Life with Swimming

I went for independent swimming practice for two days in a row, yesterday and today.
Counting from my Aikido session on Friday,
that makes three consecutive days of exercise.

Compared to when I used to avoid stairs at all costs
and would go out of my way to find an escalator,
my life has changed drastically.
I am soaking in the fulfillment of a life that includes exercise.

The person I had dinner with yesterday
learned that I had started swimming
and gave me a swimming training book.
I also learned for the first time that this person
volunteers as an instructor for a children's swimming class.

They also gave me some advice, saying,
“The key to all swimming strokes is the streamline position,
and if your abs hurt after swimming, you're doing it right.
The streamline position is where you stack your hands, stretch them straight above your head,
keep your spine straight, and keep your feet together. Make sure to sandwich your head between your arms.”
I immediately read the book thoroughly.
The book also included 'at-home training for days you don't swim,' so

I started by doing that training.
It was quite challenging in a very specific way, but
the content was logical and easy to remember. After that, I went to the pool.

Swimming after clarifying the points I needed to be careful about,
I felt that I had improved significantly compared to yesterday.
My body buoyancy,
my kick, and my breathing were all smoother than yesterday,
and I felt like I had really gotten the hang of how to move my arms.
Above all,
when I did the crawl after my at-home training,
my torso rotation was smooth,
and I felt like I was able to grab more water from further away.
No matter how old you get,
improving at something is always fun,
and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

I had originally started swimming with the goal of improving my Aikido,
but I've accidentally gotten hooked on it.

I had been feeling a sense of crisis about my posture worsening with age,
but I'm glad I encountered swimming at just the right time.
I intend to make this life with swimming a habit,
and aim to build a body that is 'symmetrical and balanced front-to-back,'
in good condition.