Just Keep Swimming

The day is drawing nearer that I will be going back to work. As a Registered Massage Therapist, I belong to a professional association. This is a requirement to call yourself an RMT, and write receipts that people can use to claim benefits. Being part of an association has privileges and responsibilities. My association has a handbook of recommendations for returning to work after a pandemic was declared.

Now that Phase 2 has been announced, I spent a day at the spa giving my massage room a thorough spring housecleaning. I even vacuumed the grate from the air intake on the ceiling!

One of the association recommendations is to wear an apron while with a client. It would be very difficult to give a proper massage without my clothing touching my client, which would then touch the next client. We are given the choice of a plastic apron that can be disinfected between clients or a washable one that is changed for each appointment. I couldn't imagine wearing plastic all day. It would be hot, and crinkly and smell of disinfectant all day. I have opted for the washable aprons. I only have two aprons that I could leave at work, so back to the sewing machine!

I have a favourite apron that I got as a gift years ago. Along the sides of the bib portion, casings contain the tie. So instead of a neck strap and two side ties, there is one long tie. It makes the apron much more adjustable. I also like a tie that is long enough to wrap around to the front. When I'm cooking, I like to tuck a towel in my belt.

I reverse engineered the apron to create a pattern, and delved back into my fabric stash. I had two pieces that were just the right amount for aprons.

Two new aprons hanging up with Grandma's embroidered tea towels. 

Just Keep Swimming

Swimming and summer go together like cookies and milk.  I’m going to stray from my usual, and talk about how swimming is good for you instead of how it can hurt you. The most common injuries in swimming are to the rotator cuff. Since I covered stretches and exercises for the shoulders in the baseball post, I won’t be repetitive, because that would be a strain. (I can never resist a terrible pun, my apologies!) Taking some lessons to ensure proper stroke techniques would help prevent these. Remember, it’s easier to learn good habits then break bad ones!

When most people start off swimming laps, they are going to get tired before they could cause an injury. Unless you are a competitive swimmer (or obsessive), you are unlikely to experience an overuse injury from swimming. More often, I’m sending people to the pool to help them recover from other injuries. Pools are the ideal place for rehab. 

Whether you choose to take an aquacize class or swim laps on your own is largely personal preference. They each have their strong suits.

Speaking of suits, last time I bought one, I went to an actual swim wear store instead of a department store. I was pleasantly surprised at the assistance from the clerk and I learned that there is swimwear that is designed for indoor pools. It doesn’t rot from the chemicals so easily. If you are in pools a lot, there are special swimmers’ shampoos that can protect your hair. The good ones are professional, so talk to your hairdresser.

Some of the ways swimming is good for you:

It’s a whole body exercise.

It’s good for your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs).

The buoyancy of the water takes stress off the joints.

There is little impact on your feet from aerobic style exercises.

Water allows positions and balance that are difficult on dry land, you will be amazed at the stretches that you can now pull off!

The cool water lessens inflammation.

Water provides a natural, gentle resistance; which can be increased with foam “weights”.

Using flotation devices, certain movements or muscles can be isolated (i.e. kick with one leg only).

The humidity of the pool is a form of hydrotherapy.

If there is a hot tub or sauna available, you have whole body hot hydrotherapy.

Most swimming pools have supports available to assist people who are injured, elderly, pregnant, or have restricted motion. There are movable staircases and chairs on a pulley to get in and out of the water.

I honestly don't think anything felt better than being in a pool when pregnant, especially when your center of gravity changes!

It's difficult to show pictures of stretches and exercises in the water, because the subject is under water. For most exercises, you want to engage your core. This means keeping your back straight and tightening up your tummy muscles. A strong core is a key part of reducing back pain. 

Here are few basic exercises to get you started that cover most of the major muscles. You can do them all in the shallow end, all in the deep end, or switch it up. You can use a belt style flotation device or a pool noodle for assistance in the deep end. For the "width of pool" exercises, go back and forth at least twice. Otherwise, do each exercise for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. For extra challenge, you can do an exercise at a normal pace for 1-2 minutes, then as fast as you can for 30 seconds.

