One thing I love about swimming is that it encourages me to face my fears. When I thought I couldn’t swim 50 meters in one go, I eventually did it. And I went from 0 to 2km in just a week. In this post, I will also talk about the pros and the cons of swimming that I experienced after doing it for more than a week.

I normally get bored of doing any workout. I would quit after doing it for just a few days. But swimming was different. It’s an activity that I really enjoy and I don’t feel burdensome to pack and go. By default, I already love swimming but after doing it regularly again, I love it even more.

The first week, I started going with about 500 meters and it was very slow. I had to take a very long break in between laps because I was out of breath. At that point, I realized how out of shape I was. However, as the week progresses, I no longer experience out of breath. I could swim without breathing for longer than I used to. That is one noticeable positive thing about my swimming exercise routine.

At the swimming pool I went to, they have two types of pool. One is the pool for beginners and another is for the athletic and pro swimmers. At first, I was shy and feared going to the pro swimmer pool. But nowadays, I always go to the pro swimming pool because the water is fresher, colder and way cleaner.

In that place, everyone is also nice. There are some regulars and by now I notice that if I swim in the morning, it’s going to be a bunch of elderly and afternoon is the time for pro swimmers to practice. During that time, sometimes some people strike up a conversation with me. We chat about swimming and giving courage to each other especially since I mentioned that I am starting all over. My breaststroke style is far beyond perfect so, some people were nice to give me tips so that I could swim faster.

Another positive thing about swimming is that it refreshes the mind. Swimming doesn’t tire me out unlike gym workouts that tend to wear me out quickly. It is also a nice exercise before and after trying to do something creative. To me, swimming and being in the water equals to meditation. With the positive outcomes from swimming, I wouldn’t shrug the negatives. I think the negatives depend on how each person perceives it but to me, since swimming, I sleep a lot more than I want to.

4-5 hours of sleep daily is what I need so that everything in my life gets done. However because of swimming, I started sleeping more than 5 hours and some tasks are piling up. But this can be a blessing too that I start having deeper sleep and better sleep quality than when I am not swimming at all.

Another thing that I dislike is how my skin gets very dry. Despite that I always put lotion before and after swimming, my skin is still really dry. I still don’t know how to deal with this one.

And the last thing I notice is that I recently strained my shoulders. It’s apparently a common problem with swimmers if they don’t take enough time to rest. I took 2 days rest and hopefully my left shoulder will be fine. So, again though swimming is a nice activity there are some negatives that come with it plus a potential injury too.

There’s another thing that people often talk about, getting more ravenous after swimming. Fortunately, I have a way to work around that . I often do OMAD(one meal a day) which is amazing during my swimming days. That way, I cover that ravenous feeling and won’t eat anything again until the next day. I also don’t eat before swimming and have no caffeine either. I will only have caffeine after swimming. I also make sure that my protein intake and other nutirions are met despite doing OMAD.

Though swimming is about pace and time. I prefer to take it slow. I would rather cover more distance than swim faster.Perhaps in the future, I would try to swim faster and be in some sort of competitive swimming.

	Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated.