Swimming
*****My History of Water*****
My lasting memory of early reading experiences is that I would read the pictures rather than the words. I would be quite happy creating my own little stories from the illustrations, instead of depending on what the author had actually written on the page. I can remember very vividly, sitting next to my mum on our brown faux leather sofa some time during the winter of 1980-81, with my stomach tied in knots because I couldn't read the word 'enormous'. We were reading The Enormous Turnip at the time and that blasted word was on every single page!
Now you may be wondering, and rightly so, what on earth all this has to do with the subject of swimming. Well let me tell you in a single word. Confidence.
I love to read. As a grown up I devour books. I love to write. I love to talk. Words are my toys, my playmates, my friends. But as you can see from my turnip experience above, this wasn't always the case. My mum has often said that when I learnt to swim, my confidence in everything else just blossomed. And so it did. When I mastered the art of staying afloat in what appeared then to be a huge swimming pool, my fear of other, smaller things just disappeared. I became confident in myself, as though somehow I had proven to myself that if I had the mental strength to not be afraid that my feet were not on the floor of the pool, then I certainly had the mental strength to overcome my fear of failure in the reading department. Of course, at the time, I didn't dissect it in such a grown up, psychological way. But I felt it, and I knew, somewhere in me that something had changed. I became a bookworm. I flourished in art and creative subjects. I came out of my shell.
And now, I love to swim too. I love the freedom and the serenity of it. Gliding through the water and feeling the pull on my limbs. Feeling that sense of powerfulness as I push myself through the rippling blue. There is a weightlessness, a calmness to being immersed in water, especially underwater swimming, a silent minnowing below the surface like a sleek and swift mermaid. I feel free and serene and calm when I swim. Light. Soft. Peaceful.
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*****Why swim?*****
There are so many health benefits of swimming, not just from a physical point of view, but mental as well. The obvious health benefit is weight loss, or, if you don't need to loose weight, swimming helps to tone your muscles so that they work to burn calories more effectively.
Swimming has far less negative effects on your body as an exercise like, for example, running, and is far more accessible to people (like me) who are overweight. If I went out running I would probably do myself a serious injury (or knock myself out..!!) But swimming is different - your body is supported by the water, and the water also acts as a resistance so that your muscles have to work that bit harder to move you through it. There is therefore less stress and strain on joints, which could, with a different activity, like running for example, cause pain.
It's much easier to maintain a pace of swimming that keeps your heart rate above the level it needs to be in order for you to loose weight, and this is a key factor in why it's recommended by doctors all the time as a gentle way to loose weight or change your body shape and get rid of that spare tyre you've had since last Christmas!
I have recently been quite unwell during a period of depression, and have found that swimming has really helped me to go some way to combating the immense tiredness I've been feeling as a result of this. It also makes me feel wonderful, so from a mental health point of view, I can thoroughly recommend this as a way of helping you to deal with some of the symptoms linked to depression, as well as the side-effects of some of the drugs used to treat this condition.
I also find that swimming is a little bit like meditation - because you are so focused on moving through the water, and how it feels and how peaceful it is, it kinds of takes you away somewhere and your mind is still and calm. I also benefit because I have very poor eyesight, and when I'm in the pool (without my glasses) I can't really see more than pale pink blobs (people) and the round white blob on the wall at the end of the pool which I know is the clock. So I don't get quite so distracted by other people, and just focus on what I'm doing. So in this way, I find it very relaxing for my mind, very peaceful and indeed, exactly like a good session of meditation.
Swimming has been proven to help people who suffer from asthma, because it helps to strengthen lung capability, so it is an ideal activity for anyone, particularly children, who suffer from this condition.
Swimming is also used to help people recover from injuries, and though I have had no experience of this, I can see why it would be very beneficial as a form of encouraging physical healing.
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*****Where to Swim?*****
Most towns and cities have swimming pools, as well as private gyms. I have been a member of a private gym (Greens, Newcastle) and loved the facilities there, but now just go to my local pool, which whilst not being quite so posh, has everything I need, namely lockers, showers and a great big lovely pool! Newcastle is lucky enough to have loads of swimming pools, I know of about 5, and I know there are more that I haven't been to. Making time for some exercise can be quite hard if you have a family or are very busy, so pick a swimming pool that is close to you, and that doesn't take ages to get too, that way you have more time in the pool, and don't need to feel guilty or frustrated over how long it takes you to get to each time.
