A lot of people associate a workout with being slightly out of breath—marked by a high heart rate, sweating, and muscle soreness—all of which signal a decent pump from lifting. These markers can be replicated in a pool workout, sure, but it’s also largely true that very few exercises can replace swimming. Being out of breath in water, however, is very different from being breathless on land. It follows that one of the biggest challenges for beginners and even moderately experienced swimmers is avoiding fatigue midway through their lengths. Not knowing how to manage this can be frustrating, especially for those who have built stamina in another sport or through running but can’t replicate the same in water. It’s hard to accept that you might not actually be tired, but simply out of breath while trying to swim even 20 to 50 metres.
