In this guest blog post, MySwimPro community member Lynn James shares how MySwimPro helped him structure his swim training, lose 10kg and keep up with his young children!


About Me

I’m 52 years old, and I work in marketing in the UK. I used to be extremely active, playing rugby for years along with swimming, cycling and running. 

In 2016, I was faced with a major bout of arthritis in my left hip. Any sort of high impact sport, walking and even playing with my children caused me a lot of pain and resulted in me taking painkillers regularly. I ended up getting a hip replacement, and while my recovery went smoothly, most sports were still difficult. My weight was increasing, along with stress.

Getting into the Swim of Things

I decided to swim to manage my weight, work toward goals and elongate the life of my hip. 

I started swimming length after length, and found it tedious and unstructured pretty quickly. Around this time, I was introduced to MySwimPro. I was attracted to the discipline and variety the training plans provided, and it was great to see that I could also track my performance and work on technique.

Related: How I lost 75lbs Swimming & Reclaimed My Life

How I Use MySwimPro

I train with MySwimPro on my Garmin Vivoactive 4HR and my Android phone. I love having a step-by-step workout on my wrist, and enjoy checking out my analytics to see how my performance has improved over time. 

Since I started using MySwimPro’s Training Plans, I have dropped 10 kilograms, improved my body shape, enhanced my speed and endurance, and am able to keep up with my daughter and teenage son.

The best thing about MySwimPro is that you don’t need to be an athlete to use the app. Use it to help structure your swims and if you want compete against yourself. If you struggle with mental health, a swimming program really helps challenge you and releases endorphins to improve your mood. I never feel down leaving the pool!

Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Swim

MySwimPro’s Global Community is also an incredible support system for me. It’s inspiring to see other swimmers working hard and holding each other accountable!

My Swimming Goals

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I was planning to take part in the Bantham Swoosh 6km swim on the 4th of July in Devon, England. This has been postponed till next year, and I’m still planning to race! I’ll be using MySwimPro’s 5km and 10km open water swim Training Plans to prepare for the race.

The pandemic has made it tough to manage my weight without access to a pool, but I’ve been heading to a lake nearby for a few open water swims! My latest open water swim was about 1,600 meters.

Advice for Swimmers

Training alone can be challenging. Trust me, I know! These 5 principles help me stay motivated in my training:

  1. Set a goal. Having something to work toward makes all the difference.  
  2. Be disciplined. Stick to your plan! MySwimPro makes this really easy.
  3. Don’t cheat on yourself. Make the most of every second in the pool.
  4. Monitor, measure and improve pool technique. Check out MySwimPro’s technique videos for new drills and tips!
  5. Have fun!

Are you starting your weight loss journey? Let us know how you’re staying motivated in the comments! Sign up for MySwimPro Coach to start a personalized swim Training Plan! Follow Lynn’s journey on Instagram at @lynnj23.

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