Aquatic Aspies

[Warmheart]

Exercise usually helps me manage my ASD to have fewer meltdowns. This summer was so hot, I missed out on my usual walking and hiking. My frustration threshold dropped, bigtime. Add to this the wacky hormonal hoopla of Mental Pause, and pretty soon, I was like...

I decided to try to learn swimming at a gym! I did tell the instructor about my ASD, as I had to ask her not to touch me. (Got some totally mad skillz in tactile defensive kung fu ) She gave me a half hour private swim lesson. I was hooked!! I am now in an adult swim class, making a doofus of myself. Having a blast!

Have you love swimming? Were you uncoordinated when you began learning? I am so uncoordinated, I actually have bruises because I accidentally kicked myself in the water. How doofy is that? Hah!

Right now I'm in the "Blowing bubbles & learn to kick" phase.
I can swim in the Derp end.

How long did it take you to learn?

 

[Spiller]

Hey Warmheart, your pictures always make me smile.

Swimmings wonderful, isn't it.

I taught myself when I was about 13 - I'd go with my family to the local pool on a sunday morning and practiced swimming underwater so I was confident if I sank while attempting to swim on top.
After that I'd watch what other people were doing - you always get the people who just swim up and down for an hour - and imitate them.. eventually I was one of the people who swim up and down, only I was doing a lot underwater too.

It was brilliant when I taught my kids to swim the same way - it took them only a few weeks to gain confidence, same as me and when you're confident, you can do anything.

Diving in without belly-flopping took some practice though

 

[Nitro]

As a younger man,I enjoyed swimming a lot.I started at about age 10 with lessons at a local pool. I went from sinking like a stone to actually swimming and diving inside of two weeks.
I once had my boat slip it's bowline from my trailer while launching it into the Monongahela river to fish and was headed towards a lock and dam to it's certain demise. Popeye kicked off his work boots,dived in after her and tried to lift himself into the boat to start the engine and gain control. The wet clothing and the swim after the boat had me weak and too tired to lift myself when I reached her,so I grabbed the bowline and began swimming with one arm towards the shore. As I was losing pace to make it, I put the rope between my teeth and swam with both arms back to land.
I practiced my sailor knots quite a bit after that event

 

[On the Inside]

Good for you for jumping in! I am kind of amazed that there are people who don't know how to swim, just like people who can't ride a bike, I thought everyone just knew how. Silly me.

I grew up around water and don't remember not being able to swim, but I did take lessons later (around 8-10) to improve my skills. Still love it, along with just about anything to do with lakes, rivers, oceans. Unfortunately, I dislocated my shoulder snowboarding last winter (I love frozen water too) and have been limited in my swimming and have been real bummed about it. It has been getting better, and last week I was able to do a strong front crawl, can't do back stroke yet.

Again, good for you.

 

[Buffles]

I just got out of the pool! Came home to check the boards. Love swimming. Decided to do triathlons a couple of years ago so had to learn an efficient freestyle. I taught myself and now love to swim just for exercise. I find it really helps with anger. You have to focus on breathing or you can die. Nothing better to refocus you and your attitude!

 

[AsheSkyler]

I've always been in the water. I remember a few swim classes from when I was 4 or 5, but I don't remember much other than sitting bored on the side and waiting for my turn to get into the water. Go, splash, have fun. Bring some diving rings and have fun pretending to be a fish.

 

[Progster]

I like swimming, and loved it as a child. However, I do have some coordination issues - I can do the front crawl but not breast stroke, because I can't coordinate both my arms and legs at the same time.

 

[NiceCupOfTea]

I did tell the instructor about my ASD, as I had to ask her not to touch me.

Great, another stereotype about ASD and touch.... Not all of us lose the plot if we feel a light touch on our shoulder or arm - I for one like the human contact and don't wish people to be scared off from doing this if they know I have ASD.

As for swimming, I've never learnt and probably am not about to start now.

