Yesterday was my first time swimming since we all went into seclusion due to the Covid-19 pandemic. My gym reopened about two months ago and I rejoined a few weeks later.
A pleasant feature for me is that not many people have returned to the gym so it’s always quiet. The pool area was no exception. This time there were two people in the therapy pool and one other person in the lap pool. I had no problem snagging a lane.
The five-lane pool was reduced to three lanes. Every other lane was closed to enable social distancing. The only thing that felt strange was wearing a mask from the locker room to the pool. (Right now, due to state regulations in Ohio, we have to wear a mask everywhere in the gym except in the pool.) When I went to return to the locker room, my mask was wet so I was glad I was jumping right into the shower to rinse off. Fortunately, I had a dry mask tucked away in my purse so I was able to leave wearing a dry mask.
First Time Swimming
For the first time swimming in several months, I think I did well. I swam for about 30 minutes and took a few breaks. I’ve never been a strong swimmer and I didn’t want to overdo it on my first time back. I just concentrated on my stroke and breathing.
It felt good to swim. I enjoyed it. Swimming is definitely a full-body workout. I could feel my muscles working in ways they haven’t worked in a while.
I think swimming might be a good way to do some active meditation. There’s no social interaction while swimming. Just time to think, count my strokes, and concentrate on my breath.
Have you been swimming lately? Is your pool open?
I just returned to swimming in my gym this week too. I really missed it and was very pleased to get back in the pool. I was just telling a friend that swimming is very meditative for me too. It’s a different kind of quiet.
Thanks for your comment, Sharon. There are certain things that just help us mentally as well as physically and I think swimming is one of those things. I understand completely about the different kind of quiet.