Swimming

This month will be my last month of Taekwondo. My membership runs out at the beginning of August and I don't see the point in renewing it for a single month. I will just return sometime in the new year. That being said, I am poised to replace my martial art with swimming. I got a membership to the Plant Recreation Centre which is newly renovated and is a nice facility overall. I went for my first swim just this past week. I had my maternity bathing suit, my swimming cap and my goggles... I was ready! The wonderful thing about swimming during pregnancy is that you get great exercise with minimal risk. You don't get overheated, you don't risk falling (unless you run along the side of the pool, but who does that anyway?), you don't risk overextension or other similar ligament damage, you use a large number of important muscle groups, no one expects you to look slender in your bathing suit, and it is very relaxing. I swam using a front crawl, a back stroke and the breast stroke. My arms and legs didn't really tire out during the time that I was swimming, but my lungs were a different story. I guess I need more cardio. I was really surprised by how winded I became. No doubt this will improve with time. All this to say that I highly recommend swimming to anyone who becomes pregnant. The only downside is that the chlorine is a little harsh for my dry skin and hair, but I have some antichlorine swimming shampoo and some super moisturizers and conditioning treatments, so hopefully that will compensate.