I use our local aquatic center for swimming. I reserve a spot for lap swimming, and it’s usually pretty empty when I go. There are always enough lanes open, and I’ve never had to share a lane, which is why I choose that time.
I’m not a strong swimmer. I swim laps, but not in the traditional sense. I’m casual about it—I usually water-run until it’s deep enough to swim, then do a mix of strokes, like a freestyle that I’m sure isn’t perfect. I also do wall crunches, water squats, and other exercises. I just want to ensure I’m using the facility correctly since swimming helps with my joints.
If everyone has their own lane I’m sure nobody cares if you had to split a lane with someone, I think this would honestly still be fine as long as you’re aware of your surroundings and can reliably stay on your agreed upon side of the lane!
As long as you stay on one side! The other day I had a lane to myself and some guy comes to my lane… and proceeds to swim? Paddle? In the middle of the lane. Like dude had plenty of space to just scoot to one side. Its like a car driving down the middle of a 2 lane road.
If there are enough lanes, your pool workout is fine. However, it’s frustrating when lap swim times aren’t used for lap swimming, as these hours are for uninterrupted lap swimming.
It would be an issue if there were enough people per lane to require circle swimming, but that’s not the case here. When I had herniated disks, swimming was painful, but using a float belt for water running in the deep end helped. In my pool, there are rarely more than two people per lane. Both your exercise and my water running are valid uses of the lanes. If circle swimming were required, it would be different, but that’s not an issue in my pool.
if you had to split a lane with someone, I think this would honestly still be fine as long as you’re aware of your surroundings and can reliably stay on your agreed upon side of the lane!