Login | November 01, 2024
Swimming: It’s worth the time
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: October 28, 2024
When most people think about activities that aid in weight loss and improve one’s fitness they typically think of activities like walking, running, cycling and HIIT workouts (high intensity interval training).
Yet there’s another significant activity out there that covers those two bases quite well but it’s not employed anywhere near as much as the aforementioned. I
’m talking of course about swimming.
And it’s my opinion that swimming isn’t a heavyweight with respect to participation levels simply because most people can’t just jump into swimming as seamlessly as they can jump into walking, running, cycling and HIIT training.
Indeed, swimming takes a bit more time, effort and money to immerse oneself largely on account of two reasons.
The first of course is the fact that a pool is necessary, and second, and of equal importance, is the fact that swimming requires much more technique to learn than activities such as walking, running and cycling require.
So there’s these unfortunate obstacles of needing pool availability and lacking swim technique that deters some folks from considering a swim program.
Now despite these potential impediments to swimming I still have to say that it’s most definitely a heavyweight in the world of cardiorespiratory activities.
And for those individuals who might not care for run/walk/bike activities, as well as those individuals who have orthopedic issues that make impactful activities impractical to do, well, swimming can be a godsend.
So let’s talk about the how’s of getting into a swim program and then I’ll offer some suggestions on several other facets of a swim program that you’ll want to consider when you’re looking to loose weight and gain cardiorespiratory fitness.
Okay, the first task of taking up swimming involves locating a place to do it, and here in northeast Ohio that’s actually much easier than you might think.
There are a plethora of private and community-sponsored fitness facilities that contain swimming pools, as well as a host of city schools that have adjoining lap swimming and competition pools.
So first, check around your area for pools and then determine where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
For instance, if you’re only looking to swim then you may be better off buying a swimming pass at one of the many high school pools than paying more for a monthly gym membership.
Now it’s the second task, learning proper stroke techniques, that’s really the toughest part of developing a qualitative swimming routine.
But understand that by knowing how to perform the strokes properly enables you to get far more out of your swim workouts.
And let me tell you from my own personal experience that it’s 100% worth the time and money to take swim lessons - no matter how old you are.
Heck, I took lessons in my 30s and I literally went from swimming like a wounded water buffalo to gliding through the water like a dolphin.
I eventually went from dreading my swims to loving them.
So when you settle on your swimming pool facility make sure to inquire about swim lessons.
If your facility of choice doesn’t offer lessons then contact the local YMCA and American Red Cross for references.
Okay, so one thing to keep in mind about swimming is that different swim strokes yield different levels of caloric burn.
So don’t just learn how to do one stroke.
If you learn how to do passable backstroke, breaststroke, crawl stroke and even the butterfly stroke, you’re going to be far better able to keep your swim sessions challenging as well as interesting, not to mention the fact that varying the stroke will keep your muscles from getting used to the same ole same ole.
Another area where swim fitness participants need guidance is in the area of intensity.
And just like walking, running and cycling, you absolutely must vary the intensity levels of your swim workouts if you want to loose weight and get fitter.
The better you’re able you to vary parameters like stroke, intensity, length and rest periods the more likely you’ll be able to fulfill your weight loss and fitness goals.
Yes, swimming absolutely burns calories and more than challenges the cardiorespiratory system, thus making it a wonderful way to lose weight and gain fitness.
So don’t let pool availability and lack of swim experience stand as a barrier to you discovering a fantastic fitness activity.