Swimming

Tonight after work, I went to the Pro Club and swam laps. It felt good. I alternated between the butterfly, breast, and back strokes. When I was a kid, I LOVED to swim, and even after a full day of working on my grandparent's farm, we'd still all dive in to cool off and swim, swim, swim the evening away.

I was a little apprehensive about 1) being in a swimsuit in front of people (at a health club, no less) and 2) the etiquette involved in sharing a lane with someone. Luckily, they had a sign at each lane explaining how to warn another person in the lane that you're entering, etc. And I just had to get over myself about being in a swimsuit. In front of people. A lot of healthy-looking people. At a gym.

So, I managed 20 minutes straight of alternating the strokes before things started to get a little busy. So, I hopped out of the lane to give others a chance. But it was a good start, and if I can leave about 15 minutes earlier next time, I should be able to get in a full 1/2 hour before it starts getting full.

The nice thing about swimming is that it's easier on my joints, such as my elbows and knees, than some of the other activities I've tried like weight lifting and running. I think once I lose a bit more weight, those other activities will be easier for me to do again without injuring myself. But swimming will be a good low impact, yet challenging way to get my endurance back and lose some of the weight I've gained.