How Swimming Saved My Daughter's Life
~By Kathy Villarreal, mother of Monica
I've always known about the amazing benefits of swimming -- the excellent cardio-vascular workout with few, if any, injuries; the satisfaction of setting goals, training hard, and seeing success at swim meets; the friendships made with swimmers from all over the city and state; and the knowledge that swimming is a sport that is lifelong. Having been a competitive swimmer myself, I encouraged all my children to swim. They started with the summer swim league and eventually became year-round swimmers. For the past five years, my family has been active at Northside Aquatics (410 pool) and today four of my five children are enrolled in the various club programs. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of swimming, but I didn't realize the impact that swimming had on my children's lives, that is, not until my child contracted staph pneumonia and nearly died.
Read on at ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association)
Cramping Your Style 'Dealing With Cramps In The Pool'
~By Haydn Wooley
Ever been half way through a hard swim or kick set and all-of-a-sudden, whammo - your calf tightens up like someone just kicked you? Well, that type of cramping is such a common complaint that I hear it at least once in every squad session. The good news is that it is quite easy to diagnose and also easy to fix, if you can be honest about what you feel.
Read on at Swim-City
Olympic swimmer wouldn't let cancer dash his dream
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- For Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau, the last two months have been a whirlwind. "Full of the best moments and the scariest moments of my life," says the 24-year-old Olympic swimmer.
Read on at CNN.com
NYTimes.com: Getting Better With Age: Dive In
Hi Dean, Hope all is well in the great Northeast! Thought you might like this article or want to post it at Dynoswim. Take care, Kate
Please know how much we at Dynoswim appreciate these contributions! Thanks so much, Kate!
~By Liz Robbins
Researchers find that the 40-something (and older) swimmer of today is faster than the 40-something of yesteryear.
Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts
~By Gina Kolata
DR. MARK TARNOPOLSKY, a muscle physiology researcher at McMaster University in Canada and a physician, knows all about the exhortations by supplement makers and many nutritionists on what to eat and when to eat it for optimal performance.
Read at the New York Times
I don't WANT to be an Olympian!
~By Glenn Mills
The other day, a coaching friend was telling me about a comment a swimmer had made. In trying to get a point across to an athlete, the coach related a story she had read about one of our current Olympic swimmers. The swimmer's response was, "But I don't WANT to be an Olympian."
Read on at GoSwim
Pondering My Retirement
Note: In my "other job" I'm often reading economic journals related to forecasts and trends in the global economy. Today from Investors Insight there's a wonderful article related to Corn Ethanol. Happily for all of you in the athletic community, the author Gary Halbert also has an "other job", one that he's unfortunately considering retirement. Read below.
~By Gary Halbert
It was 32 years ago this month when I began my career in the investment business in 1976 at the ripe old age of 24. I have been in it ever since. It has been an interesting ride, and I have always had the hands-down best clients on the planet. But this year, I've been thinking of retiring. Yes, retiring at the age of 56.
But before you drop your jaw, let me assure you I am not thinking about retiring from my career in the investment business. Rather, I am considering retiring from my other job which is coaching youth sports. My son graduated from high school in May and will be off to college in the fall, so my coaching days, with him at least, are officially over.
Swallow This
~By Gretchen Reynolds
From the perspective of an athlete, few things top the virtuous satisfaction that comes from a hard workout. That 10-mile run, that 1,500-meter pool sprint, that hour with the free weights. Makes you feel great, right? You'll do it again tomorrow, for sure. But then it hits -- the aftermath.
Read on at the New York Times
Dream
There's something to be said for dreaming and to have the courage to dream big. More important is to be brave enough to go after those dreams. Could you imagine all the skepticism and ridicule this couple had to endure?
Great story. Here's an excerpt:
"I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would do something like that in my life," Cat confesses. "I think you just have to be open-minded and willing to take chances and risks and not be afraid ... You just have to open your mind to other cultures and countries and, you know, like Pat says, 98 percent of the people in this world are good people. On a day-to-day basis you're meeting the average person in the world and they're just like you."
Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema (SIPE)
I've never heard of this condition. As an asthmatic, I can't help but to wonder how many of us out there that may suffer from SIPE, either in addition to or exclusive of chronic (or exercise induced) asthma.
