Swimming for exercise

Options
2»

Replies

  • peeaanuut
    peeaanuut Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    and for all those that might have a lower level of cardio or cannot do the head turn properly such as myself, get a snorkel. I swim 30 minutes non stop laps using a snorkel. I can breath whenever I need to and can get a pretty good cardio workout without having to feel like I am dying. Do I look goofy? No idea, im underwater.

    http://youtu.be/CUYHHWB3yiE
  • gnalani
    gnalani Posts: 126
    Options
    I swim in prep for triathlons so I do laps, hundred and hundreds of laps. If you have proper form, you should be engaging your abs. Make sure your face is looking straight down at the bottom of the pool. It will force your hips up. Keep your knees straight and kick from your hip which works your core and hip flexors. Your whole body should be hovering just below the surface horizontal to the pool floor, not diagonally. Also work on really pulling your arms through the water, be intentional about using your arm muscles if that makes sense. Since I do the triathlon swim bike run training, I'm not sure what changes are from swimming specifically, but I usually feel my quads and hip flexors after swimming. I also mix in the breast stroke which burns my pathetically underdeveloped triceps :) But as I type all this, I am looking into getting swimming lessons because I can't for the life of me breathe on the left side without drowning, so I am by no means an expert! :)
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    Options
    I'm a medium-bad swimmer, but I do it to cross train and get some activity on days things hurt (or if I feel tense, it's amazing for that). I think, though, that it'd be good to have one stroke ready to go. Two are better, so you don't risk overuse injuries, if you're going to be doing it often and have vulnerabilities. Why not take lessons?

    As "last-ten-pounder", I think you're in a tough spot for using it for weight loss, though. Can you do strength + reduce cals from diet, as well?

    (fyi i just have a breaststroke and a crazy looking, slightly panicked almost-front-crawl. and a backstroke which is impossible to do in a public pool. and a side stroke, which people look at you funny if you do.)
  • acuthbert93
    acuthbert93 Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    The simple answer to the nose issue is just to breath out steadily through it any time you're under water. This is what you're supposed to do, and it is also really effective. Hope that helps!
  • Marionville
    Marionville Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Swimming is very good for flexibility, but not so good for heart fitness, unless it is done fast, to increase the heart-rate.

    Try interval training - 30 seconds of fast swimming with a 30 secs rest for say, 10 times.

    Increase this gradually to 60 secs or more, while decreasing the rest periods.

    Another good fitness exercise in the pool is running!
    Hold a rubber tube around, under the armpits and try to "run" with big strides, across the pool with the depth at about chest /shoulder level.

Categories