 

[Warmheart]

I am having fun reading these responses! I'm amazed how many are self-taught! Very impressive! I'm quite uncoordinated, so I think it will take me longer than usual to learn. I am positive that the strenuous heart/lung workout aspect of this will help balance mood and help me self-regulate. I am having a super time! I swim again tomorrow morning. Woohoo!

 

[On the Inside]

That's great! Hope you keep enjoying it.

As for being self taught, as I said, I grew up spending all summer at our lake cabin. As youngun's we had to wear life jackets if we intended to go out deeper than our waists, or hang out at the end of the dock. Certainly so if we went out in a boat. We usually had our family, our cousins, kids from down the road there, etc., so how well could that be enforced?

So there was a lot of practice flailing around with or without flotation aids, and you just picked it up, at least enough to survive, which we all did.

But my interest in sailing, kayaking, and surfing (dumping in the water is all part of the fun) instilled in me an interest in becoming a strong swimmer. That and it just feels good and is a lot of fun, especially on a big body of water with some good waves.

 

[Warmheart]

Had my second swim lesson Friday! I actually didn't do well, but I managed to goof up spectacularly! I am trying to learn very basic stuff, and am way behind-- doofy coordination puts me into the Barnum & Bailey category. My coach even scolded me for forgetting to kick. (Love. This. Coach!!) It feels like she pushes me, because she believes in me.
My mojo ain't workin' yet. Can't seem to get arms, breathing, head, and legs to do everything I want 'em to yet. Duh!



But I am having so much fun!!!!!

 

[Ellylldan]

Hi!
I have very mixed feelings about swimming.. On one hand, I love water, it has an amazing effect on me, and I am drawn to water a big time. River, lake, sea, ocean - I can never get tired of them. On the other hand, though, I have a fear of deep water where I can't see the bottom. So, I swim only where I can touch the bottom with my feet, back and forth along the shore, eventually checking the bottom. Sometimes it's no more there and I go into panic and start swimming back to the shore and I imagine, I look just like that dog on the picture you posted, Warmheart! >_<
My husband says I look like a turtle when I swim, trying to keep my head out of the water. Pretty sight, heh!

Usually while swimming I imagine all kind of monsters lurking in the depths and waiting for a perfect moment to grab my foot. Or something worse. I suppose I would feel less scared if the deep water was clear, like in some southern seas, but I've never been to such places.

I'm not a fan of pools, I can't stand the chlorine smell. I'm kind of sorry about it, especially in the hottest days of Italian summer.

 

[BIMOG]

I can't swim. Everyone else in my year group at primary school learned how to swim eventually, but not me. Lesson after lesson I sank l like a stone. When I first started secondary school there were about 4 boys in my year group who couldn't swim, after a few weeks of intensive tuition they'd all learned. Three years later I was left on my own at the far end of the pool, still holding onto the side rail and still practicing kicking my feet to no avail. I'm basically useless when it comes to sports, learning languages or playing any form of musical instrument. It's not a problem, I no longer try to learn other languages, my unused guitar gathers dust and the only water that I willing step into is our bathtub.

 

[Marmot]

I've never enjoyed swimming very much, but a couple years ago I tried and got crazy interested in scuba diving: Does anyone else here dive ? Once you get comfortable with the basic technical stuff it is sooo incredibly relaxing & tranquil to float weightlessly in the water......

 

[Myway]

I was born swimming. My mother had me in the water as a very young baby. Then as I got older, they began teaching me to swim. By the time I was ten years old, I was on a swim team. That is how well I could swim I remember doing 400 IMs. 100 yards of fly, back stroke, breast stroke, then freestyle. 100 yards of each just to clarify. It was very good for me to swim. I had a connection with the water and it helped me regulate myself better. Swimming is also very good exercise. I love swimming.

 

[watersprite]

I love swimming, if it is in a clean creek, river, bay or lake without waves, and the water is not too cold. I like pools alright, but cannot handle crowded ones.

 

[Warmheart]

Kestrel, I'm with you. Calm waters are the best to swim!

Starting to finally almost "get it" for my freestyle, then we began learning breast stroke today, and I'm feeling all doofy again.
D'oh!