Lap Swimming for Out-of-Shape Swimmers

Remember the Rules

• If you have not been swimming for a long period of time, you may have forgotten some of the rules regarding doing laps in a swimming pool. Most pools have fast, medium and slow lanes, and if you are honest with yourself, you probably should not go back to the lane that you used when you were an avid swimmer. Most pools also utilize circle swimming in a counterclockwise direction. Make room for other swimmers to turn if you need to rest against a wall.

Slow at First

• It will probably feel good to get back in to the water and swimming, but take it slow at first and don't push yourself too hard. You need to let your body catch up to what your mind remembers it's capable of doing in the pool. Pushing too hard too soon could result in an injury. Instead, concentrate on your form to make your transition back to swimming easier.

Supplementary Training

• Consider supplementary training for your return to swimming. Swimming requires a lot of strength, especially in the shoulders, and your first visit back to the pool will probably remind you of that with sore shoulders. You can help speed up your return to swimming, then, by working a few shoulder exercises in to your routine. Shoulder presses, for instance, target the shoulder muscles, as do some cable pull motions.

Muscle Memory

• As you get back in to swimming, you may be surprised at just how fast swimming comes back to you. This is due to a phenomenon known as muscle memory. Much like riding a bike, your muscles remember how to swim and those memories will quickly come back as you get back in the pool. Muscle memory is also applicable to strength and the muscles necessary to swim large amounts of laps should also come back relatively quickly, once swimming is resumed.