LA fitness news

Getting in the Swim.

January 05, 2010

Eric Moussambani gained international fame when he won his heat in the 100 metre freestyle in the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a time of 1:57.72. In fairness, Eric the Eel's victory owed much to the fact that the other two competitors in his heat were disqualified for false starts. Eric's time may have been more than double that of the eventual winner, but that's hardly surprising given that only started swimming eight months before the games. If you are looking to add something new to your programme this year we suggest that you follow Eric's example and take to the pool. Easy on the joints, great for the heart and lungs and good for flexibility, swimming is fantastic exercise that provides the perfect balance to your gym programme. If you haven't swum for a while, start slowly with a few lengths, try mixing up the strokes in order to work different muscle groups and increase the workload gradually. Really good swimming is all about technique, so when you feel confident enough you might like to try a few lessons. Eric did, and by the time the Athens games came round, his personal best was 57 seconds. Check him out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0zGrtOKtZc