~Written by: Katherine "Kat" Calder-Becker and Charles "Trey" C. Miller, III, Ph.D.
via Slowtwitch.com: [Editor's note: What follows was born of a thread on our reader forum. Information sharing is a good thing, and often helps those with questions locate those with answers. Five real life, first-person stories are told below, interspersed with the best current information on SIPE. Thanks to our two authors, both practicing triathletes, both SIPE-stricken while racing. "Kat" gathered the chronicles. "Trey" explains the condition.]
KAT writes: The first time this happened to me was at the Mooseman half-Ironman race in June 2007. I began experiencing shortness of breath at 750m into the swim. I felt tightness in my chest - almost like an asthma attack, or that my wetsuit was too tight. Then, fluid began to build in my lungs and I developed a slight cough. I ended up doing the 'backstroke' for the last 750m of the swim in order to get to shore. I tried to keep racing and pushed through the complete bike leg, then had to stop at the beginning of the run as I was completely unable to get oxygen and was wheezing. That was 4 hours and 17 minutes into the event. I ended up in an ambulance on oxygen, and was released on site once my breathing improved.
Read on at Slowtwitch.com
A Conversation with Dara Torres
The diehard Olympic swimmer is proof that when it comes to any goal, it's all about how bad you want it.
~By Sue Carswell
This diehard Olympic swimmer is proof that (1) your body can be rock-hard at 40; (2) a baby doesn't have to slow you down; and (3) when it comes to any goal, it's all about how bad you want it.
The Endless Health Benefits of Swimming
Yes, we know we're preaching to the choir here, but it's still a pretty good article...
You dive into the pool for a game of Marco Polo or to cool down from the hot summer heat. You love the calming feeling of being submerged in water and the fun factor of frolicking in the pool like you were 10 years old again. But do you ever just swim for exercise and for the array of the health benefits of swimming? Don’t be a fish out of water when it comes to knowing just how wonderful swimming is for your mind, body and soul…
Taking Control and Fulfilling My Passion
~by Judi Rich, Dynoswimmer
“To plunge into the water, to move one’s whole body, from head to toe, in its wild and graceful beauty; to twist about in its pure depths, this is for me a delight only comparable to love.”
~Paul Valéry, French poet and critic
At 41 years of age, I finally found, once again, what had been missing for so long in my life—swimming. Not just going out back and wading in the pool or doing a few laps on my own; or going to the beach and doing a few dozen laps between lifeguard stands—but getting back on a team and doing “real structured workouts”. Being around others who also share my passion of swimming, who encourage me, and who love the water as much as I do. Swimming alone just doesn’t compare to being on a team and for 13 years I had been searching for just that—a masters team that is supportive, that competes and who would challenge my abilities.
Five Minutes a Day Can Save Your Shoulders
Many of us Dynoswimmers suffer from various shoulder injuries, some worse than others - especially those of us that have been training most of our lives.
By repeating the following five exercises, five days a week for five minutes a day, you can easily prevent swimmer's shoulder.
Just think of the numbers, 555, and you'll be well on your way to preventing swimmer's shoulder:
Swimming to Prep for Winter Sports
Josh says:
The Swimming To Tone Ski Muscles article made me think about the upcoming ski / snowboard season. I definitely appreciate the aerobic shape I'm in from swimming when the winter approaches. I'm able to pack in as many runs as possible on my snowboard without feeling like I need to work my way into it.
Do you use swimming to tone yourself for any winter sports? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
Swimmer's Shoulder Parts I & II
~By Larry M. Weisenthal
Most swim coaches and orthopedic physicians do not really understand swimmer's shoulder. It is important to understand the anatomy of the shoulder as well as the techniques and methods for avoiding injury.
For part one of this article, click here.
Bigger Is Better, Except When It's Not
~By Gina Kolata
Looking back, Dr. Michael Joyner thinks he chose the wrong sport when he became a distance runner. He should have been a swimmer or a rower.
Dr. Joyner, an anesthesiologist and exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic, was fast — he ran a marathon in 2 hours 25 minutes. But, at 6-foot-5, and 175 pounds at his lightest, he was simply too big to be great.
Read on at NYTimes.com
So the question is: What sport is your body built for?
