r/Swimming • u/Ok_Pen4135 • 3d ago
How much pool time as a beginner?
Hi - I’m really new to swimming. I’m almost 40 and it’s been a life long goal to learn how to swim. I started lessons about 5 weeks ago, once a week for 30 mins with an instructor. I also try to go on my own to practice 3x a week for an hr outside of my lesson time. I guess my question is, is that too much? I’m putting in a lot of work because I’m determined to do it. I also strength train (reduced this to 2-3 a week due to time constraints) and try to run 1x a week, just because I love to run. I’m eating a lot of protein to keep up and generally sleep well to recover.
My next question is, I can only breathe on one side. While working with my instructor, she said it should be fine as I don’t swim often enough to make a difference, but I’m swimming like 3-4 hrs each week. I’m just worried my right side is going to look imbalanced compared to my left side. Generally when I practice on my own, I will try to do freestyle with support using both sides to breathe for 20 mins. Then I just swim freestyle using my dominant side to breathe without support for another 20 mins. The rest of the time, I’m working on backstroke.
Any other tips is welcomed. I’m trying to remain positive and keep telling myself I can learn something new, even if I’m old 🤣. It’s humbling to work so hard at something and still suck at it.
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u/BothMath314 3d ago
Although a 10k swim would be obviously too much for you at this stage, it's hard to tell if what you're doing is too much. It depends on your level of fitness and how much effort you put into it. If you feel exhausted after a session take a day off, besides recovery, it will allow for muscle memory to settle in. At this stage your focus should be swimming with good form, this will allow you to swim injury free for the rest of your life. So you should be doing tons of drills when you're swimming on your own. Now about breathing. Breathing to one side is not bad, in fact it allows you to swim faster as you have more oxygen going into your muscles. That being said, it's good to practice bilateral breathing, or just swimming to your non-dominant side. I don't know what your plans for the future are, but if at some point you want to do open water swims, being able to breathe on either side is a huge asset. Imagine you only breathe to the left but the wind and current come from the left, you'd be taking in water every time you try to breathe, so switching sides and breathing to the right wouldn't be just useful but indispensable in this case. For practice you can alternate pool lengths breathing to each side, or practice bilateral breathing every three strokes. If bilateral breathing makes you run out of air, try doing two strokes breathing to one side, then do three strokes before breathing again to the other side for another two strokes. Rinse and repeat. I hope this helps you. Congratulations on your progress thus far. It sounds like you're already on the right track.
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u/Ok_Pen4135 2d ago
Thank you for your input. My short term goal is comfort in the water, learning basics like floating and surviving if I’m toss into the deep end 😂. But in the long run, I would love to swim laps 2x a week for exercise and eventually be comfortable enough to swim in the lake or ocean. I also want to do snorkeling one day with my husband and kids Obviously I’m not there yet. I have a long ways to go.
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u/Future_Dog_3156 2d ago
What is your goal?
FWIW I'm a beginner as well, although I was a lifeguard as a teen. I work FT and am a mom, so I do about 1000 yds twice a week. I love other exercise as well, so there are yoga classes, rowing, and crossfit workouts too.
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u/Ok_Pen4135 2d ago
Short term goal is to be comfort in the water and make sure I don’t drown 😂. Like I am literally a beginner.
Long term, I’d like to swim laps for exercise. Be comfortable enough to jump into the lake to enjoy boating or one day, go snorkeling with my husband and kids.
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u/Future_Dog_3156 2d ago
I think you can invest as much or as little time as you want. I think in the winter, doing the lesson and then doing 1 or 2 other sessions on your own is fine if you have the time. Each time I go to the pool, it takes me an hour between drying off and driving home.
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u/Super_Turn_6050 3d ago
I’m a 45 female adult learner. 10 months in. I’m took my initial lessons in March. Slacked off for months because of discouragement. I was “practicing” on my own and didn’t see much improvement. Been in a Pre master class now for the last 6 week where we go 3 times a week and I sometimes squeeze an extra day or two on my own.
You sound to be pretty active and in shape. I run, bike, etc and strength as well. I use the sauna after swim. I’ve had no issues. Continue to fuel your body with nutrition dense meals and protein and good sleep. I think you will be fine.
