For those individuals who are looking to lose 10 pounds, swimming is a unique and affective alternative to other forms of cardio like running or biking. Swimming is one of the healthiest forms of cardiovascular exercise because it works out the entire body. Additionally, swimming provides a low-impact form of exercise. Regardless of your swimming ability, with some practice, you should be able to lose weight when swimming.
What are the Health Benefits of Swimming?
According to the American Heart Association, 30 to 60 minutes of swimming most days of the week can help individuals lose weight and reduce health risks such as stoke, diabetes and heart disease.
Unlike running and many other forms of cardio, swimming provides a full body workout. Muscles in the lower body, upper body, core and back will all be strengthen during a swimming workout. In addition to these muscles, swimming also helps strengthen the heart and lungs.
Swimming is described as the best form of cardiovascular exercise for individuals with joint problems. This low-impact exercise does not put additional stress upon knees, hips or backs, unlike running or biking.
How to Lose Weight Swimming
Combined with a healthy, well-balanced diet, individuals who commit themselves to a regular swimming routine should be able to lose weight. The most efficient way to lose weight would be to spend 60 minutes a day, 4 to 6 days a week in the pool.
If you are new to swimming, start slowly. During the first week, begin by doing swimming intervals. You will swim for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. As this gets easier, begin to increase your swimming time and reduce your rest interval. Repeat for 30 minutes. Aim to advance to 60 minutes and to the point where you can swim up to 20 laps, or 500 meters, without stopping.
For more advanced swimmers, to be able to lose weight, you will need to maintain proper form and keep your heart rate elevated to reap the benefits of this cardiovascular exercise. Like the above routine, you will want to focus upon interval training. Try to sprint for three laps and then swim one lap slowly. At the end of the last lap, stop and rest for 30 seconds. Continue to repeat this process for 60 minutes. To avoid boredom, consider switching to different stokes such as backstroke or the ever challenging butterfly. Additionally, you can add kicking exercise, where you utilize a kick board, to your routine.
Appetite Warning
The University of Florida completed a 3 month study of swimming and determined that certain individuals actually gained weight when following a swimming regiment. This research determined that some people have their appetites stimulated after prolonged exposure to cold water temperatures. Be aware of this situation and refrain from eating back all those calories you burned during your workout. Follow a caloric restrictive diet to achieve your weight loss goals. The Mayo Clinic supports caloric restrictive diets that are between 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day.
