Cardio à la swimming and hiking power my fit-life routine

First of all, let me just say that swimming is amazing! I know, I've heard that said a million times before. And having been an avid recreational swimmer in my youth is probably what kept me from becoming obese back in the day despite my regular afternoon diet of chocolate donuts, Oreos and pudding.

I just recently started doing a regular swimming workout - I call it my "everyday cardrio" - and I have been working up from one set, to two, and finally today, three. Two weeks ago I could barely do five laps of the crawl stroke. Now, I'm doing 16.5 laps (or 33 lengths of the pool here in my complex) with ease! I mean really, it was nothing. Tomorrow I might do a fourth set or add a lap to each of the five strokes I do within each set.

Plus, I'm still hiking. And today I realized that doing my swim workout followed by an hour or so hike in some hilly terrain - a great local trail that's just two miles from my doorstep - was like adding steroids to my everyday cardio routine.

LOL - It makes me laugh thinking that I'm actually doing cardio on a regular basis and loving it. Hiking was my sneaky way of getting into cardio. I would hike for the views, I would tell myself. I knew it was cardio but I would have NEVER called it that. Now, I'm quite happy to admit. I hike. I swim. I do cardio. And I love it!