3 Reasons to Join a Swimming Club

Taking time to find a swimming club that fits your lifestyle and personal goals is well worth it - there are benefits just beyond beating your personal records. And contrary to what you might believe about swimming clubs being just for kids, there are thousands of adults out there that are swimming with clubs to stay fit and compete with their peers. If you're looking for a club near you, check out the U.S. Masters Swimming site which can help you identify a swimming club to suit your needs.

1. Access to coaching

If you're looking to correct or improve your technique, there's nothing better than having a good coach stand poolside and give you feedback. Coaches provide an invaluable resource of tips and tricks that can help shave time off of your personal best. Having a coach help you fine-tune your kicks, fix a small mistake in your stroke, or provide other useful assessments is going to push you forward as a swimmer.

A coach can also help push you to be your best. Swimming alone is great for fitness, but you're unlikely to push yourself and go the extra distance when you're by yourself. The extra boost from a great coach is one of the best ways to achieve your personal goals.

2. Competition

Do you miss competing in meets and that team rivalry that you had in school? Joining a swim club is a great way to foster that competitive spirit and build camaraderie amongst fellow swimmers and teammates. Sometimes just seeing your pool mate stretch out ahead of you in the next lane is enough motivation to speed up and give it your personal best. 

And if you have a personal goal of training for a serious competition, like a triathlon, training with a local swim club is the best way to prepare. You'll have access to performance tips from other club members who are former Olympians, top college swimmers, and Masters athletes that may have participated in those same competitions before you, ultimately helping you on the big race day! 

3. Consistency

When you join a swim club, there's an element of accountability to your coach, other members, and yourself that help you stay consistent with practices. You're less likely to miss a session or early morning workout when you know that other people are counting on you.

And staying consistent is the best way to improve your overall performance and prevent injuries. Adding this structure to your daily routine makes it less likely that you'll make excuses for working out and achieving your personal fitness goals.

So stop making excuses for joining a swimming club and get started doing one of the best things that you can do for your health and wellness today!

Sources:

http://www.usms.org/articles/articledisplay.php?aid=3181

http://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/6-reasons-to-join-a-masters-swim-program

http://breakingmuscle.com/swimming/top-6-reasons-you-should-join-a-swim-club