The longer you do something, the better you get at it. In principle at least. I’ve found that when it comes to swimming or other exercise, as opposed to high intensity stuff in short bursts, the longer you can do something, the better.

Ultimately there should be a combination of the two types of exercise, but I’ve found that being able to swim for longer has a better effect on weight loss, which was my ultimate aim. I would say the same is true for running as well, in my experience.

So, if you’re just getting back in the pool or on the track, your first aim should be going for distance. Your first aim should be building up your stamina little by little until you can essentially go non-stop. Easier said than done, of course, but if you work at slowly increasing distance or time, you’ll get there.

Humans are born to run, or in my case swim, and the longer you can do that, the better.