I hate my sport but I can't quit

Question

I'm 14 female who's stuck spending time on a sport I have no interest in. Each day of the week (all year round excluding sunday and thursday) I spend 3+ hours swimming. Overall in the year we only get 3 weeks total of breaks between long course and short course season. The people on my swim team are fakes and my coach is way too bossy, she thinks she just controls all of us. I'm not looking for a committed sport (which my team is trying to be), i'm just trying to get exercise.

You see i'm not really the "sporty" type of person, I don't enjoy them and I don't watch them. I'm more of an artistic person. The only reason I swim is because of my parents. They say I have to commit to a sport 5-days a week, all year around. They say I can only quit competitive swimming when I find another sport that has 5 days of exercise each week, for most of the year. Or when I go off to college I guess.

Before I moved to my current home, I only did swimming a few days a week for a hour and a half. Occasionally I would try rec soccer and other sports (tennis, golf, basketball, softball, and baseball), though I don't remember finding much joy in these sports. First year of middle school I tried out for the school soccer team, I hated it. I had never played soccer on a just girls team and let's just say the girls on my team were not the nicest people (just a bunch of suck-ups). The girls on the other team weren't better either, faking injuries, and playing unfair plays.

I also have a question about staying healthy, if I did eat a very healthy diet and did a less intense sport than swimming could that also keep me fit?

Really what i'm saying is that I want something a sport or exercise group that will keep me fit but not control of be supper committing to. I just think that swimming isn't the best way to stay healthy and fit for me. I'll i'm getting is anxiety and stressed. I have to admit my body isn't the slimmest, I have fat in my thighs and arms. Should I try those sports that I did when I was younger, should I try a diet, or an exercise group? I'm lost, does anyone have any ideas or questions on this post?

Answer 1

Hey Meghan. Im sorry to hear that you are not enjoying swimming. Some of us are just not really competitive and thats perfectly okay. I personally believe that your mental health should have priority over your physical health. In saying this, i don't mean that physical health should be ignored, I'm just saying that if you have a good mindset, you will generally be able to keep a health lifestyle. I would try to pick up synchronized swimming if you are still wanting to stay in the same setting, but want to tap into the artistic side of things. Swimming is one of the best exercises a person can do. Not only is it great for your cardiovascular system, but it is also a non weight bearing sport with minimal resistance, which can help you lose fat and gain muscle, while maintaining a light amount of stress on your musculoskeletal system.