Back to the pool

[jesse_the_k]

It’s been fifty-nine weeks and a day since I last swam. My pool has created elaborate routines to minimize infection: one-person per lane in 45 minutes blocks; entry at staggered 10-minutes intervals to minimize shared time in locker room. The pool is part of a cardiac rehab clinic, so they've been open to patients but not exercisers.

It’s delicious to be in the water, and I do remember my routines and my strokes.

Last March I’d achieved a 27-minute swim thrice weekly. I’m too impatient to limit myself as much as I should. I did 16 minutes today and then spent four hours just staring straight ahead. More, again on Thursday and Sunday!

How has your body program changed? Any recent signs of improving access?

Comments

[sasha_feather]

Yay for swimming!

I slept most of the day yesterday and today, so that's where I'm at, haha.

[sonia]

Yay, back in the water! I've had that experience where doing something after a year just feels... ordinary. Like being in a car was, after more than a year.

Some people around the country are starting to dance indoors in groups again, but I'm not ready to try that.

[ng_moonmoth]

I'm ramping my bike rides back up. About to get to my third level-up, which is a still pedestrian (by my standards) 6+ miles (about half what I want to be doing) in under 30 minutes (25 is my target for this distance). This is on city streets with stoplights, which introduce a certain amount of variance I have only some control over.

Glad to hear you're all wet, in the best possible way.

[ironymaiden]

still waiting for mine to reopen, my county's covid numbers aren't good so i don't expect anything soon

i miss it like crazy, especially since it was how i kept in shape for kayaking self-rescue - so the pool being closed messes up two fitness things that made me happy

[j00j]

I'm so happy for all of my swimming friends.

Most of my exercise options haven't changed drastically, though having elliptical or a yoga class at the campus gym were nice. I've kind of enjoyed adding new options to my body program-- I recently got a bosu ball (half a ball on a plastic platform, so great for balance and stability exercises if one's baseline includes being able to get on the ball-- definitely not for everyone!) and it's fun for me.

I am VERY excited about achieving full vaccination so I can feel safe riding SEPTA and get to other walking/hiking locations-- that's the biggest access change in my near future.

[peachpai]

That's awesome, I'm glad you've been able to get back to swimming! I have yet to figure out how to get back to working out myself, despite having plenty of home equipment.

[write_out]

Oh yay! I'm glad you are able to get back to the pool!

I have no body program at all right now, which is not good. Working on changing that.

[gloss]

Wow, this is such great news for you!

I am incredibly jealous. An indoor pool was *supposed* to open fairly close to me back in...March 2020. HA.

[duskpeterson]

Hurrah that you can swim again!

We've been self-isolating for a year now, but we'll be fully vaccinated at the beginning of June. I'm hoping to be able to walk outside in the daytime this summer, but the community transmission here is still extremely high, so we'll see. We did buy an exercise cycle, which I still have to put together. If nothing else, I can open a window near the cycle and get some Vitamin D from the sun for the first time in a year.

[starshipfox]

Swimming pools open here again on June 7th, but I doubt I'll be vaccinated by then, so I'm a bit torn on whether to go or not. I am VERY enthusiastic to get back into the water though! I'm so glad you were able to get back to the pool and that it was a good experience.

[toft]

I really want to swim again as part of my post-birth program of relearning how my body works! I just bought a swimsuit online in my new size: fingers crossed I get in a pool soon! So glad you have access again.

[dhampyresa]

Pools here in France are only open for people with a medical reason to be there. For physical therapy reasons, I obtained a doctor's note recently! I am so so happy to get back into the water even if I can tell my body composition has changed from the difference in how I float and I can't swim as much as I want to (see above re pt).