Short swim workouts are handy when you need to fit in a swim session on a lunch break or before work. When you have only a limited amount of time to swim, you need to plan carefully. Maintaining your fitness levels with workouts of shorter duration is possible if you keep up the intensity level. Endless laps get boring and tax shoulders, so shorter workouts might be a welcome break from your routine. Average lap swimmers complete a mile swim in about 30 minutes, depending on the intensity and type of workout.
Freestyle
Freestyle workouts maximize the distance you swim in a short period. Even when you swim an abbreviated workout, warm-up laps are important. Stretching out right before more intense sets helps avoid injury. A 400 m easy set is adequate. The main set focuses on building speed while maintaining good technique. Swim a "ladder" set, increasing your swims from 100 m up to 400 m, resting five seconds in between each distance. The total length for the set is 1,000 m. Finish up with a slow warm-down of 200 m.
Leg Intensive
You use your shoulders and upper body a lot when you swim, so focusing on leg muscles is a good way to mix up shorter workouts. Start out with a 400 m warm-up using the stroke of your choice. Follow with a 200 m fast, to raise your heart rate. Then, do a 400 m free kick set with a kickboard. Keep up the tempo. Backstroke and breaststroke are kick-intensive strokes. Swim 2 x 200 m, alternating back and breast on the 200 m distance. Finish up with 2 x 50 m kick, one free and one breast.
Drills
Drills serve to correct any stroke errors you have or lapses in otherwise good technique. Warm up with a 400 m, alternating 100 free and 100 back. Zipper drills require you to trail your hands along your side and trace your fingertips along the waterline. Imagine zipping up a side zipper as you bring your arm and hand forward to take a freestyle stroke. Keeping your elbows high is important in this drill. Perform a 400 m zipper drill freestyle. Follow the drill with a one-arm freestyle swim for 200 m, alternating arms every time you change direction. Get your legs moving by doing a one-minute vertical kick. Then, perform a 200 m breaststroke drill, doing two kicks for each arm pull. Follow this with a 200 m backstroke, focusing on body turn. Finish up with a leisurely 100 m warm-down.
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