When my son graduated from high school, he went snorkeling on his senior trip. He bought some fins, and that summer told me that one of the best workouts he did for his calves was swimming with fins. I bought some fins for myself, but in a 25-meter pool, I found them cumbersome. I only kicked a few times before I reached the wall and had to turn. Turning in fins is awkward. I rarely used them.

However, yesterday I used them as they were meant to be used. The indoor pool where I swim in the winter is a 50-meter pool. From September through April there is a barrier at the halfway point, which divides the big pool into two 25-meter pools. At the end of the high school swim season, they remove the barrier. Yesterday was the first time since the barrier was removed that I remembered to take the fins.

I swam two warm up laps in my regular way, then put on the fins. There was a delightful sensation of the water rushing past me so much faster. I soon noticed that I was breathing harder than I ordinarily do when I swim. This was not only a good leg workout, but a good aerobics workout as well. Though my arms kept moving, it was clear that most of the work was being done by my legs.

I felt great when I got out of the water. My heart rate was up. My shoulders, knotted up from too many hours working on computer graphics, were loose. My legs, especially my calves, were tired, but not exhausted. Swimming with fins will be fun until our neighborhood pool opens in June.

A quote from Jack Taylor: "Until your misery factor exceeds your fear factor, you won't change." Taylor is an evangelist, and I wish I knew the original context of this quote. However, doesn't it have application for many areas of life? - - Especially food and exercise. Don't wait until you are miserable! Start today to eat more beneficials and fewer avoids. You may not be able to swim, but you can go for a brisk walk.