Boost your workout results in the pool

If your gym has a pool, you should be utilizing it as part of your workout.  A look at Michael Phelps or other elite swimmers should answer the question: can I get a good workout in the pool?

 

Swimming burns up to 750 calories per hour, so it’s very effective for fat burning and cardiovascular health.  A fully integrated swimming workout is remarkable for keeping in shape, and you may find that you may not even have to be as strict on your eating habits.

 

Each workout should take between 30 and 45 minutes, and you’ll want to be in the pool at least four times per week – preferably five, if you can swing it.

 

The stroke can vary according to your personal tastes.  Beginners might opt for the backstroke, and proceed onward to breaststroke, freestyle, or sidestroke.

 

For those just starting out, warm up either outside the pool and stretch out, or tread water for several minutes and get out of the pool to stretch.  Swim 10 lengths of the pool, taking 30 seconds between each lap.  Each week you can add 100 meters (or more, if you like) to start increasing your intensity.

 

As you grow more accustomed to your new workout, you can move on to something more challenging.  Start your workout with a 200-meter swim, after which you can stretch out.  Follow that with a 100-meter swim, and break up your workout with a set of push-ups and crunches.  Repeat for 10 sets.  Now THAT is a workout.

 

Professional trainers recommend starting your swimming workout after your weight lifting session, since your body will have already shifted into fat burning mode.

 

Swimming is a great workout.  It is low-impact, making it an ideal workout for those of any age, and particularly effective for those who suffer from chronic pain.

 

Swimming also has a mental health component.  It’s meditative in nature, because unlike other workout forms, you can’t listen to music or look at a magazine while doing it.  Concentrate on your strokes, think of a calming mantra, or just stay in the moment while you’re swimming, and you can experience the calming effects of regular meditation.

 

Hopefully, I’ve been able to convince you to add a swimming component to your overall workout regimen is worth considering.  While your workout plan probably isn’t complete with swimming alone, your workout without swimming is missing something pretty amazing.  Give it a try!