(Answer in the comment section below.)
Working Near Chlorine Pools Tied to Lung Problems
Editors Note: I think this article is complete nonsense. The benefits of swimming outweigh the risks to an overwhelming degree. It's just an alarmist contrarian point of view for the sake of being so. By the way, I'm an asthmatic, without swimming, who knows where I'd be right now.
Read on:
Swimming teachers and other people who spend a lot of time near chlorinated pools face an increased risk of breathing problems, Dutch researchers report.
Chlorine reacts with substances such as urine and sweat to create byproducts that can irritate the respiratory tract, most importantly chloramines, explain Dr. Jose Jacobs of the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands and colleagues in a report in the European Respiratory Journal.
Study Shows Why Exercise Boosts Brainpower
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Exercise boosts brainpower by building new brain cells in a brain region linked with memory and memory loss, U.S. researchers reported Monday.
Tests on mice showed they grew new brain cells in a brain region called the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that is known to be affected in the age-related memory decline that begins around age 30 for most humans.
Competitive Swimming Harder than Most Think
January 25,2007
~Kate Lohnes, Monitor Staff Writer
Competitive swimming is one of the best-kept secrets in the United States, said Dave Thomas, the southern zone sport development consultant for U.S.A. Swimming (the national governing body for the sport). That isn’t to say swimming is a small sport: it’s actually one of the biggest in the country.
"Swimming is a lot more popular than people realize," he said. "There’s millions of Americans participating in swimming as an activity every day."
Love It or Hate It, Swimming is Good Exercise
~By Martin Smith
I hate swimming. And I love swimming.
I hate it because my legs don't float, my stroke mechanics would make a physicist cry, and for all the energy expended, my body goes absolutely nowhere. I love it when, after swimming nearly 500 yards and I'm no longer afraid of drowning, I get a moment of clarity. I love the feeling of the water swishing past my ears. I love the warmth of the water's embrace, and the solitude that the quiet provides. The water is a magical place and when I'm not struggling to stay atop it, I enjoy it. Swimming is great aerobic exercise because it works the large muscle groups of the back and the legs, as well as using the arms.
Shoulder / Rotator Cuff Exercises
Essential 7 exercises:
Protect your shoulder...
Swimmer's shoulder
~By Larry M. Weisnthal
Most swim coaches and orthopedic physicians do not really understand swimmer's shoulder. It is important to understand the anatomy of the shoulder as well as the techniques and methods for avoiding injury.
10 Tips to Maintain Your Weight Over the Holidays
~PR Newswire, December 12, 2006
Keeping tabs on your weight during the holiday season can be a daunting challenge. Between parties, family dinners and cookie baking, there's plenty of temptation to abandon healthy eating and exercise.
Here are 10 tips to help maintain your weight this holiday season:
A Few Words About Winter Swimming
Winter swimming, i.e. swimming in ice-cold water, is not only a wonderful method of tempering the body, but also of increasing the energetic might of the organism.
Carbo-loading: Tips for Endurance Athletes
~By Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (for Active.com)
Does carbo-loading mean stuffing myself with pasta?
Should I avoid protein the day before the marathon?
Will carbo-loading make me fat...?
If you are an endurance athlete who is fearful of "hitting the wall," listen up: proper fueling before your marathon, triathlon, century bike ride or other competitive endurance events can make the difference between agony and ecstasy!
“I Did It!” Is Only the Beginning
~By Barbara Hummel
In swimming, in school, in our careers, and in our lives, we are constantly advised to set goals for ourselves and to lay out the steps to reach those goals. At the same time, we’re also advised to see the journey – our daily “practice” as being more important than reaching the goal.
What we don’t always consider is what happens when we REACH a goal. What does it mean to accomplish what you set out to do? Are you finished? Are you complete? How do you figure out where to go and what comes next? How do you shift gears…and goals…to get to a new level?
The Hydration Continuum: Beverage Choices for Active People
By Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM
For Active.com
September 11, 2006
Everybody pretty much understands that staying hydrated is essential to helping you feel and perform at your best. According to the Journal of Sports Science, exercisers who drink fluids and maintain hydration can last up to 33 percent longer compared to those who don't drink any fluids during a workout. And, even as little as two percent dehydration can cause a drop in endurance.
