Swimming is one of the cardiovascular exercises that burn calories and help you lose excess weight. During swimming, you use your muscles more to counter water resistance.
Many people think of the gym whenever a weight loss topic comes up. Hitting the gym for weight loss has become widespread; it’s common to find a gym next door jammed all day. It could be because a gym facility is readily available and more reliable. However, you could use other means, like swimming, to transform your body.
Swimming is a great way to cool your body on a hot sunny afternoon. More importantly, swimming is among the best ways to shed extra pounds. Studies show you can lose as much weight swimming as you can running. If you have muscle injuries or painful joints, swimming would be an ideal exercise to lose weight.
If you want to expend more calories, swimming provides a total-body cardio workout that is kind to your joints.
Use the following tips to get the most out of it:
1. Swim at a Higher Intensity
Losing weight depends on several factors, and swimming might not guarantee instant weight loss. How many calories you burn will depend on your weight, metabolism rate, and the intensity of your swimming exercise. Swimming is more intense and involves more energy when starting. So, you use extra energy and burn more calories.
Use an interval training approach to burn more calories in less time. Break the swimming exercise into workout sets. Interval training involves doing a higher intensity level of exercise for a set amount of time, then exercising at a moderate pace, and repeating.
As you become a water expert, the calories you burn reduce. It’s because you use less energy while swimming. You can still lose almost the same amount of fat by swimming harder and faster to keep your heart rate up.
2. Vary Your Strokes
Different strokes can result in higher calorie burn. Always keep your muscles and body guessing by trying different routines. You can try a more demanding routine like the butterfly stroke that burns the most calories. The variety of strokes available makes swimming an even more exciting exercise.
Have you ever tried early morning runs all alone? At first, it’s exciting, and you always want to go the extra mile. However, the routine becomes monotonous with time. Swimming is similar. If you stick to one style, you might get bored and abandon the whole exercise. If you switch to different muscles during a single session, more muscles gain enough strength to help you exercise longer.
3. Swim in the Morning
You wake up each morning probably hungry but more energetic. You may not love the idea, but a morning swim leaves your body starved and hungry to utilize the fat stores in your body. So, if you can access a pool before work, don’t hesitate. Immerse yourself in the water for a full-body workout.
4. Increase the Duration
More hours in the gym doing intense workouts translate to burning more calories. You can only swim for a few minutes more when starting your swimming sessions. Don’t be an instant hero by transitioning from five minutes on day one to thirty minutes on day two. That could be suicidal. Each day, add at least five minutes to your workout session time.
Losing weight isn’t a one-off event. It would help if you had consistency and hard work. If other people are leaving at 6:30, spend an extra 10 or 15 minutes in the pool and make comparison months later. The more time you spend swimming, the more calories you burn. So, aim at least four days a week to attain the best results possible.
Swimming is a very low-impact activity, so you can safely swim nearly every day. Swimming at least five days a week is possible by trying different strokes per session.
5. Alternate Swimming with Aerobics
Swimming daily might become tiresome. So, you can do water aerobics on your off days. Once you learn aerobics, use them to supplement your daily swimming exercises. Water aerobics involves walking on the shallow side of the pool or hopping up and down in the pool. Repeat these exercises at least five times for each aerobic exercise.
If you keep moving while in the pool, that’s enough cardio exercise.
6. Use Water Weights
Water weights might be unnecessary if you are just in the pool to keep fit and stretch a few muscles. But if you want to lose weight and tone up, do a few bicep curls with water dumbbells between laps. As you swim with the dumbbells, the water creates the resistance you need to build strength and endurance.
7. Work on Your Diet
Any weight loss program can only be successful with a diet management program. After all, you are aiming to burn calories. You must not continue eating calorie-rich foods if you aim to cut excess fats. Yet, swimming takes a lot of energy, so you must eat more often.
So, a diet plan is essential to avoid compromising the whole weight loss program. Add more vegetables to your plate if you must eat extra food to compensate for the lost energy during the swimming session. Also, consider taking a few protein shakes and enough water. But avoid cold water because it increases your appetite.
8. Use a Float or Pool Noodle
If you still shiver at the sight of water, consider using swim laps or pool noodles to keep you afloat. These tools should help you use your arms and legs maximally through the water.
Bottom line
Swimming is an excellent way to shed extra pounds and get into shape without going to the gym or doing morning runs. It’s an excellent option for struggling with joint pain and aggravated muscles. So, you don’t have to carry weights and do sit-ups to lose weight or remain physically fit. Swimming is an equally great workout for losing weight, increasing muscle tone, and strengthening your heart.
