Has it been a while since you swam but you are keen to get started again?

Building up fitness through swimming can have a range of benefits, from preparing you to enter competitive swimming races, cross training for other sports or recovering from injury.

Also, some people just find swimming really good fun!

The way you approach your return to the pool will depend on what you want to get out of it.

You will need to customise your swimming program based on the objectives you have in mind.

When you first start out, you may want to focus on the amount of time you spend in the pool, rather than on the total number of laps you can complete.

The laps will increase with time, so don’t worry about them for now.

Also make sure that you disregard how other swimmers around you are performing. Some will be faster, some will be slower. Focus on your own development.

It is probably good to start with freestyle, but if you are proficient at another stroke and you prefer it, go for it.

Sometimes it helps to swim with a friend, and making plans to swim together is a great way to ensure you keep it up.

If you can afford the time and money, consider taking a few swimming lessons. This is an investment; with the right technique, you will improve far quicker and avoid injury.