Cardio and Abs:

1. Warm up - Swim a few laps, tread water, or water walk until you don't feel cold in the water anymore 5-10 minutes.

2. Walking - With your back straight, walk the width of the pool. Keep your arms in the water to increase resistance.

3. High Knees - Walk the width of the pool, raising your knees up to 90 degrees.

4. Lords a Leaping - Cross the pool doing long leaps, so there is a moment when your feet aren't touching. Stretch your legs out as far as you can.

5. Bicycle - Staying in one place, rotate you legs like riding a bicycle. In the shallow end, it's more like jogging in place.

6. Jumping Jacks - Just like on land, standing in chest deep water.

7. Push Backs - Face the pool side and hang on with your hands. Bring your knees up as high as you can and put the bottoms of your feet on the wall. Push back with your legs and float as far as you can on your back.

8. Reverse Crunches - Stand with your back to the wall and hanging on with your arms (like at T) or with a pool noodle behind your back. Bring your knees up to your chest, using your abdominal muscles. 

9. Intercostal Crunches - In the same position as the reverse crunches, tilt your knees to one side about 30 degrees. Use your abdominal and side muscles to bring them up. Switch sides. You can also do these while laying in a back float. That's my favourite!

10. Superman-Suntan - This is also a favourite of mine from the Aquaplex. You go from a back float to a front float with your arms above your head (like Superman). The trick is that you do it using your abdominal muscles, not momentum from your back or shoulders.

Weighted - many pools have foam dumbbells for doing exercises. If you don't have those available, you can substitute an empty 4 L (gallon) jug. Make sure the lid is on, it needs to be full of air. Choose two that are the same size and make sure the handle is big enough to hold comfortably. You want to keep your weights under the surface of the water for the best work out. In the deep end, if you don't want to tread water the whole time, sit on a pool noodle, like a bicycle seat.

Arms & Shoulders:

1. Arm lifts - Start with you arms by your side and lift at your shoulders to just under the surface of the water, and down again. 

2. Bicep curls - With your elbows at your side and palms up, bend at the elbow. You can do both sides together, alternating or one at a time. Turn your palms down and repeat.

3. Tricep extension- Hold your arms straight out, like a scarecrow. Bring your hands toward your chest, bending at the elbow; and back out.

4. Seal clap - Hold your arms straight out, and bring your hands together without bending the elbow; and back out.

5. Rhomboid flex - Bring your arms up, with your elbows bent (like holding handle bars on a motorbike). Pull your shoulder blades together.

6. Rotator circles - Assume your scarecrow pose, make little circles with your arms, increasing to larger circles. Go both forwards and backwards.

Legs - These can be done hanging onto the edge of the pool or holding a flutter board (or baby!)

1. Flutter kick - legs straight up and down

2. Frog - bending your knees out to the sides, and pushing them straight together when you kick

3. Scissor kick - legs straight, wider kicks than the flutter kick (more hips) 

4. Egg beater - similar to a bicycle kick, but your knees go out to the side and you are making circle with your hip joint. When I tread water, I switch it up between these two kicks.

Both my boys were in the water as babies. With a sturdy flotation device,
you can swim laps, using it like a flutter board.
Warning: baby will splash you in the face!

Being in water dehydrates you very quickly. Make sure you are drinking water and for the sake of your skin, moisturize! Please bring flip flops or swim shoes for the showers and change rooms. It’s the perfect breeding ground for foot and nail fungi.

One of the downfalls I found about swimming in the winter was going outside with wet hair. I really don’t have the patience to blow dry, and it’s too hard on my super fine hair. I knit a toque out of super thick cotton yarn. It’s like having a towel on my head, and my nice wool toque doesn’t smell like chlorine!

Pools should be open again soon, and hopefully we will have some nice hot summer days that will make it fun to swim in lakes and wade in creeks!