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*****Swimming Gear*****
I take my swimming costume, a couple of towels (one or my hair and one for me!), and myself to my swimming sessions. It's an evening session so I get straight in the shower when I get home, but if you're going earlier in the day, take toiletries with you - there are usually hairdryers and whatnot there to use.
When you're choosing a swim suit or swim shorts, my advise is the simpler the better. And ALWAYS try them on before you take them home or get into a pool. If they feel loose and baggy when they're dry they'll most certainly fall off once they get weighted down with water!!! I've had a couple of embarrassing experiences in swimming pools when I've bought swim costumes without trying them on first, one of which I had to put knots in the shoulders of after loosing the top half of my costume in the middle of the deep end. I almost drowned!! But I didn't let it scar me, and can laugh about it all now!!! (Really!!!) But take my advise, better to buy a snugly fitting costume, than one which feels a little loose!!!
Other things that people use in the swimming pool are goggles. If your eyes are sensitive to the chlorinated water, or you wear contact lenses, this is a great way of protecting your eyes from becoming puffy, red and sore. They are also great if you like swimming underwater a lot. They are relatively cheap - I've seen them in sports shops for under a tenner, though I imagine as with anything, the more you spend, the better quality you can expect.
Some people find it useful to wear earplugs, as the feeling of having water in your ears is often very uncomfortable. I keep meaning to invest in some, as I find the pressure of water when I'm swimming underwater sometimes knocks my balance out of kilter, but I keep forgetting! I also keep forgetting to buy a new swim cap - these are generally made of thin rubber and designed to keep your hair dry and out of the way. They are perfect if like me you have longish hair, and mean you don't have to remember to bring a bobble with you when you swim. Last week on our weekly swim session with my sisters and my mum, my bobble decided to commit suicide and snapped just prior to me getting in the pool. I had to swim with my hair out, and though it felt very romantic and mermaid-like to swim that way, I'm not sure it's really the best thing for my hair! It was very tangled when I got out and quite painful to brush!!!
If you are just learning to swim, you can borrow a float from the pool, which will help you stay afloat and is a great confidence booster. I used to love using these, even after I had learned to swim, to practise my leg work. Ask at your local pool for details.
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*****Learning to Swim*****
Many pools now offer swimming lessons for adults as well as children, and I can thoroughly recommend them. Our local pool can do one to one swimming lessons even for people who can already swim but are not very confident in the water. Quite often just a couple of lessons can boost the confidence of a less experienced swimmer such that they improve very quickly. Sometimes people are not confident because of a bad experience they've had - and this can be worked through too with a one to one coach.
Teaching your children to swim is something I feel is very important as many schools now don't offer this as part of the curriculum.
Having the skill of swimming is a survival technique that I feel everyone should have, and the confidence and pride that you feel as a child in being able to master swimming is something that never leaves you!
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*****My Local Swimming Pool*****
My local pool has a very colourful history - it's where every single member of my immediate family learned to swim, including my mum and my uncle, and it has been in operation since 1938. Since 1997 it was under threat of being closed by the local council who ran it, and sadly this did happen in July 2003. However, the people of Fenham decided to stand up to the council, and it's cost cutting measures, and after much campaigning and a lot of fund raising, it reopened, 2 years later, in July 2005. As a registered charity, it now runs as full a programme as ever before, but relies upon people using it to keep it open. So if you live in the Newcastle area, get yourself down to Fenham Pool, details below!
There are some great facilities, all very basic, but still worthy of a mention - including a sauna, a steam room(which I love!) disabled changing facilities, lockers, showers and hairdryers. There is also a small baby-changing area. Price wise, I think it's definitely value for money, with a sauna/steam and swim costing only £4.00 for adults. Under fives go free at all times and there are loads of different offers for monthly swim passes and classes like aqua fit.
I love our local pool, and I feel quite proud to be supporting it, as it is a piece of our family history, and it's the place where I learnt to have confidence. It's really a very special place.
For more details: http://www.fenhampool.talktalk.net
or call 0191 2747210
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*****Conclusion*****
I love to swim, and I feel so glad that I learnt to. I think there is nothing better in the world than swimming, and I have even swum in Lake Derwent Water in the Lake District, an experience I will never forget. I think being able to swim can give you great feelings of peace and tranquillity that leak out into other parts of your life, and it's definitely the best way I know of maintaining a good level of physical fitness and mental health. I can thoroughly recommend swimming to anyone, whatever your age, current level of fitness or mental health state. It's brilliant, and I hope one day everyone finds out how beneficial it can be!
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy your next swimming session! Kate x
SWIMMING WITH THE FISHIES AND THE MER-FOLK 
