How to Become a Swimaholic: Getting Addicted to Swimming

Want to get addicted to swimming?
Want to crave the water?
Want to overcome barriers that keep you out of the pool once and for all?
That’s the dream, isn’t it? The following list isn’t 100% guaranteed, but it sure helps get us closer! Check it out:

Be Nice to Yourself

Make it Doable. Try not to push the limit too far on exertion level. Don’t punish your body for the fries you ate at lunch. Or the froyo you ate yesterday…
Exercise shouldn’t be about punishment. It should not be a cause and effect relationship dependent upon what you eat. It should be about health and loving yourself.
Don’t push yourself to the point where you are hurting in the pool, or you simply won’t want to come back to the pool or the gym as often. It will become something you dread.

Make the Pool a Place You Want to Be

Choose a gym that you genuinely like spending your time at. Maybe that’s someplace aesthetically pleasing with a fancy-shmancy spa and a massage therapist. Maybe it’s an elite place where only serious athletes choose to attend. Maybe it’s a hole in the wall place that you know you won’t be seen by anyone you know. That way, you aren’t interrupted. Figure out what you are looking for and seek after that place.

The Buddy System

Recruit a friend or family member to exercise with you.
Make swimming a great excuse to see a family member or close friend who you otherwise would not see. Or someone you want to spend even more time with.
This will help you overcome the biggest barrier to swimming (the actually wanting to go after a long day at work aspect).
It’s so much easier to actually get to the gym if someone wants you to meet them there. Especially if it’s someone you like hanging out with. You’ll feel compelled to swim not just for the adrenaline rush, but also for the shared time.

Start Playing Around

Make It a Game. 
If you do swim with a friend, swim in side-by-side lanes and have some fun with it. Race each other if you have a competitive nature.
Make it fun! Don't do the same workout every single time you go to the pool, or it will become monotonous and you won't want to do it.

Entertain Yourself

Keep your mind entertained while you swim.
You can do this by listening to your Underwater Audio Waterproof iPod. Make a whole playlist of your favorite songs. Or, better yet, download an audiobook from itunes. You won’t want to get out of the pool until you finish the next chapter.
 

Make the Time

Set aside time in your day for swimming. You may feel like you don't have enough time for it, but take the time to shift things around in your schedule to make it fit.
Write down a regularly planned time for swimming in your planner and it will start to feel commonplace. Soon your schedule won’t look complete without it!

Proximity is Key

Seek convenience.
If you are a man or women of means and live in a temperate climate, consider a pool as an addition to your backyard. Or if your lease is almost up, try looking for an apartment complex with a community pool.
Or at least, look for a gym with a pool. Preferably one that is within driving distance to where you live or where you work. Make It Accessible. When the pool is within close proximity, you are more likely to use it often.

How About That?

Do you have any other tips to add on how to get addicted to swimming?
We wanna hear them all!
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.