Get Wet!
With our breathtaking beaches and many accessible public pools, WA is a State purpose- built for swimming.
While the incentive to get wet is all around us, swimming's benefits go beyond a great body workout, it's also good for the mind.
"It's a great feeling, to have a nice relaxing swim in the sunshine or at the beach," says Eamon Sullivan, Olympic swimmer and co-owner of beachfront restaurant Bib & Tucker.
"It's non-impact sport, so good for the joints, and a lung-strengthening sport."
Jemma Dessauvagie, former Australian water polo athlete, points out that in the scorching 40C days of the Perth summer, it's also a great escape from the heat.
"There are not many other forms of exercise out there that can have both cardio and relaxation components," she says.
Being such a customisable sport, the trick to swimming success is finding your groove.
"With swimming you are totally in control of your workout - what you get out of it is a direct result of what you put into it," Dessauvagie says. "If you need to relax, do longer, slower distances but if you're seeking a real cardio workout then a sprint-based program will be best."
Try pool and ocean swimming to see which best fits your swim style, or mix it up with both, as each will have its own set of benefits.
"You get a lot more buoyancy in salt water, so your body sits higher in the water and makes it easier for you to swim longer kilometres," Sullivan says. "Obviously there is a skill to swimming in the ocean - there are so many more elements to deal with, including wind, waves, rips and swell, so always swim in groups in case you get into strife offshore, and have strong swimmers around you in case you tire or get a cramp."
Pool training is for those who love the specifics of the sport, as it's a lot more structured and quantifiable.
"It is easier to gauge exactly how far you have swum and on what times," Dessauvagie says. "It affords the opportunity to easily keep track of your improvements, speed and distance."
Pool-based swimming training also enables huge variability. "Whether in a squad or by yourself there are endless variations of sets, distances, strokes, sprints and drills, or use of different apparatus such as fins, kickboards or pull buoys, that you can use to enhance and keep you excited about your training," she explains.
If you're keen to stick to an early-morning program, Sullivan recommends putting your alarm on the other side of the room.
"The first five minutes of waking up is the hardest; from there it is easy to get going, and you feel a lot better after you have finished swimming and set your day up," he says.
To maintain your swim schedule long term he says it's all about goals. "Everyone has their own motivation - perhaps it's weight loss, or being healthy or simply a personal challenge," he says. "Find your motivation and continue to remind yourself, and set yourself a reward if you achieve your goals."
No matter what your motivation, swimming is a gratifying and exhilarating sport to get involved in, and tends to have the added benefit of being a social outlet if you join a team or a group.
