A question for swimmers

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gentlygently
gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I go swimming once a week while my little girl has a swimming lesson (there are lots of lessons going on at the time,30 kids or so and I am the only parent who strips off too, splashes around with my daughter for a bit and then swims during her lesson !)

I usually do 30 mins of a mixture of breaststroke and back crawl (with some side stroke) and I am noticeably fitter and better at swimming now.

Some questions:

Are any strokes better at using up calories?

Are any strokes better at toning your tummy?

How do I stop myself from getting bored? I do some lengths arms or legs only. Today I tried counting strokes and that really helped?


Should I swallow my pride and get a nose clip - no one else seems to wear them but I don't like the way water gets up your nose?


Thanks
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Replies

  • mewhisler
    mewhisler Posts: 37 Member
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    Hi.
    I would try to learn freestyle (front crawl). That burns the most calories, other than the butterfly which is really hard. That also works your core a lot, but most swimming works out your core well. I would mix things up by doing 4-6 laps of one stroke, then 4-6 laps of another stroke, and then straight same stroke for a while. Then you can just do kicking for a bit, which works your core if you do it right (don't arch your back and focus on straight legs).

    I wouldn't recommend a nose clip - just learn how to blow our of your nose....it takes time, but once you learn you won't think about it anymore.
  • pcteck2
    pcteck2 Posts: 184 Member
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    I don't wear a clip, even when I sometimes use a snorkle. I blow our my nose and never seem to get water up my nose.
    I swim freestyle 30 to 40 minutes 3 times a week. I know what you mean about getting bored, but I seldom do. I seem to get lost in my thoughts and often zone out and the time flies by. I vary my speed from slow and strong to fast and messy and breathless. My pool has a big timer clock with a second hand, so you can check out your lap speed. Other strokes...side stroke gives you a nice stretch, I try to stretch out some of the time doing freestyle too. Back stroke is boring to me and I seldom use it unless I need to catch my breath. Never could master the breast stroke. Keep at it. It's wonderful exercise.
  • safeswim
    safeswim Posts: 6
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    I was a swim instructor for 20 years and an aquatics director for 6-7 years. Swimming is great low impact to no impact exercise.

    I would also advise against the nose clip. If you need help thinking about breathing in through your mouth and out through your nose just hum anytime your face is in the water. That will force the air out of your nose and keep the water out. It might also add some spice to the workout ;)

    There are ALOT of ways you can vary workouts. There are actually some really good workout websites that will give you ideas on workouts that you can do.
    http://beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=528
    http://swimming.about.com/od/sampleswimworkouts/a/8_week_plan.htm
    http://www.usms.org/fitness/content/startingaroutine
    or just search beginning or novice swim workout plans.

    Another resource is to talk to the aquatics director at the facility or the swim instructor. They may have adult classes or even be willing to help you come up with some different workout plans.

    A good way to work abs without having to do the butterfly would be to grab a kickboard and do some laps of kicks, too. You have to hold the board a certain way while you kick and that can help with core strength. You could also learn the dolphin kick (that goes with the butterfly) and do that with a kickboard to up the muscle workout!

    Some other fun exercises are to grab one of those silly noodles and stand in the shallow end near the wall. Put it under your foot and do leg lifts with it. You would be surprised how hard those can be!

    Hope this helps! Good luck!
  • snkeller24
    snkeller24 Posts: 459
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    If you don't have access to a kickboard you can always kick on your back; try to remain in a streamline position so if you get off course your hands will hit whatever first. Doing the "dolphin kick" on your back would help with some abs - but just general exercise and better eating decisions is where it's at! Remember, especially if you're kicking on your back, keep your butt up (belly button to the ceiling.

    Even check out youtube for some great videos on form to ensure you're getting the most - and keep working on breathing out the nose!

    Good luck and enjoy! Swimming is a great life long activity!
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    i swam in college, getting back into it now. i'm planning on doing a triathlon in the spring. freestyle is your friend. an excellent stroke that works out so much of your body. breast is a great resting stroke, but probably not as much of a work out as freestyle.

    here are some good swimming workouts. my favorite is number 7. http://ruthkazez.com/50swimworkouts.html learning to count your laps is important if you want to track your work out better. if counting is difficult (and it is) just go for time.

    as far as the clip goes... don't be a weirdo, lol. seriously, learn how to continuously blow water out of your nose. it helps. and if you've never swam competitivly, you would benefit from a few lessons yourself.

    and butterfly is tough. not for the novice swimmer. heck, even at my strongest swimming in college i could only muster about 100 yards of continuous freestyle.
  • pilotgirl2007
    pilotgirl2007 Posts: 368 Member
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    I like to do all strokes when I am swimimng... some freestyle, breast, and Back (I cannot fly for the life of me) Although I will put on a pair of fins and do a whole lot of dolphin kicks (great for abs)

    I get bored easily so I have to have a plan when I go to swim. I either print one from www.swimplan.com or I will bring my fitDeck swimming cards (www.fitdeck.com).

    If you youtube for goswim videos they have some great short videos on different drills and swim technique and they have a nice website too.
  • NiciS72
    NiciS72 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    I do water aerobics and love it. That said, one of the things our teacher taught us is to do situps on the side of the pool. When she first introduced it (before I lost much weight) I couldn't keep myself up without drowning in the water. Now I can hold my legs over the side of the pool and do at least 40 crunches. Let me tell you , they are HARD and you will feel it in your abs. I also agree with the poster about doing laps with a kick board and if they have it the leg buoy which keeps your legs from kicking and works your arms really hard.
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
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    Thanks everyone - really helpful.

