Swimming is an activity that builds cardiovascular health as well as strengthens your muscles. Define what you want to achieve in a workout before getting into the pool because different swim exercises fulfill different goals. In addition, ensure that you have the equipment you need right at your fingertips so you can avoid getting in and out of the pool too often.
Equipment
Basic swim equipment is made up of a swim cap, goggles and a kickboard. For focused swim exercises, though, it's useful to add a set of swim paddles, a kickboard and fins. While most pools offer kickboards, few have pull buoys, fins or swim paddles. These pieces of equipment are easily purchased online or at a sporting goods store. When buying fins, look for those that encase your entire foot. These models are cheaper and more suited to swimming than those with a back-ankle strap, which typically come with longer scuba fins. Select a model that is tight enough not to slip off in the water, but not too tight as to cut off circulation. Swim paddles come in a variety of models, from simple slip-ons to webbed gloves. Select the version that feels most comfortable on your hand. Swim buoys are rounded floats that have depressions in the middle to make them easier to hold with your legs.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Intervals are one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular training. Intervals alternate bursts of high-energy swimming with lower-intensity recovery laps. To exercise your cardiovascular system and increase your overall fitness, add some interval training to your workout, or make it the sole focus of your time in the pool. Start with a warmup of about 15 minutes, swimming slow freestyle for eight laps and kicking with the kickboard for eight laps, four of freestyle and four of breaststroke. Begin with two laps at sprinting speed. Rest for 15 seconds and then swim four to six laps of easy freestyle. Repeat four times. Move to stroke exercises, or drills, or continue with intervals, alternating strokes to avoid overuse injuries.
Muscle Building
When you swim, you're constantly working against the resistance of the water. Aid in building long, lean muscles by focusing your workout on specific parts of a stroke. Use a kickboard and fins to swim kick drills that strengthen your legs. Kick freestyle at sprint speed for one lap, then easy freestyle kick for three laps. Kick backstroke for one lap, then recover for three laps. Put your kickboard up and grab your swim paddles and pull buoy. Pull yourself through the water, using the pull buoy to keep your legs afloat. Use the swim paddles to both refine your pull and add resistance, being careful with your technique to avoid overusing your shoulder and chest muscles -- don't cross over your body. Alternate your breathing pattern, breathing every three, then every five, then every seven strokes, to increase the cardiovascular challenge.
Considerations
Stroke technique is critical to your long-term swim program. Poor technique not only reduces the fun, but also adds to the potential for injury. If you find certain exercises taxing or cause discomfort, enroll in a swim clinic at the masters program at your pool or request a lesson from a private coach. If neither of these options is available, record your swim with a video recorder to evaluate your stroke and see where you can improve.
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