Swimming is probably not at the top of your list of exercises that can help you lose weight. Run, indeed. Certainly. strength training. though swimming? Is splashing around actually effective at burning fat?
It is, says Stacy Caprio, a former swim coach and Red Cross instructor of water safety. She claims that swimming is one of the best activities for toning and slenderizing the complete body. Your back muscles help you propel yourself forward while your arms and legs help you stay afloat. Additionally, swimming can be a nice break if you’re sick of walking or running as a type of cardio.
The best part is that you can reap the benefits without committing to a training regimen a la Michael Phelps. Here are several reasons why swimming is a great workout for losing weight, along with some helpful advice for getting started.
How swimming can help you lose weight?
Like all forms of cardiovascular exercise, swimming can aid in weight loss by burning calories. Contrary to walking or running, however, moving through the water generates additional resistance, requiring you to utilise more muscle.
Swimming gives you a full-body exercise and better overall muscle definition than other cardio activities like running since it tones your upper body, lower body, and core all at once. For instance, the backstroke and butterfly develop your back, abs, and quadriceps, while the breaststroke and butterfly train your shoulders, arms, and chest.
Additionally, you are burning more calories as you add more muscle. Just 30 minutes of breaststroke swimming can burn about 367 calories, whereas 30 minutes of freestyle swimming can burn about 404 calories. In contrast, brisk walking for 30 minutes would only burn 100 calories, while running for 30 minutes at 6 mph would burn 300 calories.
Another benefit? The advantages of swimming for burning fat are quickly felt. A significant percentage of body fat was reduced in just 12 weeks by middle-aged women who swam for 60 minutes three times each week, according to research. Additionally, they increased their stamina, enhanced their flexibility, and even reduced their cholesterol.
Also Read ABout How to Train to Walks a 5K in Just 6 Weeks
Can swimming aid with abdominal fat loss?
Keep in mind that any exercise will help you lose weight all over, including the area around your midsection. Additionally, some swimming drills, such as flutter kicks (lower abs) and butterfly kicks, focus on your core particularly (obliques). In fact, according to a 2015 research published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, women who swam three times per week lost more belly and hip fat than those who walked three times per week.
The low-impact nature of water-based exercises makes them generally easier on your feet, knees, and hips. Swimming can help you gain muscle and improve your cardiovascular health without putting as much strain on your body as, example, running would.
How much swimming is required to lose weight?
Everything is dependent on how rigorous your training is. An hour of brisk swimming burns about 800 calories. You may lose three to four pounds in a month by doing that four times each week. (To shed one pound, you must expend 3,500 calories.)
prefer a less forceful strategy? A 30-minute swim at a moderate speed burns about 250 calories. You will lose a little bit more than a pound if you do that four times per week for a month.
However, because every body is unique, research indicates that even when people engage in the same amount of activity, some people may lose more or less weight than others. Making workouts like swimming a regular part of your schedule, however, can assist you in achieving or maintaining a healthy weight. If you’re attempting to lose weight, try to swim for about an hour each day or engage in other moderate to intense activity.
Also Read ABout How to Train to Walks a 5K in Just 6 Weeks
How does swimming exercise look?
There are swimming routines for every skill level, but here is an example of what a beginner might do in the water:
Beginner swim workout: 500 yards
Warmup
4 x 25 yards, 40 seconds rest in between
2 x 25 yards butterfly with 2 strokes right and 2 strokes left arm
2 x 25 yards backstroke with 2 strokes right and 2 strokes left arm
2 x 25 yards breaststroke with 1 stroke and 2 kicks
2 x 25 yards freestyle stroke catchup (keep one arm outstretched while the other strokes and touches the hand on the opposite arm)
Do the following exercises twice, with the second round’s interval being shorter (or taking less rest).
50 yards of 1x
2.5 yards
How to get the most out of your swimming workout
If you’ve never done it before, swimming for exercise might seem a little intimidating, but getting started is simple. Expert advice is provided below:
Start with a basic motion.
According to former USA Swimming national competitor Stella Metsovas, the best strokes for beginners are breaststroke and freestyle because they are the simplest to learn. You can experiment with harder ones like the backstroke or butterfly once you have those down.
Purchase a kickboard.
Kicking can seem difficult and even unpleasant if your hips are tight. Doing laps with a kickboard, however, will help you loosen up and increase your range of motion, according to Metsovas.
Boost the speed.
According to Metsovas, intervals are a terrific method to up the intensity of your workout and burn more calories. Try sprinting strongly and quickly for one lap, recuperating for two laps at a slower speed, and repeating as needed.
Do a breathing check.
Ineffective breathing habits might make it more difficult to settle into a rhythm and hasten your rate of fatigue. Every time they breathe, many people raise their heads excessively, which disturbs the flow of their stroke, according to Caprio. She advises that you work on turning your head just enough so that you may breathe from your mouth without actually lifting your head out of the water.
Prepared to jump in? If you want to utilise a pool, see if it’s available at your local YMCA, the gym down the street, or your neighbourhood pool. When it becomes warmer, you might want to schedule a couple weekly trips to the closest lake or beach to fit in a swim.
Stock up on the swimming accessories listed below after that, and don’t forget to acquire a cute coverup!