Swimming is a demanding exercise, so pace yourself when first starting out. It is an aerobic form of exercise, which improves your heart and lung health. You also work out the major muscle groups in your body when you swim, so it is an effective calorie burner. Eating healthfully and avoiding injury helps you reach your fitness goals.
Getting Started
Start easy when you begin a swimming fitness routine. You get more efficient in the water as you learn better technique, but do not be surprised if you feel exhausted after just one minute of swimming. Pace yourself, and do not try to keep up with the person in the lane next to you. Locate the "pace clock," which marks minutes and seconds, and time how long it takes you to complete 100 m at a comfortable pace.
Use that number to keep track of your fitness improvement over the weeks. You are more efficient in the water when you improve your technique, so consider swim lessons if you want to swim longer distances without having to stop to rest.
Burning Fat and Healthy Diet
Fat-burning workouts are slow and long. When you sprint fast, your body burns carbohydrates for quick energy, but when you do long moderately paced swims, you metabolize or burn stored fat as well, says USA Swimming. Swimming uses a lot of energy and the food you eat provides the fuel needed to propel you through the water. Eating empty calories, though, or foods high in refined sugars and fats does not provide the type of fuel you need. Healthful diets that improve your performance and overall fitness are high in fresh vegetables and whole grains and include lean protein and fruits. Swimming increases your appetite, so bring along a healthy snack to replenish your energy supplies post-workout.
Building Cardiovascular Fitness
Numerous slow laps in the pool work well to burn fat, but if you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness, you occasionally need to turn up the intensity of your workouts. When you swim at near-maximum effort, you increase your heart and breathing rates. After you warm up with some slow to moderate pace laps, try some short sprints. Swimming faster might leave you out of breath at first, but after a few workouts, your fitness level will improve.
Building Strength and Balance
You risk over-training certain muscles and leaving others weaker by comparison when you engage in strenuous swimming workouts. Swimming relies primarily on the upper body and shoulders, and overuse can lead to postural problems and back pain. You benefit by adding some strength-building swimming exercises to the regular lap swimming you perform. You work out your core abdominal muscles and legs by performing "vertical" flutter kicking, which is the freestyle kick performed in an upright position. Try kicking for one full minute between each lap you swim. Use a kick board and do freestyle or breaststroke kicking instead of straight swimming, and push off forcefully from the pool wall every time you change direction. Butterfly style or "dolphin" kicking on your back is good for strengthening abdominal muscles, and using long fins is helpful for beginners.
Considerations
Though you swim to improve your fitness, you might develop reactions to the water in which you exercise. When chlorine interacts with contaminants in the water, byproducts such as trichloramines can irritate sensitive swimmers' eyes, skin and lungs. If this happens, change indoor pools to find better-ventilated or maintained facilities, or whenever possible, swim outdoors.
Member Comments