I have been lifeguarding at my local community pool for the last three summers, and during my time at this job I have grown a great appreciation for the importance and health benefits of swimming. When I first got certified during my sophomore year of high school, there were two main prerequisites I had to pass, through the Red Cross , to prove I was capable of being a lifeguard. The first, was a timed test to see how quickly I could swim from one end of the pool to retrieve a brick at the bottom— this was to make sure I could reach a victim in a sufficient amount of time. I did not have any trouble with this but the second test, to swim 300m, proved to be a lot more difficult for me. Initially I started my laps way too fast, as I had not realized how much endurance was involved in swimming. I am happy to say I did pass the course, all while gaining an understanding of how great an exercise swimming is.
At my job, I have watched people swim laps with limited breaks for over an hour. Knowing the difficulties I had with my 300m— six laps in an Olympic sized pool— I think the endurance these patrons have is incredible. Free style especially can be very tiring, and I think it is impressive when people keep up with the stroke for an extended period of time. Furthermore, swimming causes little to no stress on joints and muscles in the body, one of the many benefits of the exercise, making it a viable option for people of all ages. Overall, it is a great source of cardio, without straining the body too much.
During the summer, while I do spend about 30 weeks at a pool, I rarely actually go into the water. My time is spent making sure swimmers are safe, rather than getting a workout in. Usually I find other ways to stay fit, but swimming is definitely something I would like to push myself to get more into. I know that currently the outdoor pool at Penn State, the McCoy Natatorium is closed indefinitely due to repairs, but I would defiantly considering spending time here once it opens. Lifeguarding has opened my eyes to how great of an exercising swimming can be and I would love to one day get more involved with this exercise.
I agree, swimming is very good for you and I think it is beneficial because it is not hard on your joints. I used to also swim alongside soccer and it was very therapeutic but also offered an intense workout. There is an indoor pool right across from my dorm at the white building and I keep meaning to go and now I feel inspired to go. I wonder what parts of your body specifically get worked out when you do certain strokes like free style or butterfly.
Working as a lifeguard seems like a lot of fun! The test you had to take sounds really challenging, so it’s good that you passed and it could allow you to see how good of an exercise swimming is. Whenever I swim, its usually just for fun or to relax, but your post has definitely got me thinking about how it can be a good form of exercise too.
Swimming has a special place in my heart. I have been swimming since the age of 8 and it was indeed one of the most strenuous exercises I have put my body through. the thing with it is, unlike other sports, it is truly a full body exercise. From the tips of your fingers to your forearms and shoulders to your abs and thighs and calves and down to the toes, every part of the body is engaged and straining to propel you through the water. I find it funny that you mentioned the life-guarding test. I, too, am a lifeguard and to me, the 300 meters was only a quarter of a typical warmup so I breezed through it but as I looked around at the other participants in my certification class, I not only saw just how much I had improved from the average population but how much work it truly takes to pull yourself through the water. The first laps are always the hardest. My breaks in the swim seasons were the months of April and August and boy, hopping back into the water after each of those months always resulted in some of the sore-est times I’ve ever had simply because conditioning takes that much out of you. I never realize towards the end of the season just how much energy is used to perform the basic stroke functions because I have had months of constant, daily attention but I will say all swimmers agree that the most dread from us comes when swim season starts back up again.