Swimming Laps Helps Maintenance

I don't know that lap swimming will work for others; but, I feel the need to share my experience in case just the concept helps one person.

I went C/T in January 2007 after 20 years of pain pills.  The first month of C/T was hell and I got through it only because of help from friends on this Forum.

Once through the first month of W/D I signed up for lap swimming at my local pool.  I can tell you that on the first day in the pool I could barely swim 2 or 3 laps.  All those years of taking pills had physically sapped me.  But, I continued M-W-F, rain or shine.

I think swimming helped with maintenance for three reasons.  First, as the weeks and months rolled by I became stronger and increased the number of laps, I benefited from the endorphins my body was producing, plus the shear exhaustion was giving me wonderful night's sleep.  Secondly, my investment and accomplishment (ever so small,but accomplishments none the less) of increasing the distance I swam became a motivation to avoid going back to taking pills.  I just can't give up all the work I put into 14 months of continuous swimming workouts.   Thirdly, the swimming gave me validation that I was back to normal and a sense that relapse was avoidable..
    
Yes, I still get the urge to call the doc to Rx some pain pills.  But, that is a fleeting thought because I know I am thoroughly convinced that have traded my pain pill addiction for my swimming addiction.

Please send me a message if you have any questions.

GEORGE

    

[Chi_Chi_Lover]

Way to go George,

I too love swimming but my new addiction is running. I have always been a runner but not like now. I'm up to 6 miles on the treadmill and 5 miles outside increasing every few weeks,  5-6 days a week. I have been free from the pills since March 2007. Running or any good exercise is a better buzz than the pills could ever give you. Not to mention you get yourself  healthy and in great shape!!!

Keep up the good work

[kittykat58]

what a great post. I am tapering down before a surgery I am having in two weeks, and it is very hard, but I like your suggestion very much. I used to swim a lot but stopped last year b/c it was actually making my hip pain worse. this is before I had the diagnosis of severe djd in that hip, and before I knew I would need a total hip replacement (what I am getting in two weeks).

I won't be able to swim until a few months after the surgery, but I may add some of that to my life before. I used to love it, and your description reawakened in me all the good things you get from swimming.

keep posting -- it gives hope! I know my problem isn't as bad as some of the ppl I see posting here, but I have had to use pain meds for the past year and I have developed tolerance, and the discomfort of wd is just as real for me as it s for anyone. I got sober in '88 but got completely fed up with AA meetings around 10 years in, and mostly found personal growth through my church. I am still sober but am looking for support just like anyone else here as I wean off pain meds. so....posts like this really offer hope.

[worried878]

Treadmiller myself...and enjoy tremendously and feel myself in a slump when i miss more than a day or two in a row...i work full time with an active job and back also flares on me and will slow me down at times...i try very hard not to miss as it is a mind saver for me

[1911]

Thanks to all for responding to my initial post.  

I'm glad I started this tread.  I only wish somebody had done it when I was going C/T.  Somehow, I think knowing that people are exercising after W/D and really enjoying life would have been an additional motivation for me back when.  I personally know hearing about exercise is far removed from the pain and agony of W/D...but, I (can only speak for myself) would have liked to hear how others survived and thrived with exercise.

I sincerely hope others who are exercising will post as further encouragement to our friends who are going through W/D.   Heck, even non-swimmers, e.g. pavement pounders, should be welcome to post on this thread.  Hee !  Hee !  

GEORGE

[Crispy]

any type of aerobic exercise is good for the mind and body. Aerobic exercise releases natural endorphins which make the body feel o so good. So definatley do some kind of exercise guys your body will thank you and your mind will love it. Endorphins > narcotics and guess what endorphins are free :D but warning you may become addicted to exercising like i did