swimming?

[olly]

I used to be able to swim but a few years back when i tried to go swimming thinking that it would help i found i could not do it.
My lower body from waist down just sinks in attempting one stroke and i dont have the strength to keep afloat.
I was thinking of trying again and looked for some info this..............

Core

A strong core is the foundation for a powerful swim stroke. Your abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles stabilize your body on the surface of the water and help you maintain proper body position, which allows effective execution of your swim stroke. A weak core can cause your hips and lower body to sink, increasing your drag through the water. In particular, your obliques help generate coordinated rotation of your torso during freestyle and backstroke swimming, and your abdominal and lower back muscles power your butterfly stroke.

I know the physiotherapist i had mentioned i had weak core/torso muscles.
So now i know why i can no longer swim.

Has anyone else have weak core muscles?
can anyone still swim?

 

[asantiago]

What if you strapped flotation devices on? Maybe then you could swim?

 

[Alyoop]

Olay, when I had my umn problems my swimming went as daft as my walking. I went to some geriatric aqua size lessons and wore an aqua jog belt. It might work for swimming. It would hold you core....support it. They can be bought from sports stores.

 

[sunewun]

I tried swimming not too long ago and could not stay afloat. I thought that it was just fear on my part or nervousness since it had been awhile since I swam last. Thanks for the info...now I know why. Sherry

 

[Polar]

I can swim Getting out of the pool is another story :-( (however I still can at this point although it's more of a climb partway up the ladder sit on the deck and shimmy over to the stairs to be able to stand up again..)

 

[olly]

hI,thankyou for the suggestions.
Some kind of device may help and will look into it,i could ask my gp or i do still have the number for the pt i had........her name was sarah,really nice and said if i ever needed anything to give her a call.
She got me a few adaptions before so may be able to help or reccommend something.
We have just had a new swimming pool built in our area and was thinking of trying again in the spring.

sunewun.........yes now we know.
Polar......thats great ,that you are able to swim still.
aly...........olay? is that not a facial cream lol.

 

[Alyoop]

aly...........olay? is that not a facial cream lol.[/QUOTE]

Ha ha was supposed to say Olly, but my speedy spellcheck is at it again. I could certainly do with some Olay!

 

[Miss]

Olly, my husband thought he would be able to swim since he could still walk - NOT! When we got him into the pool (we installed a lift system), he went right under. Fortunately, I was in the pool with him and could pull him up and hold him. We went to our local sporting goods store and purchased the zippered life jacket that covered most of his torso and had a trap that went between his legs and held it in place. With that, he was able to swim for a long time.

 

[AKmom]

now see, I dont have good core strength, however I was blessed (or cursed) with a natural set of floaters and since pueberty, I have been a natural floater. No kicking or moving required. I get in water and bob at the surface like a bobber on a fishing line. My problem when I am out in the ocean in the caribbean, I have a tendency to get pulled in whatever direction the current is going. I cannot get to the shore again myself anymore.

I found out on my last trip to hawaii a couple months ago, that I can no longer kick at all! It had strained my ankles and hips so bad, they swelled up and I could not walk on the beach to get to my chair. So for me, I can get into the water, I just cannot kick my legs anymore without damage and extreme fatigue.

 

[calypso45]

I went in a pool in September. My legs felt good in the water. I used my arms to skull (swimming term) and I could float. Gone are the days where I used to swim laps. When I got out of the pool my legs felt like they weighed 100 lbs.
Calypso

 

[olly]

Thankyou everyone for your input

joyce,unfortunatly i was not blessed with big assets lol.

miss,your reply was very helpful and i was able to find the jacket you were talking about.
Its called a konfidence jacket and looks like its just the ticket.
However,not sure if i would have the confidence to wear it at the local pool........suppose its something you would have to get used to wearing.
here's the site if you want to see what it looks like.............
http://www.konfidence.co.uk/acatalog/Adult_Jackets.html?gclid=CMWCz9yVmLQCFWbKtAod-xoAyw
Its a reasonable price i think.

I was honestly gutted the last time i tried and failed.
You know you have weakness but sometimes you dont realise how much till you try something and it smacks you in the face.
My son showed me an exercise i could do to strengthen core muscles............no way on earth would i even attempt it,its ok for him he is fit,muscular and goes to the gym 3x a week.
I can't do any exercise without causing damage or serious pain to my body so the only alternative is pool exercise.

 

[bluesea]

very interesting.
I haven't been able to swim for about 3 years due to my umn stuff. you'd think swimming or gentle moving in water would be easier than movement on land. nope.
I've had same experience as others. my hips and legs are absolutely useless in water, so weak I can't stay afloat. the level of difficulty in water is baffling because my walking is ok (except when its' not). i'm an avid or was an avid lap swimmer and now in water i'm a mess, uncoordinated and very weak.
I can't lift arms to make a stroke due to lack of mobility and PAIN. even treading water causes pain. this doesn't surprise me given difficulties I have with arms on land. I have a lot of pain in shoulders and arms and often hold arm/s against body.
when doc tests my leg strength it's often ok. it's almost as if weakness in legs is worse in water.
I live in florida on the gulf. I miss being in the water. i'm gonna try again. I wonder if using a kickboard might help.

 

[Miss]

Bluesea, that's what Terry did. He put on the vest and held onto a kickboard. He loved the feeling of his arms and legs moving in the water.

 

[billbell52]

I have a pool and I used it everyday from April until Sept prior to PLS. I actually noticed the first signs of PLS in the pool. When I would kick hard my legs would cramp up. I am currently confined to a powerchair. I had dual hand rails put in at the steps to help getting in. My wife helps me move my feet on a few steps. I use a life vest to stay afloat. I can't really kick anymore but I can walk around the pool by holding on to edge and I can use my arms to move. I do the backstroke. Use a good life vest. It is easy to lose your grip on a kickboard or other floatation device.

 

[olly]

I thought it was just me,i feel a bit better knowing its not.
I think its weakness v gravity........upright on land its difficult to move legs but we have gravity to keep them firmly planted,were as in the water with no gravity our legs and lower body are pulled down due to weakness..
I am hoping the konfidence jacket will give the body enough support to be able to use my legs better in the water.

Bluesea,i too can still walk around house ok but not so good outside.
My arms are affected (pain and weakness)but not so much as hands which somedays just want to curl up.
I did have a severe episode of spasticity in arms some years back for a few weeks,arms were plastered to side and i could not reach out or up. Had severe shoulder pain that has never left since.