The most common questions people have about swimming and losing weight.
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There are very few workouts out there that attack all muscles and joints in your body at once — swimming is one of them. Not just a great way to cool off on a hot day, swimming has got to be one of the most effective types of workouts a person can engage in. And whereas other types of workouts require gym memberships or spending money on expensive equipment, working out by swimming is one of the more budget-friendly options to exercise.
Yes, swimming can help you lose weight. But, more than that, swimming the correct way can help you burn the fats quicker! Knowing the best swimming routines can help you acquire two things: an exercise program you can stick to and get you the best results in the shortest amount of time.
That’s why below, we have listed some of the most frequently asked questions about swimming to lose weight and tips on how to get the desired results:
How to lose weight by swimming every day?
According to many fitness specialists, activities like running and swimming are easy but effective exercises that, with consistency, help you lose weight or achieve a nice, toned physique. But unlike running, swimming is a low-impact exercise that is less likely to cause injuries. And since a lot of poeple already love going for a swim, swimming everyday presents a unique exercise that is enjoyable as it is effective.
Though the act of swimming itself burns calories and workouts almost all the muscles in the body, here are some tips to get the most out of your everyday swims:
- Start slow in the beginning. Though swimming from one side of the pool to the other seems like a fairly easy enough task to do, for most people doing more than one or two laps is enough to leave them breathless. Swimming for 15-20 minutes every day is a good place to start then slowly increase the duration every week as your stamina gets stronger.
- It’s best to do it in the mornings. If you have access to a pool in the morning, it would be ideal to do your daily swims before having breakfast. Doing so will leave your body in a fasted state and use up its stores of fat throughout the day.
- Push yourself to go faster or do more laps. With enough time, you will find yourself building more and more endurance. Pretty soon, you’ll find that you’re able to do more laps than you could a few weeks ago. At this point, you should increase the intensity of your routine to ensure you don’t hit a plateau where your weight is just maintaining.
- Try new routines or strokes. As stated, to avoid hitting a plateau, you need to regularly increase the intensity of your workouts. You can do this by adding new, harder strokes into your routine or incorporating other water exercises into your daily swims. Water weights and water aerobics, for example, are great ways to switch up your swimming routines and keep them from going stale.
- Swim for 4 or 5 days a week. It is just as important to know when to take breaks. Allowing for 2-3 days of rest or other activities not only lets your body have time to heal and get stronger, but also prevents you from getting bored or frustrated with the daily routine.
- Adjust your diet too. As important as working out is to losing weight, it’s only half of the equation. The truth is, losing weight has more to do with the diet you adhere to than anything else. Daily swimming burns calories the best when paired with a low-carb, high protein diet.
Can swimming every day burn belly fat?
If you’re looking for an exercise that will burn ONLY your belly fat quickly, then swimming might not be for you. Swimming burns fat all over your body, belly included, and it does so in a proportional way.
If you are looking to burn belly fat with daily swimming, then you need to adhere to a strict regimen. There is a specific manner to swim if you want to lose belly fat which includes the following:
- Swimming straight. Kind of like planking, make sure that when you swim your entire body is straight. You should feel the tension in your core muscles and your back being kept in a straight line.
- Treading water. A great way to work out the stomach muscles, especially at the end of a swimming session, is to go to the deep end of the pool and tread the water intensely for 15 minutes.
- Cardio swimming. Cardio swimming entails swimming continuously for about 15 minutes while trying to maintain a high heart rate. Explosive workouts like these burn the most calories during and after the session.
Swimming a distance of about 50 yards a minute can help you burn more than 600 calories an hour. To lose one pound, you would need to burn about 3500 calories. So, if you were to swim just 3 hours a week, you would be burning off one pound in two weeks. And that does not even account for dietary changes or other forms of workouts you might want to incorporate into your routine.
To attack belly fat, try engaging in some resistance training a few times a week or adding water weights to your swims too. Adding these things can complement your swimming exercises and burn the calories particularly stored in the abdominal region.
How does swimming every day affect your body?
If you’ve ever seen the bodies of swimmers, you’ll understand how swimming can change your body. Not particularly for someone looking to bulk up, swimmers’ bodies are more toned and elongated with broad shoulders. In the first weeks of exercising, it is not uncommon to experience soreness in all parts of the body. Unlike other workouts, every muscle is utilized in swimming and, over time, you’ll find that they gain definition.
- Arms and Shoulders: Breaststroke, front crawl, butterfly, and back crawl will give your arm and shoulder muscles more tone. They and the legs are usually the first ones to begin to look sculpted.
- Legs: Thighs, calves, and other leg muscles begin to appear sculpted as time goes by.
- Abdominals: As the belly fat burns off, your abdominal muscles gain definition. The whole belly area flattens.
- Back: Swimming does wonders for your back muscles too, especially when you do the backstroke.
What are the other health benefits of swimming daily?
Humans have been swimming for thousands of years and with good reason. The benefits of swimming go beyond just weight loss, it encompasses lifestyle improvements and mental health as well. Though researchers are constantly finding new things that make swimming a worthwhile activity, some of the known benefits of swimming to the health include but are not limited to:
- Increased Endurance. Where before you could climb five flights of stairs without wanting to faint after regular swimming exercise you’ll find that you have the energy to climb higher, walk farther, and generally have more energy to tackle the tasks of the day.
- Stronger Heart and Lungs. The heart and lungs are just like any other muscle, they need to be worked out to get stronger. Swimming daily forces you to breathe heavily and increase your heart rate — those organs get much-needed exercise as a result plus it also helps avoid any diseases or illnesses that might arise in later life.
- Improves Coordination, Balance, and Posture. Many of us suffer from bad posture which is often the result of poor muscle strength and being overweight. If left unchecked, these things can lead to joint and bone diseases in later life. Swimming every day helps you avoid such outcomes by improving moisture and burning off excess weight.
- Considered a Peaceful and Relaxing Method of Exercising. Unlike other high-intensity workouts, people gravitate to swimming because it keeps them cool and relaxed throughout the session. It is unique in being both an exercise and a hobby for many swimmers.
- It’s Inexpensive. Paying for admission to a pool, or using a pool you might have in your backyard or building, is considerably cheaper than paying for gym subscriptions or workout equipment. For a person on a budget who’s looking to exercise without breaking the bank, swimming is one such money-saving option.
Bottom line
We certainly hope this article was helpful to you and answered some of the questions you might have about swimming and weight loss. The best thing about swimming to lose weight is that anyone can do it. If you know how to swim, then you already know of a quick and easy way to deal with those extra pounds you’ve been trying to lose.
Easy, affordable, and lots of fun, all you need to do to lose weight is to jump into the water and get started.
