1)  Dry skin:

If you have ever gone swimming in a chlorine pool, chances are pretty good that you have also noticed that your skin feels dry afterwards. This is due to the chorine that is added to the water to keep it clean. Treating your dry skin is fairly simple. After you finish swimming, resist the urge to shower immediately. Many public pool facilities use the same chlorine system in their showers as they use in the pool, so you are essentially bathing in pool water. Taking a hot shower right after swimming will also open your pores, and the chlorine residue will seep into your skin which will likely make the problem worse. So wait until you get home to shower. Use warm water instead of hot water, and pat your skin dry with a towel. While still damp, use a hydrating lotion that does not contain alcohol all over your body. After you are dried off and dressed, your skin will feel soft and smooth, with no dryness from the chemicals in the pool.

2)  Burning eyes:

The chlorine is also to blame for those red, burning eyes that we so often get after swimming in a pool. The most obvious suggestion here would to be to only swim when wearing a pair of goggles; but let’s be honest, we are not going to spend our vacation time laying around in our cute new bikinis and a pair of hideous swim goggles! So instead, if your eyes get irritated from the chlorine, grab some milk. Really! I realize that this sounds absurd, but as a competitive swimmer for 10 years, I can honestly tell you that it works! And it’s simple science really… you neutralize an acid with a base. In our case, the acid is the chlorine and the milk is our base. Use an eye dropper to place a few drops of the milk right into your sore eyes. Or, if you do happen to have a pair of goggles laying around, pour a small amount into each side, and put them on your eyes, tilting your head back. Blink a few times to make sure the milk gets in, and wipe away the excess. And just like that, no more burning eyes!

3)  Cramps:

We’ve all heard the old wive’s tale about not swimming within an hour after eating. And while that holds some merit, you will likely not drown if you do. You may however, get more cramps than you normally would. To prevent this, make sure you are getting enough potassium in whatever it is that you decide to eat. Potassium helps to prevent cramps of any kind, whether it be one in your side, your foot, wherever. My old coach used to make us all have a banana right before our swim meets in high school, and I think he was really on to something! Also make sure that you are drinking enough fluids…water especially. Simply having enough water in your system will help prevent cramping too. If you do still get a cramp while swimming, get to the side or to a step, and stretch it out. If it is in your foot (a common place for cramps while swimming) flex your foot and pull back on your toes as hard as you can. Then point your foot down hard. Alternate between these two until your cramp subsides.

I’m sure this list can go on and on, so I’d like to hear in the comments section below what you swimming ailments are, along with your tips on how to get rid of them.  I look forward to hearing them.