Tips for Getting Into Great Shape with Swimming

Swimming may not immediately spring to mind as a way to get in excellent shape or boost your cardio health. Some people take up running instead for a quick calorie burn, while others join a gym to use the equipment and hit the weights. But there are all sorts of ways to get your heart rate up, condition your cardiovascular system, and burn calories. Getting in shape in the water can be just as effective as land-based activities. The bottom line: Swimming is a great workout. Here are some ways swimming can get you into shape and tips for getting there.

Swim Fins

Whole Body Workout

Swimming is a low-impact physical activity, which means it’s gentler on the muscles, joints, and bones. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy workout. Swimming works your whole body, including the muscles in your legs, arms, core, and back. Every pull with your arms and every kick with your legs is like a resistance workout. Your heart rate goes up and you build muscle in the process. Your lungs and heart are working hard with the natural resistance water provides.

 Intervals are Key

If you swim a few times a week and only have a half-hour or so, make the most of your time in the pool with interval training. Short, speed-work (like 50s and 100s) can get you into great cardio shape rather quickly. Shorter rest breaks between sets are important too because they don’t give your heart rate a chance to go down too much. Intervals require strong stroke technique, so pay attention to how you’re moving through the water. If you have more time, longer swimming sets are equally important for improving endurance and strength.

Cross-Training

When you need a break from pounding the pavement or simply want to complement your main sport with a lower-impact activity, swimming can keep you in tip-top shape. It’s a good idea to use different muscles in the body because it can help reduce overuse injuries and help you recover quicker. If you don’t want to swim laps, you could use water weights or water dumbbells to do resistance exercises to build upper body strength. Many people find water weights are a great way to strengthen or rehabilitate muscles underwater.

 Build Strength with Training Tools

For extra resistance in the water, you’ll want to practice with training aids such as swim fins, hand paddles, kickboards, and pull buoys. Each swimming aid is designed to help you build strength, improve your stroke, and make your workouts more fun. Swim fins and a kickboard can help build leg muscles, improve ankle flexibility, and focus on quick foot-turnover. Hand paddles and a pull buoy put the focus on building strength in your upper body and using proper stroke technique. Each piece of equipment can help identify any weaknesses in your stroke.

As you can see, swimming spices things up, builds strength and endurance, and isn’t just about swimming monotonous laps. Get an excellent cardio workout every time you hit the pool. And get your friends to join you!

 About Kiefer Swim Shops

 Kiefer Swim Shops is among the leaders in swim gear, swimwear, and pool and aquatic equipment. Kiefer Swim Shops offers competitive and recreational swimmers, lifeguards, and aquatic facilities throughout the U.S. a wide selection of high-quality products. Shop for everything from swimsuits, caps, and goggles to training gear, water weights, lifeguard gear, pool equipment, and much more. As a best-value brand, make Kiefer Swim Shops your number-one swimming source. Kiefer Swim Shops makes it a priority to offer quality, durable, comfortable, and safe products, which is why they are a top-rated brand.

 Shop Kiefer Swim Shops to gear up for your next swimming workout at Kiefer.com

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