I was at the pool the other day with a friend. We were having a leisurely swim up and down the lane and stopping to have a bit of a chat at the end every so often.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While I didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, the two guys in the lane next to us prompted a discussion.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bloke One, the more elegant of the two swimmers, was giving Bloke Two tips on how to better his stroke. Bloke Two is a bit of a thrashy swimmer, but still gets where he needs to go. He kept saying he couldn\u2019t swim and much preferred to run.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It got us talking about what \u201cI can\u2019t do this\u201d means. In Bloke Two\u2019s case, he could definitely swim but his can\u2019t was code for \u201cI can\u2019t do it as good as you\u201d. Or perhaps it also meant \u201cI don\u2019t know how to do it as good as you or as good as I want to be able to do it.\u201d Maybe it was just a nice way of trying to tell his friend he hates swimming. Either way, it seems to deflate him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To me there were two options for this guy \u2013 take some lessons and drill some strong techniques to help him swim better (which may or may not make him like swimming any better) OR simply revel in the way he could genuinely swim knowing that at that moment in time, that was his best.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Another woman joined our lane and said she\u2019d taken swimming lessons to learn better technique but in the end took what she\u2019d learnt and headed off into the pool alone to just swim. Why? Because for her, the lessons had taken the joy out of swimming and she wanted to reclaim how much she enjoyed just swimming.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So what if exercise and working out simply is a chance to be in joy and do the best job you can, at the pace and (correct) style you can manage? Sure, there\u2019s the opportunity to push yourself, but spare a thought for how much your body and soul gains by doing something which really makes your heart sing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yeah, I\u2019m the person in the lane next to you with an idiot grin on her face as I chase the black line.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ps: and I\u2019m still slow!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(Sometimes Sarah is a Perth gal with a weight loss goal of over 60 kg who\u2019ll be sharing the good, the bad and the sometimes painful on her own weight loss and fitness journey.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was at the pool the other day with a friend. We were having a leisurely swim up and down the lane and stopping to have a bit of a chat at the end every so often. While I didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, the two guys in the lane next to us prompted a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n