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156 Part III: Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Don’t skate on the side of a busy road, where a cyclist might ride.

Stick to bike trails, sidewalks, and other smooth, well-maintained, no-

traffic areas.

Don’t skate while holding anything in your hand, even a can of soda.

When you fall, your reflex is to save what you’re holding, not to protect

your body.

Swimming .....................................................................................................

Swimming is truly a zero-impact sport. Although you can strain your shoul-

ders if you overdo it, there’s absolutely no pounding on your joints, and the

only thing you’re in danger of crashing into is the wall of the pool. You can get

a great aerobic workout that uses your whole body. Plus, water has a gentle,

soothing effect on the body, so swimming is helpful for those with arthritis or

other joint diseases.

Swimming is great for people who want to keep exercising when they’re

injured and for people who are pregnant or overweight. That extra body fat

helps you glide along near the surface of the water, so you don’t expend

energy trying to keep yourself from sinking like a stone.

Lap swimming has the reputation of being drudgery — after all, the scenery

doesn’t change a whole lot from one end of the pool to the other. The trick is

to use an array of gadgets that elevate swim workouts from forced labor to

bona fide fun. You can even buy an underwater tape player with pretty

decent sound.

Essential swimming gear ..................................................................

Obviously, a body of water is helpful — preferably one manned by a lifeguard.

And in most instances, you must wear a swimsuit. By the way, we said swim-

suit,not bathing suit. You don’t want a suit that looks good while you’re sun-

bathing but creeps up your butt when you get in the water.

If you swim in a chlorinated pool, goggles are a must to prevent eye irritation

and to help you see better in the water. Buy goggles from a store that lets you

try them on. You should feel some suction around your eyes, but not so

much that you feel like your eyeballs are going to pop out. You also need a

cap so that your hair doesn’t get plastered on your face as you swim or turn

to straw from the chemicals.

As for the fun swimming gadgets: Many pools let you borrow equipment, but

you can buy a whole set for less than $75. We especially like rubber swim-

ming fins which give you a lot more speed and power in the water and give