50 Fitness challenges to shake up your fitness journey.
How many can you do?
No.4 Swim 1 km
Can you swim? If you can’t it might be time to get into your local pool and learn. As a skill it could save your life, that’s pretty good motivation. Bonus – it is a great way to keep fit.
When in later life and you have stiffness and soreness that running will only make worse you can always turn to the water for a low impact full body workout. Fitness is multifaceted and without swimming in your list of abilities can you really consider yourself truly fit?
For experienced swimmers this total is very low, a warmup even. Well for you guys move straight to the 5km and 10km lengths, try the open water for an added challenge. For those of us who are not quite at fish level yet that first 1km is a major achievement.
That first length is a milestone. The first breath using proper stroke technique is also something special. Each step on the swimming journey should be celebrated because it doesn’t always feel natural. For some it is a big obstacle to put their face in the water. We are not necessarily built for this, humans had to figure this shit out.
When I was training to be a PE teacher, I remember watching some of my classmates swim 1km as a warmup, as I struggled to swim a 50 metre length. I was in awe of how smooth and easy it looked for them. I was a out of breath totally after my 50 metres of splashing and choking. I had a long way to go to pass the swimming elements of the training.
My Experience – When I did this for the first time, I didn’t time it, I just wanted to complete the distance. The completing of it was a major accomplishment for me. I still have my difficulties with breathing technique, lifting my head too high, dropping my hips and poor kicking form. But recently when I got caught in a rip tide in Sri Lanka the ability to swim saved me. Respect the water, learn to swim and always be safety conscious.
Fun Fact – In order to be a Navy SEAL you have to be able to swim 500 yards in under 12 minutes 30 seconds. The Red Cross Lifeguard test includes swimming 20 metres then collecting a brick up to 3 metres deep and swimming it back without goggles.
Elite Challenge – 5km open water swim
Alternate Test – complete the Red Cross Lifeguard brick retrieval test
Fit Fifty Challenge – Swim 1km
FIGHT LAZINESS 