Swimming

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mickipedia
mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone :)

I'm starting swimming tonight, not the strongest swimmer in the world so I may struggle doing lengths. Does anyone have any tips on effective ways to burn in the pool?

Any suggestions are welcome :)

Thanks xx

Replies

  • audddyy
    audddyy Posts: 21
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    YAY that's awesome, I swim also, but do squad which is probably the best way to go once you've done a bit of swimming as it motivates you better, well it does with me... Id say the best to burn cals is INTERVAL training... so do like one fast 100m f/s and then slow 100, and so on... mix it up too with breast stroke.. back and fly if you can do it... swimming burns lots of cals anyhow. I find that after a 3km session I am sooooo hungry...
  • theoneandonlybrookie
    theoneandonlybrookie Posts: 341 Member
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    Swimming is a great choice - it's low impact and very effective at burning calories.

    If you want to swim laps, I would look for an adult swimming class in your area that focuses on stroke development. I actually used to teach them through my city park system. They are designed for men and women who have the basic ability to swim (tread water, float, move around the pool for a bit without touching the bottom) but want to learn how to swim strokes.

    The classes through the city were fairly cheap (around $70 for 6 weeks) and very effective. All of my students were able to complete lengths of the pool by the end.

    Best of luck!
  • horsesandhipbones
    horsesandhipbones Posts: 53
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    I love swimming! Breaststroke is by far the lowest impact stroke (in my opinion anyway!) and burns a lot of calories (around 600 per hour, depending on your weight). It's also a lot of fun and wearing that tennie-tiny swimming costume is pretty good motivation too!!
    Good luck with your swimming, and don't forget to drink plenty of water and eat some carbs afterwards :) x
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Your first priority should be developing a stroke/rhythm that works with your breathing. That is first and foremost. If you can't breath in rhythm then nothing else is going to work.

    You can start worrying about being faster or working harder once you get the breathing down.
  • mickipedia
    mickipedia Posts: 889 Member
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    YAY that's awesome, I swim also, but do squad which is probably the best way to go once you've done a bit of swimming as it motivates you better, well it does with me... Id say the best to burn cals is INTERVAL training... so do like one fast 100m f/s and then slow 100, and so on... mix it up too with breast stroke.. back and fly if you can do it... swimming burns lots of cals anyhow. I find that after a 3km session I am sooooo hungry...

    Thanks thats a good idea, as i'm not the strongest swimmer i think interval will probably be easier to start with as i can't keep up a certain type of stroke for a long time.. I'm so unfit!
  • audddyy
    audddyy Posts: 21
    Options
    YAY that's awesome, I swim also, but do squad which is probably the best way to go once you've done a bit of swimming as it motivates you better, well it does with me... Id say the best to burn cals is INTERVAL training... so do like one fast 100m f/s and then slow 100, and so on... mix it up too with breast stroke.. back and fly if you can do it... swimming burns lots of cals anyhow. I find that after a 3km session I am sooooo hungry...

    Thanks thats a good idea, as i'm not the strongest swimmer i think interval will probably be easier to start with as i can't keep up a certain type of stroke for a long time.. I'm so unfit!

    Great to hear... Yeah when I get back to swimming and Im not swimming fit before I jump into a squad I like to know I can keep up so that's what I do, and also perhaps get some flippers, as thats always good for working on stroke too! Good luck with it all!
  • Kaathmandu
    Kaathmandu Posts: 129
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    I would suggest (as a swimming instructor!) that stroke correction is a good way to start if you are a poor swimmer. If your technique is poor, you can give yourself injuries, or end up looking like 'Popeye on one side, Olive Oyl on the other'.
    If your technique is good and it is just a matter of increasing your endurance, just get in and do! Doing a variety of strokes and drills will work more muscles. Don't do lots of kicking with a board on your front, as it hyperextends your back and can injure it.
    And you don't need to 'work up to' squad swimming - if you can swim a lap, you are up to squad. A good coach will manage you well, and challenge you more than you will do yourself. Good luck, and have fun :-)

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