Swimming provides an effective cardio workout and lengthens and strengthens the core, arms and legs. In addition, swimming minimizes depression and tension. Since it's performed in water, swimming makes you buoyant, so it's easy on your joints. However, it is not an impact-bearing workout, so it doesn't help build or maintain your bones. Starting an aquatic workout doesn't take much equipment, but a few key pieces are critical, as is basic technique.
Equipment
You need only a few items when starting a swim workout: cap, swimsuit, goggles, sunscreen and kickboard. A swim cap protects your hair and, if you have long hair, keeps it out of your eyes and mouth as you move through the water. Your swimsuit needs to be built for workouts. Recreational suits can't withstand the force with which you push off the wall and shoulder straps may interfere with proper arm movement. You also want material that can withstand immersion in chlorine and retain its shape. Reputable sports manufacturers make the suits, all of which are numbered. For women, the number roughly equates to the strap measurement for your bra. Try the suit on before buying, as manufacturers vary. Goggles are available tinted or clear, one piece or with a nose piece and with multiple varieties of straps. If you're swimming outdoors, select a tinted goggle. Try goggles on before buying. They should stay attached around your eye socket without compressing too heavily. Select waterproof sunscreen to ensure you don't burn when working out. Many pools provide kickboards, but if yours doesn't, select one that you can comfortably hold between your hands with your arms outstretched.
Technique
If you're new to swimming or returning after some time away, consider purchasing a few swim lessons to refine your technique. Proper technique helps minimize the potential for injury, especially swimmer's shoulder, caused by overreaching on your forward arm movement. In addition, you can injure your neck if you don't know how to breathe on both sides, called bilateral breathing, when swimming freestyle.
Initial Laps
Don't be surprised if you find that one lap of the pool leaves you breathless. It's not necessarily evidence of poor cardio conditioning. Swimming requires controlled breathing, which can be difficult to master. Swimming one length of the pool increases your heart rate, with only limited access to air. This can leave you breathless once you reach the opposite end. Start with swimming one lap, then two, then move on as you feel comfortable.
Kicking
A kicking lap is a way to recover from initial breathlessness and still maintain a workout. Kicking freestyle -- a scissor-like movement of the legs -- increases your heart rate, works your thighs and core, and keeps you moving in the water. A breaststroke kick, which can be difficult to master, works your inner thighs and legs. Think of kicking behind yourself, mimicking a frog's leg movements, to get started.
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