Post holiday wellbeing commitments

As we leave the summer months behind I have no doubt that whilst taking a well deserved break many of you were considering committing to some kind of improvement activity. Many of us find the relaxing time spent on a beach an opportune time to reflect on the things we really do need to try and start doing. It's almost like a going back to school mentality where starting the autumn term was defined by new uniform, new teacher and shiny new pencil case.

And it's funny when considering how we can improve our wellbeing that the very thing right in front of us is often disregarded. I'm talking about water, whether it be the sea or pool and the art of swimming.

Now I’ve never been a particularly good swimmer historically and would struggle to complete more than a couple of lengths at a time without pausing for breath. A couple of years ago my brother came to stay with us and suggested going swimming one afternoon. Since then I have steadily worked away at improving my technique to a point where I recently completed a one mile sea swim to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

So why am I so passionate about swimming?

Well…

Fundamentally swimming is a great way to exercise so many different muscles in your body. It is also is a low impact activity which is great if you suffer from a bit of osteoarthritis. For me I like the fact that my body doesn't overheat in the way it often does when carrying out over cardio activity. 

And there’s more..

for the reason why I personally love swimming is the calming benefits it has on the mind. I often find I can go into an almost trance like state after a short period, finally leaving the pool feeling totally refreshed, re-energised and calm.

I have also found swimming excellent when needing to work through an issue in my mind and for some reason I seem to gain a greater clarity of thought with better options emerging. I'm aware that there is some science behind this however I'm not going to explore this in detail right now.

So if I have inspired you to at least consider trundling off to your nearest leisure centre pool here's a few ideas and advice for you to consider.

 - Have a go and see if you genuinely enjoy swimming. It's not for everyone.

- If you do enjoy it then consider having a few lessons early on to improve your technique.

- An interesting swimming technique often used by triathletes is called ‘Total Immersion’ which was developed by Terry Loughlin. This option is also favoured by ‘4 hour week’ author TImothy Ferris and is described in his comprehensive guide ‘The 4 Hour Body'.

- When practicing focus on one particular element of your technique and really master it. For example getting the breathing right will make a huge difference to both the quality and duration of the swim.

- Buy yourself some good googles... I've tried many and the best by far are the Aqua Sphere Kaimen brand which simply doesn’t leak. Another huge advantage is you can adjust them without removing them from your head.

- Don't swim in your baggy shorts. I did this for the first year not realising how much resistance they produce. Opt for a streamline speedo trunk cut off just above the knee cap (not the tiny trunks unless you really want to) and save the shorts for holidays.

- If you can start practicing in a smaller, shallower pool as it's easier to focus on your technique.

- Many leisure pools offer discounted bulk sessions

- Don't swim on an empty stomach. Most people know not to swim just after eating however you aren't doing yourself any favours if you swim on a totally empty stomach. Have a light snack about 30 to 60 minutes prior such as yoghurt, fruit , or some hummus and vegetable crudités depending on the time of day.

So there you go.. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

If you would like a copy of my free book 'Fit for business' then please just click on the link below

http://www.martincrisp.com/freebook/