Swimming burnout and how to overcome it

If you have done any activity for a long time, you may often find yourself burnt out. What does that mean exactly? Burnout occurs when a swimmer finds themselves in a state of stagnation.

It is often difficult to overcome burnout, and many swimmers give up when they reach this stage. It is very frustrating and occurs when you become older as a swimmer. However, just because it is difficult to overcome, does not mean that we cannot take care of swimming burnout. 

In this article, we discuss the details of burnout and how to overcome it. 

Most swimmers, when they begin their competitive journey, have a linear scale of progression. Maybe even exponential. When swimmers begin training, it is very easy to see a drop in their timings, and an increase in strength, and endurance. 

And this feeling is amazing.

When I first began competitive training, my timings were dropping every week. It made me very motivated to continue swimming, as my improvement was clear. I had a reason to work harder because it showed me results. I felt as if medals and podiums were within reach. I set more goals for myself because I knew that I would eventually reach them.

I became hopeful for swimming and dedicated more of my time to it. 

However, this linear improvement soon flatlined. My timings stopped dropping, and if they did? It was only by a few milliseconds. I stopped swimming as often, because I didn’t see the point in putting in so much effort without the results I was getting before. It took me a while to realize I was burnt out.

What is swimmer burnout?

Burnout is very common, not just in sports, but even in academics, work, and more. It occurs later in the career. In swimming, burnout is most obvious around 2 or 3 years after a swimmer first begins competitive training. It can be indicated by many things. 

What are the types of burnout in swimming?

First, your timings may stop dropping. You may find yourself stagnant at a good timing, but not a great timing, and those milliseconds that you drop for the final timing are more difficult than usual. 

The second form of burnout is that you may also find yourself deteriorating in physical shape. For example, you find it difficult to sustain longer workouts, or you cannot gain the muscle mass you desire. Or you may have sustained an injury that you are finding difficult to recover from. 

Finally, you may also find yourself lacking the motivation to even go swimming. Your swim timings may be at a place you want, and your physique in top shape, but you still do not have the desire to go for the sport. Out of the three types of burnout, this is the most difficult to cure. However, all of these kinds of burnout are curable. 

Ways to overcome burnout

Many swimmers I have met have faced burnout more than once. It is daunting to overcome burnout, as it has also ended many careers. However, this does not mean that burnout equals to end of a career.

All journeys have obstacles. And swimming is a journey. Burnout is just one hurdle to overcome on this journey to becoming a professional athlete. 

Take time away from the sport

What most people recommend for any sort of burnout is to take time away. Swimming is a very demanding sport, and takes up most of your time and energy. The workouts can become repetitive, and draining. It can make the sport seem uninviting. 

While you may be reluctant to stop swimming, it will impact you for the better. Do not restrict physical activity, but stay away from the pool.

Try a different activity such as dance, long-distance running, cross-fitness, or even zumba. Anything that makes your body feel different from swimming is recommended. You will find that you are able to start with a new fresh mindset. 

Take rest 

If you have suffered an injury and you are finding it difficult to recover, chances are that you haven’t healed physically or emotionally. In this case, you should take rest from physical activity all together.

Overworking your body is not just the leading cause of burnout, but can lead to serious muscle fatigue and damage. This becomes even more difficult to recover from in the long run, and you may even have recurring injuries.

Instead, get 8 hours of sleep, and practice yoga or meditation. You must take time for yourself away from the busy schedule of swimming. It does not have to be for a long time, because you may also lose out on progress that way. However, ensuring your body is well-rested, as well as your mind, is the first step to starting anew. 

Switch coaches

All coaches have different training techniques. Some work better than others. If you have found that your timings are not dropping despite the consistent effort and physical improvement, you may need a change in pace.

Workouts are not just important in terms of improvement, but also for motivation. 

When workouts become repetitive or boring, swimmers lose interest.

Switching coaches can give you a new perspective on the sport. A new coach may also see flaws in your swimming that another coach did not. Trying swimming from a new perspective is the best way to become reinvested in the sport.

In fact, this is exactly what happened to me. After 2 years of the same timings, my best dropped only after I switched coaches.

Set new goals

If you have been trying to reduce, say your 50 freestyle timing for the last few months with no avail, you may be pretty disheartened. Working towards goals with no results can be a huge demotivator.

However, you may find that your skills have shifted elsewhere. To revamp your motivation, try switching your goals and trying your hand at another event. 

For example, I had been flatlining in breaststroke for around 3 months when my coach asked me to try improving my backstroke 100m. I suddenly found that my backstroke had improved tremendously compared to my previous timings.

This gave me the motivation I needed to practice harder, and soon, my breaststroke timings later dropped. I also realized that I have strengths in backstroke. 

In conclusion, burnout is difficult, but not a complete failure. As an athlete, you must learn to deal with setbacks, even if they are long-term. You will always be able to succeed as long as you believe you have the ability to. So if ever you feel like giving up on the sport, know that there are many ways you can come back flying.