The Hydration Continuum (continued)
The "New" Food Pyramid
Dedicated to the food pyramid designed by government nutritionists. In the past couple of years the pyramid has changed a bit, and this website has many fun tools that reflect those changes. For instance, try the game that rates your eating habits (it’s for kids, but what the heck). Additionally, If you scroll down the window you will see a section called “Spotlights”. In that section there is a link that says “My Pyramid for kids”; click on it and it will take you to another page. Next you'll see the “MyPyramid Blast Off Game”; click on it and this will start the game. Try the game out, it’s actually not that bad, and it’s actually kind of funny.
Triathlon, Swimming, Flexibility Training: Shoulder Stretches
By Brian Dorfman
"I think of swimming as the savior for the triathlete. Swimming is the perfect compensator for biking and running..."
Shoulder Injury Prevention
Very important, please read.
Nutritional Advice for Competitive Swimmers
Great advice for our younger swimmers, but also applicable to those of you young at heart.
Nutritional Advice for Swimmers
More Tips on Nutrition
Breakfast, it's not just for breakfast anymore...
Fluids-Water vs. Sports Drink
"There are 2 reasons to drink fluids: (1) to stay hydrated, and (2) to provide the body with fuel."
Read About Sports Drink Nutrition
Fitness Swimmers of all Ages
"A Lifetime Spent in the Water"
This is what it is all about - that is - swimming as a life-sport. Swimming will give you the opportunity to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout your life. It's also about goal-setting and learning how to achieve those goals both in and out of the pool. It's about balance and the way a positive experience gained through swimming will affect the other parts of your lives, like your family, your job, and school.
It's about swimming, but it's not just about swimming.
Read this article.
Benefits to Exercise
"People who exercise can add three years to their life, and their hearts reap benefits from something as simple as brisk walking a half-hour a day, two studies suggest." via Yahoo News
Imagine what swimming an hour and a half workout three or four times a week does for you!
Muscle Fiber Basics
Fast twitch vs. slow twitch. Ever wonder why some have a penchant for sprinting or distance?
Interesting Perspective from Speedo
Check out Speedo's current feature on water...
Swimming in the Fountain of Youth
Swimming will make you younger, and keep you that way. I've been telling people that for years, but those wrinkly dinosaurs just don't believe me. Well, here's proof:
Managing Migraines in Active People
For those of you affected... Managing Migraines
Sabotage a Swimming Career
Please read the following article written for swim parents, but which is also applicable at every level (Masters included) of swimming. We can ruin our swimming careers by having unrealistic expectations of what success and failure in the pool actually means. Swimming Sabotage
Swimmers and Body Fat
I keep hearing this question over and over again (three times in the last two weeks). Do swimmers retain more body fat? Bottom line, no one freaking knows... Article by Dr. Ivan Gotnoclue
Performance Enhancers
Interesting article from Canada on drugs and sports... 10 bizarre drug cases
Worst Foods to Eat Before Practice
Your throat and stomach are burning. You burp at every turn. And you feel like you are going to spew. Yes, you ate the wrong thing just before practice. Here are a few of the worst foods to eat or drink before a workout based on feedback from the Dynoswim Masters swimmers: Sardines; Pigs in a Blanket; Sausage; Anything at Taco Bell; Burger King Fried Fish Sandwich and Fries; Muffins; Fried Chicken, and Baked Ziti. Please add your "worst food to eat before practice" to the list.
Swimmer's Shoulder
Please read the following article related to common swimming related shoulder injuries. Read about shoulder injuries
Natural Highs and Why We Swim
Please read the attached article on endorphins and one of the best ways to produce them - swimming! Click here to read about endorphins
Exercising in the Heat
Not totally applicable to us down here in Florida considering we enjoy exceptionally hot weather eight months of the year. But, there are a few important points to keep in mind - like staying hydrated, even in the pool! Follow the link: Read About Exercising in the Heat
...and take your Magnesium too!
Click the link... Magnesium
Drink Your Gatorade
Click here for information regarding sports drinks and exercise (especially in high heat and humidity). http://www.dietsite.com/dt/SportsNutrition/sportsframeset.asp?Page=sports%20drinks.htm