Swmming was made for summer. With its hot, sunny days and long, light evenings, there really is no better time to dig out that cossie and cool off in the water. But that’s not the only benefit.
Whether you love a casual breaststroke in your local pool or aceing butterfly in the Aquatics Centre, swimming can make serious waves when it comes to weight loss. ‘It’s not unreasonable to expect to burn 60 calories for every 10 minutes of breaststroke and up to 150 calories for 10 minutes of butterfly,’ says Aqua Sphere’s Fiona Walker (aquasphereswim.com). ‘Calorie burning can be boosted by swimming in short bursts then resting – high-intensity training workouts can be adapted for the pool, too.’
It’s not just the slim-down effect that swimming has, either. For general fitness with little impact on the body as well as all-overtoning, the pool is the place to be. ‘Swimming works the entire body and is one of the best aerobic exercises for strengthening the heart, helping it become more efficient and leading to better blood flow,’ explains Fiona. ‘The body is also lighter because the water bears the brunt of its weight, making it ideal for working stiff muscles and sore joints without harsh impact on the skeleton.’
Anyone can do it
Beginners to exercise can massively benefit from swimming. The great thing is, due to its low-impact nature, it’s suitable for almost anyone, as long as you know how! And if you don’t, it may well be worth taking up lessons to make sure you’re not missing out on reaping the rewards.
Karen Pickering, world champion swimmer and ambassador for the Human Race open-water swim series (humanrace.co.uk/swimming), praises swimming for its mass appeal. ‘Not only is it a great all-round body workout that burns loads of calories, it also appeals to people recovering from injury, those involved in sports, older people, pregnant ladies and those looking to tone up – no matter what your age,’ she says.
If you’re new to the pool, don’t let it overwhelm you. The water can help you take the weight off – literally! ‘Use equipment to help if you haven’t swum in a while,’ says Karen. ‘Kickboards and pull buoys allow you to use arms or legs only, rather than a full stroke.’ And if you’re injured or rehabilitating, swimming could really help you get back on track. Again, equipment like a kickboard or pull buoy can help, as these isolate muscles and will work a weaker muscle harder. ‘The gentle resistance of the water is also good for your joints,’ Karen adds.
Depending on your goal, you should also try to use a range of strokes – this way you’re really giving your whole body a workout by targeting all the various muscle groups, which will up your fat-burn potential. ‘Mix up the pace with a bit of fast swimming, too, to get the blood pumping,’ advises Karen. Take a few lessons, if you need, to help improve your strokes and get you in the fast lane!
Great all rounder
Swimming makes a fantastic complementary exercise to other workouts, too. Whether you’re a regular runner or love lifting weights, a few lengths in the pool will help you get even fitter and stronger, boosting your results in no time. ‘Swimming is good for flexibility, core strength, breath control and strengthening the lungs, rehabilitation, general fitness, endurance muscle toning, power and recovery,’ explains Karen. ‘All these elements are vital to athletes from any sport and in the pool you can work on them with little chance of injury.’ Ready to reap the benefits of swimming this summer and get some serious weight-loss results? Before you hit the pool, head to page 64 for our technique guide from swim expert Steven Shaw – plus our amazing three-week slim-down swim plan!
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