Healthy swimming and Weight Loss
Dec 20, 2023
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Do you have the impression that some kinds of swimming barely count as sports, like silver-haired old men gliding through the water with stately steps? If so, you're wrong! Swimming is a very effective way to lose weight.
Gliding through the water, with even strokes and a feeling of quasi-weightlessness -- swimming often feels contemplative. Surrounded by the green tiles of the pool and the coolness of the water, the daily stress can be swept away. But relaxation isn't the only benefit of pool exercise.
Swimming can also be used as a healthy way to lose weight.
For example, unlike running, swimming causes mild damage to joints and ligaments. The buoyancy of the water provides a welcome break from the joints that wear away enough in daily life. When you swim, you only bear 10% of your body weight.
This pool-based exercise is also good for the legs, preventing varicose veins, spider veins, and swelling because it reduces pressure on the veins. Swimming also strengthens your upper body, improves your health and the condition of your cardiovascular system, speeds up your metabolism, and can help with neck or back problems as it relaxes your muscles and relieves tension.
Swimming for Weight Loss - Why is it so effective?
Some people dismissively refer to swimming as "counting tiles" because swimming is considered so monotonous and lethargic. But nothing could be further from the truth! Water exercises more muscles than most other exercises performed at the same time because it uses not only the legs and gluteal muscles, but also the arms, shoulders, chest, and back -- in other words, the entire upper body. Swimming can even help you achieve that notoriously difficult goal of losing weight around your abdomen. Water exercises are especially good for your muscles because water has 14 times more resistance than air.
This means that even a simple swim in a pool can burn up to 500 calories an hour. In a swimming pool, you can set fire to up to 700 people. The data is based on breaststroke. Other strokes, such as the crawl or butterfly, may burn more calories because they require more effort.
Burn calories in the pool: Form matters!
As we said, the maximum number of calories you are likely to burn in the pool depends on the individual's stroke. But your form in the water naturally plays a role, too. If your stroke is not managed properly, you are more likely to be injured than to lose weight. Therefore, your first step should be to adapt your technique.
But which move is the best for losing weight? According to Elma Terenz-Karis, a sports scientist at the Preventive and Rehabilitation University of Cologne (IPN), the front crawl is the most effective stroke if the swimmer has practiced to a level where he or she cannot rest or gasp for a long time. Crawling is also a particularly good option for training at different paces and intensifiers -- an essential part of training for those who want to speed up fat burning in the pool. It puts an even load on the legs, lower body, and upper body while strengthening all your muscles.
But if you haven't mastered the art of crawling yet, fear not -- breaststroke can still help you lose weight. Many amateur swimmers like this style of swimming. Breaststroke is also a good way to work your belly.
Lose weight - People without a plan are doomed to fail!
Similar to swimming endurance exercise on land, interval training is the easiest way to lose weight. Instead of sprinting up and down the lane at a comfortable pace, you should force yourself to swim faster and faster in short bursts and then take quick breaks. Creating a training routine every few weeks can help you stick to it.
The first week's sample looks like this. Three pool activities per week:
On the first day (Monday), warm up by swimming 150 meters at an easy pace, followed by 10 fast swims, 15 seconds apart. Swim 150 meters at a slower speed to cool off.
Take a day off before your next practice.
On Wednesday, repeat the 150-meter warm-up. This time, complete four 200-meter intervals at a brisk pace, with a 60-second rest after each interval, followed by a 150-meter cool.
On Friday, start another 150-meter warm-up. Then swim 200/150/100/50m reverse ladder; Repeat the whole thing once. Rest for 30 seconds after each interval. Swim 150 meters to cool down.
Regular training increases the likelihood of success.
How often should you go to the pool? In general, if you swim for 30 to 45 minutes three to four times a week, you are more likely to lose weight through swimming.
But all the training techniques in the world won't help you if you run too fast and only focus on burning as many calories as possible. This is bad news for endurance and skill. Instead, at least the first 100 meters of each workout should be a warm-up and the last 100 or 200 meters should be a cooling down. Be sure to vary your speed and swim time throughout the main part of your workout without taking breaks.
Swimming - the tool of the trade for weight loss
Are you tired of the idea of simply getting in and out of the pool? Are you looking for more variety in your swimming life? There are many different tools you can use to challenge yourself. Swimming fins are a good example for beginners and experts alike. They make it possible to target your leg muscles, hone your lower body skills, and improve your ankle flexibility.
Paddle and pole buoys are only available to swimmers wearing seat belts. OARS can be described as flippers of the hand.
Swimmers use them to increase the size of their palms, thereby increasing water resistance. Make every stroke harder. Pull the buoy between your upper thighs to give your hips more buoyancy. They increase the swimmer's stability and improve his or her position in the water. This makes it easier to focus on the arms and ensure that they perform the relevant movements with the correct technique.