Swimming for weight loss and toning up is a wonderful activity because it allows you to minimize the stress on your body while still getting the necessary exercise. Because a swimming weight loss plan involves low-impact exercise, your knees, hips, and back don’t have the added stress caused by other forms of exercise.
Unlike running, cycling, and many other forms of cardio, swimming provides a full-body workout. Muscles in the lower body, upper body, core, and back will be worked and strengthened during a good swim workout. In addition to these muscles, swimming also helps strengthen both the heart and the lungs.
The key to burning fat while swimming is to do high-intensity training, distance training, or both. A review in “The Ochsner Journal” reports that after 30 minutes of cardio, your body begins to burn fat for fuel. Therefore, when swimming to burn fat, aim to complete more than 30 minutes of low to moderate intensity swimming to help burn excess body fat. High intensity workouts are a bit more complex. You swim as hard as you can for a short, set period of time (usually two minutes or less), then back up for a predetermined rest interval (usually three minutes or less) and repeat the cycle four or more times.
According to the American Heart Association, 30 to 60 minutes of swimming 4 to 6 days a week can help people lose weight and reduce health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Even if you’re not a serious swimmer, spending time in the pool doing other exercises like water yoga, leg swings, or arm circles will be beneficial to your overall health and wellness. You can even use the swim ladder or pool steps to create simple training exercises.
Regardless of the training technique you use, be sure to have fun. Yes, even tough workouts can have a bit of fun to keep you motivated. People almost always lose interest in swimming exercises because they get bored and not having fun.
Learn several different swimming styles. In this way you will have a repertoire of strokes that you can perform depending on your mood during training. The backstroke is a wonderful swimming exercise to watch the sky and play the “name that cloud” game as you complete your laps.
Find a swim buddy who is also interested in swimming to stay fit. If you go to a particular pool regularly, you will probably make friends with like-minded swimmers, making your workouts more enjoyable and challenging.
If you can’t find a swimming partner, let your dog join in the fun. Many dogs love to swim and would gladly cheer you on as they swim alongside you. Just remember to keep things safe by having a set of dog steps that allow him to get in and out of the pool without your intervention while you focus on your training.
In general, the benefits of swimming for weight loss are limitless; Swimming exercises are a great option because they work your heart, lungs, and muscles throughout your body. So, stop procrastinating, get some dog stairs for your canine swimming buddy, and get swimming today!