First a Foe, Now a Friend

Hey guys- I hope you are having a great week so far. Don’t forget that my Erin Condren Planner giveaway is still going on. See my review post for details on entering!

Today I wanted to talk about a new friend who was once not so much my friend. And that would be the pool.

I used to hate swimming. Like, I despised it. I was on the swim team when I was younger but never enjoyed it, and I used to be a lifeguard and loathed our required 500m swims. It’s one of those things where I have the skill set and am a fairly decent swimmer, but I’ve just never liked it. And I am a firm believer that you should engage in exercise that is enjoyable to you.

So you can imagine the way I felt back in October at one of my first knee appointments when my doctor (#1) told me no running or biking and (#2) asked me, “how do you feel about swimming?”

I don’t remember exactly what I said but I think I made it pretty clear that the pool is not my cup of tea. This feeling was only magnified when I then had to get up at 4am to be able to fit in swims before work.

Flash forward to now: I live down the street from the pool. Instead of rushing to swim before work, I can wait until later in the evening and swim for as long as I’d like. The pool is usually empty, I don’t think about any kind of schedule, and everything is just really relaxed. I have a pretty good routine worked out where I plan my swims around my PT stuff, and it usually ends up being 2-3 times per week.

What was once an activity that I disliked has turned into my saving grace, both mentally and physically. I have something that allows me to push myself athletically, to get my heart racing, and to work on my strength. I feel awesome after a long swim. The muscle tone in my arms and legs is a little more defined. I walk on eggshells when I attempt to do any other type of exercise, but I can get in the pool and swim without worrying.

Then there is the mental aspect of just being able to exercise. It feels good. And you know what feels even better? Having 30-60 minutes of time without my phone, social media, the tv or any other background noise… just the water. I always tell myself that I need to step away from technology a little more, and the pool forces me to do that.

So I feel bad for disliking swimming for so long. I owe the pool an apology. I think we will be best friends moving forward.

And if you are out there struggling with an injury- keep trying different things until you find something that works for you <3