    I love the idea of learning the legs of butterfly - that will certainly amuse me. And I used to be quite good at front crawl as I kid so I guess I can get that going again.

    (it had never occurred to me to do the 'mouth in nose out' - duh!!)

    Will check out all those links etc.

    Cheers!
  • kunibob
    kunibob Posts: 608 Member
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    My coaches always made us do dolphin kick on our backs underwater to work our cores...oi!! My abs hurt just thinking about it. :laugh:
  • hermione_ar
    hermione_ar Posts: 68 Member
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    Underwater MP3 player for the win! Makes my swim go really fast. Not expensive on line.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    (it had never occurred to me to do the 'mouth in nose out' - duh!!)


    just make sure your head is turned.
  • snkeller24
    snkeller24 Posts: 459
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    (it had never occurred to me to do the 'mouth in nose out' - duh!!)


    just make sure your head is turned.

    After a few mouth/nose fulls, you'll learn =)
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
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    Hello everyone who posted - I thought you appreciate knowing that
    I have been having fun watching you tube swimmers (wow!) and showing my daughter too, have found an adult improvers class I can squish into my schedule, made myself have a go at front crawl (ok I only managed half a length before getting panicky but it was definitely getting better) and found the nose out thing fairly easy.


    Thanks again - tips all really appreciated!
  • stingrayinfl
    stingrayinfl Posts: 284 Member
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    I swim twice a week at 4 am. A friend of mine is a top tiathlete. She has helped me a lot. I did not enjoy it at first, but I do now. it takes the stress of my lower body from running. I actually think it has helped my running...my times are lower.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    You can get an underwater mp3 player and listen to books/music on it if you are mega bored
  • kahlee2000
    kahlee2000 Posts: 77
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    I started going to the pool back in July -- I go everyday for an hour. I did the lap swims and that worked. But the best workout I get is I found a way to get my ipod in the pool. Now I burn 1370 in an hour just treading water -- keeping beat to the music. This does two things. I have created my exercise tracks that I have put on the ipod -- that way I can insure that they are all fast enough to keep me going. But they also alternate my tempo to keep the heart rate up and down. There are also exercises you can do this way for your mid-section. Flip onto your back -- pull your head up like you are doing a crunch and then back stroke to the other end of the pool doing that with your stomach muscles tightened.

    I almost find myself more dancing to the music and it really keeps me going! I love it. It increases muscle tone because it is harder to move through water than on land. I tighten up my muscle tone and get an excellent cardio work out!
  • Mygrrls
    Mygrrls Posts: 10 Member
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    I swim 5 days a week for at least an hour and I found using a waterproof iPod helps with the boredom.
  • bexxgirl
    bexxgirl Posts: 260 Member
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    Underwater MP3 player for the win! Makes my swim go really fast. Not expensive on line.

    This is what I do - I listen to audiobooks and it lets me swim for an hour or so before I even really notice time passing!
  • zenJes
    zenJes Posts: 198 Member
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    My coaches always made us do dolphin kick on our backs underwater to work our cores...oi!! My abs hurt just thinking about it. :laugh:
    lol this is my favourite exercise i always get lots of funny looks but this is by far the hardest exercise to do!! i find counting with my strokes helps and do that to the number of lengths you are on.. ie first lap... 123 123 second lap 223 223 third lap 323 323 etc n then i get into my meditation zone lol where even though my mind goes to wierd places i still keep the count.. a way to go from this is to do 5 stroke breathing... o yeh this is for freestyle..
    man i mean want to go for a swim now
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
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    I swam in college and have been a US Masters swimmer for 15 years now. There is some good advice on here. Check out isport.com and swimplan.com for workouts. You can input your ability level, equipment you will use (kickboard, pull bouy, etc) and the strokes you want to do and the site will create a workout for you. I am one of those people that cannot work out without a written workout. I also absolutely loathe swimming just freestyle for a whole workout. I always mix in all of the strokes, including sidestroke, to work all of my muscles. I also mix in water aerobic/core exercises with the water dumb bells. (My workouts are about 2 hours in the pool everyday).

    No, no, NO to the noseclip. You will thank us later.

    Yes to the MP3 player. The best one out there is the SwiMP3 by Finis. The 1GB is about $100 from swimoutlet.com. Do not waste your money on any other player. I did =(

    I highly suggest investing in a waterproof HRM. The calorie burns here on MFP for the swimming strokes are about 30% higher than what is actually burned. I spent a whole year OVEREATING because of this. If you are really using swimming as a workout, get a HRM for the pool.

    As far as which stroke burns the most calories, believe it or not it is breaststroke. Yep, breaststroke. Here's why; with free, back, fly and sidestroke you push off of the wall and can use momentum to get from one wall to the other. With breaststroke, there is a start/stop motion. You really have to engage your legs, arms and core, in unison, to maintain forward momentum long enough to pull yourself up with your arms to take a breath. Then, keep doing that until you get to the wall. So, breaststroke will actually burn MORE calories than the wildly popular freestyle!!!

    And to clarify, one lap is swimming from one wall to the opposite wall, NOT down and back!!! I don't know why that bothers me so much but it does.

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