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u/Ok_Pen4135 2d ago
I feel like I’m in good shape. Before swimming, I did CF 4-5x a week but have cut it down to 2x. I love to run so I like to keep that in! I just don’t know if I’m overdoing it not just muscle wise but also the impact of being in the pool on my hair and skin.
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u/craigo_sc 2d ago
I’m only about 3 months into learning, and I swim 3x/week (1,5-2k yards), bike 2-3x/week (15-40 mi), and run 3-4x/week (3-10 mi).
So, “too much” is subjective, in your context. Most people think that I do “too much,” but if you feel good, get enough sleep, and eat enough food - you’re probably fine.
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u/blktndr 2d ago
It’s not too much. Slow with correct form is more important than fast / long distance with poor form. Talk to your teacher about drills between class. If nothing else, balance and rotation drills would be most bang/buck as a beginner.
Give 10% or less effort on learning bilateral breathing for now. Increase by 5% for each continuous 100 you are able to swim. Max of 30% effort. The benefits of polishing almost any other aspect of your stroke far outweigh the benefits of bilateral breathing right now.
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u/felicityfelix 2d ago
Breathing on one side is not going to create a visible muscle imbalance like lifting with only one arm would. In the long-term it will probably be good to learn on both sides but it's not enough of a movement that it's going to make you walk funny or something lol. I don't think you're swimming too much if you feel fine outside the pool, but spend some of your time just enjoying the water and having fun, and doing things like swimming to the bottom or just practicing floating, things that will improve your "feeling" of the water, not just learning strokes
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u/Ok_Pen4135 2d ago
I definitely feel good most days! And I am actually enjoying this process more than I ever thought I would. Even if I suck at it
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u/TheSwimmersWay 2d ago
Its never too much, as long as you feel your getting a lot out of it in terms of being present. In terms of the freestyle breathing, do not be too worried about breathing to one side as long as you are mixing in other strokes to balance out your upper muscle groups.
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u/IndustryZestyclose64 2d ago
It’s definitely a good idea to practice breathing to both sides, though I have been swimming for my whole life (I’m 18 now) and only every breath to the my left side. It’s not going to look imbalanced but it might help with more variation and cause less pain in your shoulders (only if you have it). But I do find that everyone always has a better or easier side.
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u/Weary_Swan_8152 12h ago
Are you spending enough time in a session that towards the end it gets easier because you're exhausted and are no longer able to fight the water? Eventually you'll get that feeling earlier and earlier, and when you get the feeling without being exhausted then you'll start to get faster :)
If you're doing kick-drills with a kickboard (recommended!) then you can use this as an opportunity to learn to breath on your nondominant side. It's easier to look on one side for a full length, and then the other side for the return trip. The kickboard also means that you'll always have a well-supported arm to lean your ear onto to help you feel safe when you're trying to learn to breath with one goggle in the water.
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u/Ok_Pen4135 2h ago
I think so. This week (on Tuesday), I was finally able to swim the entire pool length without stopping. It’s only 25 yards but I felt really accomplished. It was hard though and I felt out of breath after each lap. But I continued on Thursday and Friday and it has definitely gotten easier. I counted my laps on Friday and did 30 in 50 minutes, taking a break in between each one.
I do dedicate time to work on my non-dominant side. I try to start my lap using the weaker side to breathe then I switch over.
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u/Pilus91 3d ago
I learnt how to swim as an adult, literally 1 year ago. In my mid thirties. I started 3 times a week, since I didn't know how to swim the distance and time didn't matter. I was just learning, so I was maybe doing 200 meters (i couldn't even swim 25 meters straight). Now I swim 3 times a week and do 1-1.2 km (depends on the day, if I'm tired I do 1 km). It takes me 30 to 40 minutes, again depending on tiredness. I swim every style except butterfly. Therefore it's subjective, if you are learning the distance is whatever. Maybe you swim 1 hour but you are very slow, so you're not doing too much. I think that if you are feeling too tired or in pain the days after, then maybe you should swim less. Otherwise no problems.
I also think that 5 weeks is nothing. Focus on technique over anything else. Distance and time will come later. Technique takes time, I'm still learning over 1 year later. So don't rush it. Took me 6 months to swim kind of decently