So you want to start swimming. Welcome! We're glad you're here.

We know that swimming can be intimidating. The workouts look confusing, you think you look dumb in your goggles and speedo (everyone does), you feel like you have no idea what you're doing....

But guess what? None of that matters. Because swimming is awesome for your entire being. There are so many good reasons to do it, don’t talk yourself out of it. I promise you will feel wonderful when you are done, and we are here to help however we can.

The workouts on Swim Dojo are for *almost* every level. If you can swim 2 lengths of the pool freestyle (crawl) without stopping, you should be able to use a number of our beginner workouts. And don't worry about how fast you are or feeling like you don't know what you are doing. The point is to just get started. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will get.

If you aren't yet at a place yet where you can swim 2 lengths of the pool without stopping, I would highly recommend looking into some private instruction or find a Masters team in your area where you can get some one-on-one guidance.

Why Is Swimming Great
Swimming is a full-body workout, easy on your joints, makes you feel relaxed and happy, and you can do it until you're 150 years old. There are a million articles out there about why you should swim. Even if it isn't your primary form of exercise, swimming really is a wonderful method of cross-training and a great way to maintain a level of fitness while recovering from injury. It is also an easy way to truly unplug and improve your mental wellbeing.

Where To Begin
Begin slowly. Like any other activity, don't get discouraged if you can't jump in and immediately complete an entire workout. For many new swimmers it is hard to relax in the water. Spending as much time as possible in the water will help, as will working on basic technique. If you can, signing up for a few lessons with an instructor can be HUGELY beneficial. While Swim Dojo does provide resources and basic instruction via our blog, there is nothing quite like in-person feedback and hands-on coaching. 

To help ease you in to swimming life, we have 10 specific workouts to get beginners started.
 

Interval Training
This website encourages people to start using the clock when they swim. This allows you to vary the effort your put in to each swim and control the amount of recovery you have. Not only is this type of training, known as interval training, best for cardiovascular improvement, it makes exercising in the pool so much less boring.

However, if using the clock seems like a little much at the beginning, there are a number of beginner workouts that don't require you do so. And all workouts can be modified to be done without using your base.

Visit the Interval Training page to learn more about how interval training works. Once you feel comfortable in the water, I highly encourage you to try to find your base and start using it. 

Jump in. You've got this.
 

Questions
You probably have a lot more questions. All of the above information and more can be found on the Basics page (a general FAQ), as well as our Get Started page. If you have any additional questions at all, feel free to Contact us. We want to help you however we can.