The best thing about swimming is how you can do it when you’re young, old, or in between. You can swim if you’re fat or thin. In fact, if you’re fat, you may even have more buoyancy. You can swim if you can’t walk, if you’re pregnant. . .you get the idea. watching my kids swimming back and forth for years made me really anxious to get in the pool myself.

But starting out in the pool over 40 can be intimidating.

Where to start?

I like the idea of the 0 to 1650 plan, which quite literally takes you from ZERO swimming at all to swimming 1,650 yards every week in nice bite sized chunks that anybody can handle. They even help you get over the Fear of Water, if that’s a problem for you. Like Cool Running’s Couch to 5k program, the 0 to 1650 plan can get you from not swimming at all to swimming a mile in about 6 weeks.

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

But then I read that plan. I have never swum more than twice a week, and it has you starting out swimming three times a week. So right away, I see I have to condition myself just to get up to speed in this beginning level. If you are in that same boat, give this a try.

1. Just Get Wet

Start out swimming one day a week, or even one day every other week, or two days every other week. Something unthreatening enough. Then set a goal for how many lengths you want to swim. The pool can be divided into lengths, which is one way down the pool, from deep end to shallow end (or visa versa), or laps, which is down and back, or yards/meters. When my kids were in swimming, they counted yards. 25 yards is half the length of an Olympic pool, and is the standard high school/YMCA pool length. I usually count my swimming in yards.  So a 50 is 2 lengths is a lap.  Dig? 

2. Set a Goal, Any Goal

A mediocre plan done will beat a superb plan not done. Set a goal for yourself. Make one up. Like, today I want to swim 500 yards, no matter what.  Again, any goal is fine. If you have you start with, I’m getting in the pool today, no matter what, start there. But set a goal. Trust me, you’ll be so glad you did. Then, you reach that goal, no matter what.  If you’re like me, the ‘what’ would be “I can’t breathe!  I can’t catch my breath!  I’m so tired!” So you can sit at the end of the lane and pant after every 25, or you can do some recovery strokes, like anything on your back.  You can swim elementary back stroke and breathe deeply.  You don’t completely erase the tired feeling, but you do recover your breath, and in the process, you’re building endurance.  You could also do sidestroke, or doggie paddle if you want.  The point is to keep moving.  And each length you do, no matter what the stroke, counts towards your goal.  Bonus! 

3. Build on Your Success

Before you know it, you’ve reached your goal.  Now you have success you can build on.  Commit to increasing your goal at a regular interval.  Say you want to increase by 100 yards each week, or each time you get in the pool, or each month.  It matters not.  It is just another goal you set and reach.  Say your ultimate goal is to swim a mile.  You can do that 100 yards at a time.  Then you’re ready for someone else’s workout plan.

Where do we go from here?

Come back next week when I will give you an actual workout routine that anybody can get started with. And if you’ve got a “getting started” routine you’d like to share drop a line in the comments.