When it comes to an all-inclusive exercise that can help you burn calories and lose excess weight, all without putting excessive strain on the body, nothing can come close to swimming. Whether you are training at a competitive level, or enjoying a few brief laps around your local pool, you can set your own pace to determine exactly what you would like to reap from a swimming for weight loss routine.
Although swimming is both relaxing and enjoyable, how can it assist you in achieving a healthy body weight?
The benefits of swimming for weight loss
Swimming burns a large amount of calories which in turn helps you to lose weight. For years, swimming has been praised for its numerous cardiovascular health benefits, especially in seniors. Because swimming utilizes many sets of muscles in the body, your lungs and heart must work overtime to supply them with oxygen. This means that not only will swimming help to build lean muscle tissue, it will also give your cardiovascular system an incredible workout.
Any exercise that increases your heart rate is beneficial to the entire body. As your lungs and heart become stronger, you will be able to swim for longer periods before needing a rest, which can decrease your resting heart rate and blood pressure readings over time. Swimming on a regular basis will not only stimulate weight loss, it will improve your overall health. It can also help to reduce your risk of developing heart attack, stroke, type II diabetes and heart disease.
Can swimming workouts for weight loss improve overall strength?
Swimming is an excellent resistance exercise because your body is constantly struggling against the force of the water in order to propel your body forward. It is an incredible exercise for developing strength in the upper body.
As you progress through your swimming to lose weight routine, your muscles will become stronger, which will burn more fat. The longer you swim and more proficient you become, the more calories you will burn.
Other benefits of swimming
Many top athletes use swimming as a way to recover from injury. Because it is low impact, yet still builds cardiovascular endurance, many individuals who are looking to exercise after an accident or injury take up swimming.
Swimming is a great way to reduce stress. Studies have shown that increased stress levels can lower the immune system, leaving you susceptible to many diseases.
How to start a your swimming weight loss routine
If you are interested in starting a swimming routine, but are unsure how to go about it, the following tips should help get you on your way.
- Conduct a search for local pools in your area, and find a swimming time that suits you. Most public facilities offer various swimming times for certain groups of people, such as mother and toddlers, men only, women only and senior citizens only.
- Devise a schedule dedicated solely to swimming. If you are a beginner, you should aim for at least one day per week.
- Treat swimming as you would any other exercise. Warm up properly before beginning in order to avoid injury.
- Never neglect your leg muscles when swimming. This is a common mistake among beginners. Stretching them properly before beginning will help prevent cramps.
- If you need motivation to stick to your new swimming routine, recruit a friend to swim with you.
- When beginning a new swimming routine, do not push yourself too hard. Start out by swimming a few laps around the pool to determine your level of endurance, and gradually increase the number of laps you swim every week.
- In order to prevent boredom, practice learning a few different swimming strokes, such as a breaststroke or backstroke.
- Check with your local pool to see if they offer any swimming clubs. Many facilities offer clubs that meet together one time a week. This is a great way to meet new friends and increase your motivation.
As you can see, swimming is an excellent way to lose weight and increase your core strength. Swimming for just 30 to 60 minutes, 4 times per week, can significantly reduce your risk of type II diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and various cancers, as well as lowering bad levels of cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol, and bringing your blood pressure reading into a normal range.
Because it is low impact, it is an ideal exercise for obese individuals who suffer from joint pain, or those who have been involved in an accident or suffer from an injury. Swimming truly is a full body workout with significant benefits.
