While the heat suppresses your appetite and this can help you on your weight loss journey, the scorching mercury also means lethargy when it comes to hitting the gym or running. Hence, swimming can be a perfect summer exercise where you can splash in the water and have fun while trying to lose weight, or just keep yourself in shape. Swimming is also a low-impact exercise, and this means it’s great for people with injuries or painful joints. Here are some tips for losing weight with swimming, the strokes that will help you the most, and the importance of a good diet.
Lose Weight With Swimming: 7 Top Tips
1. Aim for an early morning swim
Apart from being a great form of cardio, it is also a full body workout. It is best if you can swim early in the morning. In the fast phase, swimming will help to use stored fat as energy.
2. Swimming faster and faster
A leisurely dip may feel heavenly, especially with the rising mercury, but it won’t actually help you shed those extra kilos. You need to swim hard and fast to keep your heart rate up, especially after you’ve gotten past the beginner swimming phase.
3. Swimming 4-5 days a week
As with running, jogging, or any other form of cardio, consistency is key. When it comes to weight loss, experts aim for four to five days a week for the best results.
4. Join a swim class
The right swimming speed and the right technique can go a long way in weight loss. Consult a fitness trainer and enroll in swim classes for best results.
5. Mix and Match
Like any other form of exercise, following the same routine in swimming can lead to monotony and make it less effective. Change your swimming routine and technique.
6. Include water aerobics in routine
Water aerobics is an excellent low-stress exercise that will help you tone up. You can adopt this form of exercise on days when you want to take a break from adoption.
7. Use Water Weights
If weight loss is your main objective, water dumbbells can work wonders. Use them in between laps to do bicep curls to build strength and endurance.
best swimming stroke to lose weight
butterfly: This is the most demanding stroke and helps you burn maximum calories – 30 minutes of workout can burn an average of 450 calories. However, it is not suitable for beginners.
Breaststroke: A 30-minute workout can help you reduce up to 250 calories. It helps tone the thighs, lower legs and triceps and is good for the heart and lungs.
Backstroke: Like breaststroke, here too you can burn about 250 calories in 30 minutes. It helps in toning your stomach, shoulders, arms, legs and buttocks and also helps in improving your posture.
Freestyle: It offers the possibility of a faster workout and a 30-minute session can burn around 300 calories. It helps to tone your back muscles, shoulders, buttocks and abdomen.
Also Read: Walking Vs Treadmill- Which Should Be Your Exercise Of Choice? expert judgment
focus on diet
Like any form of exercise, remember that swimming will not produce results if it is not accompanied by a balanced diet. If you continue to eat junk and processed food, you will keep on gaining weight which cannot be achieved by exercising. Also, the important thing to remember is that swimming takes a lot of energy and swimming in cold water increases your appetite to a great extent. Make sure to eat healthy and stay away from unhealthy snacking.
(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals or fitness trainers. Consult your doctor and fitness trainer before starting any new workout regime.)