Start Swimming to Shape up for Summer

Posted on June 25th, 2009 in Exercise, Sport, Strenua's Challenge, Swimming, Training

Goggles With the great weather we have been having all week, I’m encouraged to get out and do some water sports this weekend. Whether you want to hire a rowing boat on a local lake, kayak down the river or just go for a walk by the sea, it is important that you know how to swim for your own personal safety. As a swimming teacher I encourage people to swim as it’s a great exercise to keep fit.

Swimming works the whole body including arms, legs, back, stomach, bum and shoulders without straining your joints and muscles. But aside from it being an essential survival skill and a form of exercise in its own right, being able to swim allows you to participate in many more exciting activities. Waterskiing, white water rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing, canoeing, sailing and aqua aerobics are just some of the sports available to you once you can swim.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been swimming about 3 times a week, yet in the last 2 weeks I have lost 1 pound in weight. I have although, lost half an inch from round my waist and hips so I think swimming has been helping me to tone up. Swimming burns around 3 calories a mile (1600m) per pound of body weight, so if at 130lbs I swim 1000m I work off around 244 calories. Not the highest calorie burning activity. After swimming I often feel hungry after I have finished and I have to be careful that I don’t over compensate for the energy I have just used up by eating too much. This is because after swimming your body temperature is maintained and your metabolism stabilised unlike outdoor sports such as running which increases your body temperature, reducing the immediate desire to eat, whilst increasing your metabolism for up to 18 hours.

The buoyancy of water reduces your body weight by 90%, so whilst swimming is not the best exercise for weight loss or building muscle, it is a great activity to recover from injury as muscles are supported by the water. If you participate in other sporting activities, swimming is great as a form of cross training to regular work outs or help as a cool down moving blood through body to help it recover. Swimming should be combined with other training as it does not prevent osteoporosis because it is not weight bearing.

If you never learnt to swim as a child, or you need more water confidence there are many classes an swimming sessions open to adults. At the pool at I teach at we have timid adult sessions, where you can borrow floats and practise on your own with instructors on the side to offer advice if you require it. Most people swim widths without the fear of swimming in the way of the sprinters who normally swim lengths in adult only sessions. For adults who have never swum before adult beginner classes are great, often with an instructor in the water with you. In the classes I teach there is a great support and friendship developing between the other adult swimmers.

Body fat floats better than muscle and bones, which are dense don’t float well, so women, older people and those who are not very muscular often have more fat and may float more easily. Don’t forget that the density of water is important so floating in the sea which contains salt is easier than in a swimming pool.

Here are the benefits of the 4 main strokes:

Breast Stroke-This is the stroke that burns up the least calories but it is a great stroke to train the heart and lungs. Breast stroke works the chest muscles, whilst training the inner thigh, triceps, hamstrings and shoulder. However, using good technique is important as swimming breast stroke with your head above water is bad for your neck and back.

Back Crawl-Burns more calories than breast stroke and is great for toning you abdominals, bum, legs, arms and shoulders. It’s also good for lengthening and stretching your body.

Front Crawl-This is the fastest stroke and a good calorie burner, tones your bum, abdominals and shoulders.

Butterfly-This is the hardest technical stroke, but burns more than double the calories of back crawl and breast stroke. Important to be able to swim other stokes before you attempt butterfly. You can also cause injuries if your technique is poor so get instruction. Once you can swim butterfly it’s great for developing upper body strength and flexibility, whist toning your chest, abdominals, triceps, and back.

For more information on swimming in your area contact your local leisure centre or British Swimming.