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> When I started swimming again at the age of 22, I could swim obviously - but it took me weeks of re-remembering all of the correct positions of my hands, whic

> When I started swimming again at the age of 22, I could swim obviously - but it took me weeks of re-remembering all of the correct positions of my hands, which muscles to contract and how should I breathe in order to sustain that swimming for longer than a few laps. But it's important to note that it took you only a few weeks. Originally learning all these movements probably took years of training and you still knew them so well that you could retrain your muscles to use them like back then. You didn't really forget. If I started swimming now, with near zero experience, I wouldn't be able to imitate that.

heavenlyblue 8y ago
>> Originally learning all these movements probably took years of training and you still knew them so well that you could retrain your muscles to use them like back then. Nah. I am actually making the opposite point: I had to consciously re-remember (from whatever I remembered my instructor told me) how it were back then and retrain myself to do it correctly all over again. For example, getting over anxiety that I would be out of breath the next time I am breathing in. The only reason I could get over it was because I have consciously remembered I could do that when I was a kid, so it was just a matter of training and habit both of which I had to consciously push myself to acquire again. "a few weeks" would only be related to "conscious remembering how it needs to be done", rather than "swimming like the old days". It took me a few months; constant attention and reading how to swim properly otherwise.
- pbalau 8y ago
  I think you are missing a tiny point, you are comparing being able not to drown to swimming efficiently. I didn't bike in ages, but I am fairly confident I can ride a bicycle all right. To go back doing cross country biking is a different matter, I will probably need to make mental efforts to keep the right posture, to keep the weight over my back wheel etc. But this doesn't mean I won't be able to ride my bike without crashing.

heavenlyblue 8y ago

>> Originally learning all these movements probably took years of training and you still knew them so well that you could retrain your muscles to use them like back then. Nah. I am actually making the opposite point: I had to consciously re-remember (from whatever I remembered my instructor told me) how it were back then and retrain myself to do it correctly all over again. For example, getting over anxiety that I would be out of breath the next time I am breathing in. The only reason I could get over it was because I have consciously remembered I could do that when I was a kid, so it was just a matter of training and habit both of which I had to consciously push myself to acquire again. "a few weeks" would only be related to "conscious remembering how it needs to be done", rather than "swimming like the old days". It took me a few months; constant attention and reading how to swim properly otherwise.

pbalau 8y ago
I think you are missing a tiny point, you are comparing being able not to drown to swimming efficiently. I didn't bike in ages, but I am fairly confident I can ride a bicycle all right. To go back doing cross country biking is a different matter, I will probably need to make mental efforts to keep the right posture, to keep the weight over my back wheel etc. But this doesn't mean I won't be able to ride my bike without crashing.