Just the humblest of wishes to be allowed splash again

I seem to be freewheeling into that world of the old curmudgeon and contrarian as the years pass by and feel that I could have a part to play in any future series of that wonderful little BBC series, Grumpy Old Men.

There’s a kind of a limit or ceiling that I’ve hit in relation to Covid restrictions and the way that they have so obtrusively intruded into every aspect of our daily lives.

At the start, I bemoaned things like the closing of the local watering hole and the absence of a couple of pints when a day’s toil was completed, but gradually we’ve become accustomed to those minor disruptions.

Now, if I could only go out and buy a pair of shoes – and don’t tell me to purchase online because the size would surely be wrong – or even a few summer T-shirts without having to be looking over my shoulder, that would be close enough to some kind of humble happiness.

Over the years, I’ve become a fan of swimming, ever since a Mullingar consultant advised me to take up the practice, after a lot of lingering, football-related back problems had begun to take their toll.

Since then, over the years, I’ve been able to grind out 30, 40 or maybe even 50 lengths of the local pool – not at any great pace mind you – made all the more noticeable by the young ‘dolphins’ gliding by at high speed without raising a splash.

So, back to the contrarian theme. One of the truly inestimable benefits of regular swimming has been the therapuetic impact it has on joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

The magic of water-based exercises is that you stretch out and loosen all those tightening parts of the body without putting them under any undue friction stresses, as one might do when jogging on a hard road surface.

Swimming, I’ve always found too, has been good for that space between the ears. It’s a mind settler and once the hassle of togging-out and togging-in has been overcome, the exercise, and its aftermath feeling of wellbeing, does have a settling impact on the mind.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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