Life Guard Workout, Breathing and Faster Swim Times

Illustrative Only

Recently, I decided that apparently I didn’t have enough hobbies, so I started working toward a lifeguard certification. My goal is to help out the local community once in a while—maybe a night a week or on weekends. Plus, I enjoy finding new and creative ways to remind myself that I’m not as young as I used to be. My body reminds me in the morning.

Before you can become a lifeguard, you have to pass a pre-certification test. This is basically the universe asking, “Are you sure about this?” The test involved swimming back and forth across the pool multiple times, treading water for two minutes without using my hands, swimming some more, and then completing a timed rescue exercise.

The rescue exercise was particularly exciting. First, you sprint across the pool, then dive 9 or 10 feet to the bottom to retrieve what feels like a small car disguised as a weight. After wrestling it off the pool floor, you bring it to the surface, hug it like your favorite teddy bear, and swim on your back to the other end of the pool without using your hands—all while racing the clock.

The first time I did it, I finished with about 10 seconds to spare. This time, I finished with 21 seconds to spare. That may not sound like much, but in lifeguard terms that’s the difference between “barely survived” and “not to shabby.” Even better, I got shorter times than younger peeps. 😁 I’m not saying I celebrated, but if anyone heard a victory speech in the parking lot, that may have been me (I know...not mature but still a kind of pat yourself on back thing.).

I’ve spent years learning new things, gaining certifications and hobbies like some people collect baseball cards. I’m a certified fitness trainer, certified yoga instructor, shipwreck diver (asked recently if I could dive a path for boat navigation but waiting on one of my dive friends wants to come with...and a new strap I ordered to come in for my air tank that keeps slipping.), sailor, occasional surfer, boogie boarder, and general enthusiast of activities that involve water and questionable weather conditions. I like the water, being near the water, on the water, by the water, etc...

Lately, I’ve been focusing on improving my breathing and endurance. My workouts include yoga, Pilates, dance, horse riding, rowing, sword fencing and martial arts. If that sounds like a strange combination, it is. On any given day I might be practicing breathing techniques, working on flexibility, learning balance, and then high kick. The goal is to increase lung capacity, improve control, and avoid sounding like a steam locomotive after climbing a flight of stairs.

One thing I’ve learned is that you can get into pretty good shape without living in a gym. Right now, most of my workouts are at home. I use some 15-pound weights, mostly to remind my muscles that retirement is not an option (Doesn't matter size as much as fatigue. Focusing more on functional muscle.). I also keep an eye on my nutrition, which turns out to be much more effective than my previous strategy of hoping vegetables would somehow count if they were next to pizza.

I still have the written tests and classroom work ahead of me, but the physical portion is mostly complete. Hopefully, the mental side goes as well as the physical side. If not, I may become the world’s fastest person at incorrectly answering lifeguard questions.

Overall, I believe people should keep challenging themselves. Learn new things. Stay active. Exercise your body and your mind. Life is more interesting that way.

And if you need some help getting started with fitness, I’m always happy to share ideas. As a fitness trainer and yoga instructor, I can help you put together a routine, talk about nutrition, and point you in the right direction. Worst case, you’ll get healthier. Best case, you might even find yourself at the bottom of a pool racing a stopwatch while wondering how exactly you got there. If interested send a message to the right. 

‘Guard’ Workout: Can a Lifeguard-Specific High-Intensity Functional Training Reflect Rescue Demands?

• This pilot study examined a lifeguard-specific High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) workout designed to replicate aquatic rescue tasks, including running, swimming with fins, victim extraction, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Twenty-seven lifeguards completed a 15-minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) protocol. Most participants completed three rounds, while none completed a fourth, demonstrating the demanding nature of the workout.
• Physiological responses showed high exercise intensity, with average heart rates reaching 82% of maximum heart rate and post-exercise blood lactate levels increasing from 1.50 mmol/L to 15.50 mmol/L.
• Perceived exertion increased significantly throughout the workout, reaching near-maximal levels, yet CPR performance remained consistently high (86–94%) despite accumulated fatigue.
• The findings suggest that a lifeguard-specific HIFT program may be a practical method for both training and assessing rescue readiness under realistic conditions, although further validation studies are needed before widespread implementation.

Ignacio-Rodríguez, I., Aranda-García, S., Sanmartín-Montes, M., Morales-Rejas, O., Otero-Agra, M., Santos-Folgar, M., Zarzosa-Alonso, F., & Barcala-Furelos, R. (2026). ‘Guard’ workout: Can a lifeguard-specific high-intensity functional training reflect rescue demands? Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 11(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk11020218