Whether swimming a race or jumping in for a workout, you can prepare yourself mentally for your swim. Being prepared makes a workout more comfortable in any sport, but swimming involves a significant environmental changes, modifies your buoyancy and affects your ability to breathe. This makes mental preparation particularly crucial when swimming. While this may seem daunting, swimming is a terrific workout, burning up to 500 calories per hour of lap swimming for those who weigh about 160 lbs. In addition, the sport minimizes impact on the joints, making it approachable if you're obese or recovering from injury.
Step 1
Check your gear. Sunscreen, swim goggles, cap, swim fins, hand paddles, pull buoy and kickboard are all helpful when gearing yourself up for a swim. While you don't need all of these tools, sunscreen, a kickboard, goggles and cap are critical to feeling like you're well-prepared for a workout.
Step 2
Have your suit ready. Whether you wear your suit to the pool or change during a lunchtime swim, ensure that your suit fits comfortably and is appropriate for the activity. Recreational suits are attractive, but could interfere with proper stroke form and are prone to sliding off when you push off from the side or dive in. To avoid embarrassment or poor form, use a suit designed for swimming competitively even if lap swimming is your primary goal.
Step 3
Decide what you'll do before you're in the water. Print a workout from an online source, such as USMS.org, the masters swim site. Put the workout into a plastic sleeve to avoid losing your workout information to stray splashing.
Step 4
Plan for a warm-up. The first lap or two is often the hardest. The combination of the shock of cold water and the change in environment can leave you breathless and disheartened. Use the first 10 minutes of your workout time to ease into your workout and help you feel comfortable in the water.
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