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Regularly working out, especially if you swim mainly in pools, will wear your equipment
and may affect your body if you don’t take precautions. Here are some
recommendations.
Chlorine
The chlorine most pool operators use to maintain sanitized water attaches itself to your
skin and hair, and once attached, is tenacious. The people you contact during the rest of
the day will know you’re a swimmer by the eau-de-cement-pond fragrance you
sport. Consistent exposure to chlorine can also make hair feel and act like straw.
Common sense and the right toiletries can nip these problems in the bud. When you first
wet yourself, your skin and hair absorb water. If you take a shower before getting in the
pool, there is little chlorine in the tap water to absorb. If you hop straight into the
pool without the shower, your hair and skin absorb lots of pool water, in which the
chlorine level is typically 2 to 10 times as high as tap water. Take your pick. That was
the common sense part. In addition to showering before hitting the pool, you can rub a dab
of conditioner into your hair before putting on your cap. In any case, if you are fussy
about your hair, wear a cap.
Pick up some antichlorine chemicals too. Modern science has spawned a variety of
antichlorine shampoos, soaps, and body washes that work surprisingly well to remove
chlorine from your hair and skin. Using these chlorine-removal products, you should be
able to hide the fact that you are a swimmer from the rest of the world. Then again, why
would you want to?
Swimming Gear Care
Chlorine attacks swim suits with potentially embarrassing results. One day you look in the
mirror and realize that your flashy second skin has suddenly become transparent.
Suits will last longer if you soak them after every swim to remove as much chlorine as
possible. Dry them initially by wrapping them in a towel and wringing the towel (with the
suit inside), and then lay the suit out to air dry.
It’s best not to hang swim suits, especially women’s one-piece models because
the water will work its way down the suit weighing the bottom and stretching the suit out
of shape. When machine-washing suits, follow the manufacturer’s directions, which are
usually written on the label. And always dry suits on a towel, not in the dryer.
Swim caps will last longer if you dry them thoroughly after each use. Dust them lightly
with baby powder, too, before storing them. And avoid leaving caps wadded up in the bottom
of your bag or in a hot car.
Eye Care and Goggles
If you’re one of those who has a hard time making your way around on land without
glasses, there is still hope of seeing the pace clock when swimming. Check with your
optometrist about prescription goggles or prescription inserts for your goggles. There are
some corrective-lens goggles available through swim shops or catalogs. Although you may not find your exact
prescription, you most likely can find a pair that allows you to read a pace clock from
across the pool.
If you wear contact lenses, don’t be afraid to wear them with goggles. You are less
likely to lose a lens while swimming than you are while taking them out and putting them
back in. Once you become accustomed to wearing goggles, you will be much happier if you
keep your lenses in when swimming.
Ear Care
A great trick for getting water out of your ears after a swim is to use a hair blower. Do
so gently, though. Don’t blow the air directly into the ear. Instead, wave the blower
so the air reaches and warms the ear evaporating the water gradually.
As an alternative, you could tip your head to the side and jump up and down on one foot to
clear the ear. But that looks so silly.
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