Lane swimming?

Admittedly I do not exercise as much as I'd like (read: not at all) and I figured swimming would be a great first step. I love it, who doesn't, right? The problem is that my local YMCA only has the pools open past my work hours for lane swimming. So I've been reading up on it, the etiquette and such... but now it has me worried that the pool will be filled with snobs that all want the fast lane. Does anyone know more about how this works? Should I wait until I can keep up with the "big boys"?

Hi Seyenna,

I've found most pools I visit divide the lanes into fast, medium and slow. I'm NEVER in the fast lane and I find most of us slower swimmers are happy to accommodate each other, e.g. leaving space between swimmers by waiting at one end until the person in front gets started down the lane, etc. At my pool, we swim up the lane on one side and down the lane on the other, so we don't usually get in each others way.

I definitely wouldn't wait to get started. You have every much right to be in the pool as the "big boys"!

Hope this helps!

Absolutely DON'T wait - the pool, and its lanes, are for everyone!  I agree with Betony, pools generally divide lanes by speed. Go and enjoy yourself :)

GURL get yer aqua on!  Don't be timid.  I took up lane swimming early on. Got into the routine of Mon. Wed. Fri. setting the alarm so I am there 5min. Before the pool opens. Like the first poster said if its really busy you share a lane. I actually look forward at waking at 5:30 for swimming.

Eventually you will get enough confidence to kickit with the sharks.  I find those 'sharks' are usually the most accomidating/steady and best to share a lane.  

There is no hard n fast rule about lane swimmers.  One woman who comes out first thing every morning is an 89 year old who wears her glasses and doesn't get her perfectly quaffed lavender hair wet...she does 1/2 a mile!  Fitness is fitness so grab the goggles and workit. 

Go for it. I have swam for years. When I was heavy and all through my journey. I have met some wonderful people from swimming who became my friends and my support. I know they are there for me when I need them. When you go in ask them if there is a slow lane and go in that lane. If they don't have a slow lane than just get in and do your thing and enjoy. I swim at the YWCA and I could not think of going to any other place. You may get lucky and find out that it is not crowded and you could have a few lanes to yourself. Happens to me when I swim on saturday. 4 of us in the pool and there has been times I am the only one. Go for it and you might just meet some new friends. 

Jump on it. The pool is for all, and nobody started out as a fast swimmer :-)