circle swim. After I quit, I was a lifeguard at the local pool and swam there occasionally, and I noticed how passionate some people are about circle swimming, silly as it may seem.

I didn’t get it until one day, all 8 lanes were filled up with 16 people, who of course were splitting lanes. This left any new swimmers to hang out on the deck until someone got out or they could convince their counterparts to share the lane and swim in those god awful circles. I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it!

Anyways, this same situation happened to me just the other day. A younger guy pulled the lane split routine on me (surprising because he looked like he swam competitively at some point), and about 10 min later there were 4-5 people on deck looking agitated because all of the lanes were full.

A pool’s capacity is not 2 x the number of lanes, so please make sure you do your part to keep it that way. Its only fair.

Here’s a few easy to follow lap swimming etiquette tips to help…

Pick An Appropriate Lane

When you arrive at the pool if there are no open lanes, scope out the situation and try to choose a lane that has swimmer(s) that are close to your skill level. Some pools will actually designate one side of the pool for slower swimmers and the opposite side for faster swimmers. Just make sure you choose accordingly so you’re not running people over or vice versa.

This is a preview of Circle Swimming How-To. Read the full post (475 words, estimated 1:54 mins reading time)
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Swimming Lessons

Posted on January 14, 2011 by

It is summer and everyone’s trying to beat the heat. The most popular way to cool off at this time of the year is by going to the beach. Some people are too far from it, though, that many opt for swimming pools. But what use are pools if you do not know how to swim? All the more, if you are near Austin, Texas, which is home to the world’s most beautiful water ways and lakes. Fortunately there are Austin swimming lessons that can help a lot when it comes to building skills.

Swimming is not just a skill that is to merely for fun. It is actually a life-saving skill, too. Since drowning is a leading cause of death for children with ages 1 to 4 in the United States, it is important for children, and even their parents, to learn how to swim. Not only that they should learn how to swim, but parents should consider letting the children learn how to swim at a young age.

Swimming is also a health tool. It is the most complete exercise, offering both cardio and strength exercises. Cardio, since the heart gets pumped by having the body do a lot of aerobic activity by the kicks and strides. Strength, since the body gets resistance from the water when the body tries to part the waters when swimming.

Apart from being a cardio and strength exercise, swimming can also help asthmatics since it provides very good exercise for the lungs. Some people even say that their asthma attacks ceased when they took up swimming as their routine exercise.

Additionally, swimming has a lot of psychological benefits. Swimming can actually make one happy as certain levels of chemicals in the brain shoot up when one engages in physical activity. The cognitive, emotional and physical aspects of psychological development are also affected when swimming!

Swimming can also be a good way for mothers and children to bond this summer. Swimming can actually be taken up by kids as young as six months. This can actually more beneficial for the child because the skill is learned soon, and the child has not incurred any preconceived notions of danger that can hinder most students.

Of course, the first thing to remember when one is swimming is comfort. When one is comfortable, one can take lessons easier. It is also more fun!

This is a preview of Swimming Lessons. Read the full post (516 words, estimated 2:04 mins reading time)
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Swim Lessons Learn More About It

Posted on December 15, 2010 by

Sunny days are fast approaching and what could be more productive than learning how to swim. Places everywhere are offering swim lessons, and some even offer promo rates. Swimming is one of the most useful skills that can be used in one’s entire life since it is actually a survival skill.

In places like Austin where waterways, lakes and pools are abundant, swimming is a very handy skill to learn. Not only one could have a useful skill, swimming can let one explore these aquatic places without anxiety, as one knows that he wouldn’t drown because he knows how to swim. In the United States, drowning is one of the major causes of deaths in children.

Swimming can actually be learned by children as young as six months and adults as old as 65 years old. Swimming only depends on one’s willingness to learn. This willingness is also dependent on the comfort of the students that are in the pools. When choosing a swim school, note the pools. Are they indoors or outdoors? Where do they conduct their swim lessons?

Generally, indoor pools are more advised when one has just started to learn. Indoor pools have environments that can be controlled, unlike the outdoor pools that are dependent on the weather for the conditions of the pool. Ideal temperatures are maintained in indoor pools and this promotes comfort in the student who uses the pool.

Comfort is very important when learning swimming. Comfort can actually be detrimental in determining success when learning swimming because if the child is not comfortable with the environment when she is learning how to swim, she would be easily distracted. That is why checking out a swim school personally is important.

There are other benefits of swimming apart from it being a survival skill. First, it is a very useful exercise tool. It works all of the important muscle groups in the body, making the swimmer fit. It also builds one’s strength and endurance as well as lung power. It is actually one of the most prescribed exercises for asthmatics. Swimming also helps in people who have joint problems since this kind of exercise is not weight bearing and therefore, easy on the joints. It also works out the cardiovascular system of the swimmer.

This is a preview of Swim Lessons Learn More About It. Read the full post (493 words, estimated 1:58 mins reading time)
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Swim Lessons

Posted on November 1, 2010 by

What does one do when one is in Austin, Texas? Well, there are various tourist attractions. One can ride a bike to explore the city. As the city is one of the most humid cities in the country, it would be a good idea to cool off in one of the fifty public pools in the city. Good thing that there are Austin Swim Lessons, that can help people learn how to swim properly.

You see, Austin has 7 square miles of water. It has three man-made lakes, and apart from the fifty public pools, it is also home to some of the historic pools like the Deep Eddy and the Barton Springs. Deep Eddy is the oldest man made pool in Texas and the Barton Springs are the biggest natural swimming pools that are located in an urban area.

If one does not know how to swim, one could not enjoy these attractions to the hilt!

Swimming is not only limited to having fun. Swimming has actually many uses, that one should really consider taking it up seriously as part of daily living. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise since it is a non-weight bearing exercise; unlike running, which can have effects on the joints.

Swimming involves all the muscle groups in the body. It develops the strength and endurance of the person. Not only that; swimming provides a good cardio workout for the heart. In addition, swimming actually burns a lot of calories so it can be used as a good tool when one is trying to lose weight.

Swimming is a fun way to bond with friends too. Even just floating and learning a variety of strokes can be a source of endless fun among friends, especially everyone is relaxed and just chilling out in the water. Comfort is one of the most important things to remember when learning since one learns fast when the water is comfortable.

There are Austin swim lessons that can guide children well when it comes to learning how to swim. Some have indoor pools which have very comfortable temperatures (at 88 degrees); and since it is indoor, one has some control over the environment. This means that it is there for you to use all throughout the year. Outdoor pools on the other hand can be enjoyed more if the weather is hot.

This is a preview of Swim Lessons. Read the full post (521 words, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)
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