Adam Knight - 5 top tips to help you return to the pool

In our Adam's first installment we helped you with tips on getting the kids back into the pool. But now its your turn to get motivated, prepared and back to the pool!

1. Ease back into training 

If like me you indulged over Christmas, a little and often approach is best when returning to the pool. It is much better to do 3 short swims a week than one huge one. Your body will adapt and recover better with shorter sessions initially which you can build up over time.

Trying to swim a hard, extended threshold session after two weeks off will have you aching for days and may destroy moral and motivation. Consistency is key as you gradually ease back into training.

2. Plan your swim

Everyone has days where they feel low on energy so a long, easy swim might be the right pool workout for you. However, do not fall into the trap of mindlessly swimming up and down with no specific aim or goal. This could lead to a plateau in progress or worse regression. I like to plan and structure my swims for the week so I know what “gear’ to swim in and what the intended outcome will be. For example, if you swim three times a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I would focus on technique and drills on Monday, a threshold session with high intensity intervals on the Wednesday and a long recovery swim on the Friday.

Furthermore, if it is written in my diary it gets done. If you plan your swim ahead you are much more likely to turn up. I personally enjoy swimming first thing as you will be full of energy and you get to enjoy that post swim “glow” for the rest of the day. I find if I plan to swim after work or in the evening I am more likely to bail on the session as life can get in the way or fatigue sets in.

3. Stretch before

A dynamic stretch before swimming will stimulate blood flow to muscles, prepare your body and reduce the risk of injury. Please see my article on pre-swim stretches by clicking here >> https://www.zoggs.com/en_GB/news/post/open-water/adam-knight/ 

4. Smoothie and a coffee

I like to have a smoothie and a coffee before a swim as a pose to a large fry up or dinner which can leave you feeling bloated and sleepy. A blueberry and banana smoothie with peanut butter, chia seeds and pea protein contains carbohydrates, antioxidants, sugars and proteins that will sustain you throughout your workout in a fast to prepare and easily digestible form. A coffee on top of this energises me and helps clear my system so I am in optimum swim condition.

5. Get some goggles

Fail to prepare and prepare to fail. Baggy board-shorts will slow you down and leaky goggles will disrupt your training. Zoggs provide an incredible range of high performance swimwear for men and women made from 60 - 90% recycled ocean plastic. My personal favourites include the Men’s Byron jammer that are durable, hydrodynamic men’s shorts that make you glide through the water with ease. When it comes to goggles the Zoggs Predator range are the undisputed King.

From the Predator titanium with mirrored lenses optimised for outdoor swimming to the Zoggs Raptor Titanium that has a honeycomb technology to minimise marks on the eyes, there is a google for everyone.