How far can an overweight, generally unfit person swim, provided they actually know how to swim?

General Forum
1

I’m a beginner swimmer (M25) and can only manage one length (25m) before I have to stop, completely out of breath. So if someone asked me if I “know how to swim,” my answer would be a clear no.

But that question makes me wonder. I’m in bad shape—180cm tall, 96.5kg, mostly sedentary, with a lot of excess weight being fat. How far could someone with similar stats swim non-stop if they actually knew how to swim? I’m not looking for exact numbers, and of course, every individual is different, so there’s a range of possibilities—I’m just curious to see what answers come up.

2

Anyone can swim any distance if they’re committed to learning, regardless of weight or height.

3

I completely agree. It’s all stamina and swimming fitness.

I’d also recommend pushing yourself. So instead of stopping at the 25, turning and kicking off the wall, then stopping etc. The jump doesn’t have to be from 25 to 50. It can be from 25 to 30, then 30 to 40, etc etc. At a certain point you’ll just be able to do it.

4

thank you for your response

5

I mean at a certain point we fall asleep or die but beyond that it’s similar to asking how far it is possible for an out of shape person to walk.

6

Not very far at first, but fat floats. If you master breathing techniques, you’ll have an advantage. Many here focus on speed, but it’s not everything. Start with the elementary backstroke, gradually kicking harder as you build endurance. After a while, switch to breaststroke. Just keep swimming!