Swimmer's body

I just got back from swimming at the public pool here in JB this evening.. It's been like forever since the last time i went swimming. It's kinda the only sport that i can play (well, besides some basic badminton) ;p

The entrance fee is only RM4, but i had to buy a swimsuit for like RM17 because i didn't have one.

Swimming is a good way to burn your calories just like running on a treadmill, only without the sweat and the bad odor =p It's a perfect way to build up your stamina and increase your muscle intensity, mainly because almost all muscles in your body are involved in the process; compared to cycling or jogging.

That's why people have an expression for a perfectly shaped body; 'swimmer's body'. Just take Michael Phelps's body for an example:

I learnt how to swim since i was 5, i think. Funny story. My parents brought my sister and i to this new swimming pool at a country club. There were 2 pools; one was an ordinary pool, and the other one has this cool slide. I was excited to try the one with the slide. But then my parents told me, "Swimming pool yang tu untuk orang-orang yang belajar berenang aje..."

Not knowing that it was just their trick to get me into swimming classes, i insisted on joining the swimming classes along with my sister. But it turned out to be a living hell. The trainer practically forced me to swim in the adult's pool with different styles and techniques. My feet hurt soo badly and my whole body ached like hell. After all what can u expect from a five-year-old kid.

I was taught two swimming styles; the front crawl and breaststroke, and also how to keep myself floating. Even though many people prefer the front crawl (freestyle) and say that it's the fastest swimming style, i like the breaststroke better because it's less tiring.

After countless incidents of almost drowning and fainting, i was then allowed to swim in the new pool; the one with the slide. It was soo rewarding, after those efforts i put into the swimming classes. But not after 3-4 years later that i started to realize that it was just a trick to get me into swimming classes!

I was furious and felt cheated at that time. But as i grew older, i started to feel grateful that my parents sent me to those classes, in spite of the lie. Now i am able to swim as if it's my second nature. And when i was at the pool today, i saw a bunch of people who have just started their swimming course. They were kinda having a hard time, most probably because they just started to learn during the period of adolescence.

I personally think that swimming should be learnt as early as possible. I have lots of friends who can't even hold their breath in the water, let alone swimming. So, someday i'm gonna teach my children how to swim during their childhood, so that they could learn faster and easier. Moreover, you could follow one of our Prophet's sunnah; beside archery and horse riding (^_~)