Swimming Workout
Swimming is a Great Fitness Activity
If you want to get fit, improve your health
and lose weight, swimming is an excellent workout. A sustained swim provides
a total body workout with good cardiovascular benefits, as swimming uses
most of the large muscle groups (eg. lats, pecs, gluteus maximus and abs)
and raises your heart rate in the process. This helps to burn a high number
of calories, which makes swimming an excellent fitness option if you want
to lose weight. Plus, because water supports body weight, swimming is
a non weight-bearing activity and there is no stress on the joints or
bones. So no matter how overweight you are, you can swim laps without
the risk of injury. Indeed, many overweight people claim it offers significant
physical relief because their body feels light and energized. Swimming
is also a very valuable fitness workout for anyone in rehabilitation after
sustaining a physical injury.
How Many Calories Does Swimming Burn?
A swim lasting about 30 minutes burns 250-350
calories. [This is based on a 150-pound woman. If you weigh more, you’ll
burn extra calories; if you weigh less, you’ll burn fewer calories.]
How Does Swimming Help Weight Loss?
We expend a lot of energy while swimming.
Water exercise is high in resistance as moving limbs through water is
12 times harder than out of water. This alone helps us to lose body fat.
Also, this type of aqua-aerobic workout strengthens and builds muscle,
which raises your resting metabolic rate (the speed you burn calories).
So you continue to burn extra calories even after you leave the pool.
How Often Should I Swim For Optimum Weight
Loss?
Beginner
Swim freestyle for about 300 yards every second day, 3 times a week for
up to 3 months. Aim to work up to swimming non-stop for 10 minutes at
a time.
Medium
Aim to swim up to 500 yards in about 15 minutes without stopping, at least
3 times a week for 2 months.
Advanced
Swim 600 yards (24 laps in a 25-yard pool) to 800 yards without stopping,
3 times a week. Vary your strokes to include crawl, butterfly and backstroke.
This should take 30 minutes.
How To Start Swimming?
Although it’s important (for cardio
benefits) to swim at a consistent pace for at least 15 minutes to get
the heart pumping and burn body fat, you should build up to this training
level gradually. Plan a realistic swimming schedule to help you increase
the number of laps swum. And remember to warm up and cool down with a
few stretches, before and after your water workout.
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