Swimming days and time

twon070377
twon070377 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi y'all.
I am near the end of my 2nd year of weight loss journey. The 1st year I lost weight the 2nd year I maintained that.
I do a 30 minute step Class at the YMCA on Monday and Tuesday.
I was doing other group classes as well but I am sticking with that one.
I just added the treadmill with a 4.0 incline and a 2.0 speed for 30 minutes Monday through Friday
and lifting weights with the activ trax app that tells me what machine, how much weight, and reps. It's great.
But my question is I want to do laps in the pool on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I was thinking 3 days a week and 30 minutes should be okay or should it be for 1 hour?
I am looking to tone and lose more weight going into my 3rd year. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    Are you a good swimmer? Go for it! What is your concern, exactly?
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    Swimming is a great exercise. No pounding on the joints, builds strength, burns calories.

    That said, I have the same question as @cmriverside above. A few details would be helpful.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited October 2023
    Is your question because you want to replace one form of cardio with swimming, and want to keep the same calorie burn?

    To get swimming calories, I use the MFP entry "Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort."

    If you haven't been swimming, you may have to build up to 30 minutes, let alone 60. I mostly open water swim in Massachusetts, so get deconditioned over the winter, and start at 15-20 minutes each spring and build up to 60 minutes.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,521 Member
    twon070377 wrote: »
    But my question is I want to do laps in the pool on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I was thinking 3 days a week and 30 minutes should be okay or should it be for 1 hour?

    My concern is overuse issues with your shoulders. Swimming is fantastic. But it is a repetitive thing and that is often an issue when starting something new. With swimming in particular people get shoulder issues.

    So "Yes" swim three days a week for :30 to :60 minutes, but carefully work up to it over a couple of weeks or months. Check in with yourself.

    You sound like a great success story, congratulations.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    chris_in_cal wrote: »
    twon070377 wrote: »
    But my question is I want to do laps in the pool on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I was thinking 3 days a week and 30 minutes should be okay or should it be for 1 hour?

    My concern is overuse issues with your shoulders. Swimming is fantastic. But it is a repetitive thing and that is often an issue when starting something new. With swimming in particular people get shoulder issues.

    So "Yes" swim three days a week for :30 to :60 minutes, but carefully work up to it over a couple of weeks or months. Check in with yourself.

    You sound like a great success story, congratulations.

    When I'm swimming, my legs last a lot longer than my arms, and I manage this in a variety of ways:

    1. Use flippers/fins
    2. Vary strokes, ex: crawl down, back with backstroke, breast stroke down, back with back stroke
    2. A lap with the kickboard
    3. Take off the flippers and walk as far as I can, and then walk back

    (3 & 4 are exclusively for a pool. In the pond, I vary strokes by doing 20 of crawl and backstroke, and 10 of breast stroke.)

    I have short fins for the pool and snorkeling fins for the pond.

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