Swimming
SWIMMING IN A POOL FOR WEIGHT CONTROL – FAT BURNING – BODY STRENGTHENING
Swimming in the SEA or POOL is the best and most complete EXERCISE because the entire MUSCLE system is exercised.
But the most important thing is that in SWIMMING, we NEVER have injuries, no matter how hard we do our daily program.
Many people assume that swimming is just going up and down in a pool. “But that’s only if you don’t know all your options,” points out Maria Anastasia Athanasiadou, aqua aerobics coach. A pool workout can be very dynamic and include challenging intervals and body-sculpting exercises. “In addition, the environment helps you get rid of stress and doesn’t let you get bored,” emphasizes the expert. Read on to discover all the reasons that will inspire you to finally take that plunge.
IT’S A FULL BODY WORKOUT
“The water offers resistance and, in order to move through it (and not drown), you have to work every major muscle group in your body – especially the core,” comments the expert. To work more muscles from more angles, you should change styles during your workout.● Free (the classic breaststroke) is usually the easiest style and with it you can do many calories (30 minutes of vigorous freestyle swimming will burn 322 calories – only the butterfly stroke gives you a better result, with 354 calories).
3 GOOD LEE YEAH FOR MORE SWIMMING!
● “The backstroke targets the core and hip flexors more specifically by forcing you to tighten your core and keep your hips in line with your upper body as you swim,” says specific. ● To tighten the legs even more, do lunges, which require longer and stronger kicks and arm movements that, unlike other styles, work the outside and inside of the legs of your thighs.
NO IT’S NOT BORING
Think of swimming like any other fun interval workout and check out our fat-burning swimming routine below.● For a 30-minute routine, the expert suggests starting with a 5-8 minute warm-up swim followed by 20 minutes of interval swimming .● Just like on the ground, you have many options. You could focus on time, alternating e.g. 10 sprints of 90 seconds with 30 seconds rest in between. You can focus on distance, e.g. swim at sprint speed one stroke and leisurely the other.● Or increase your effort in each set: Do the first interval set at a leisurely pace, the second with a little more effort, and the third with even more.● Repeat this pattern three times and then do a final set where you give it your all. Finally, finish with some relaxation runs. Whichever shot you choose, you’ll be constantly thinking about what’s next and your time in the pool will fly by before you know it.
ROUTES ARE NOT YOUR ONLY OPTION
You can use the pool in different ways to sculpt your body. ● For example, you can do a variation of bench dips: You hold on to the edge of the pool and lift your body out of the water to strengthen your shoulders and triceps. (This exercise will help you do more push-ups on the floor.) “Repeat 20 times by incorporating the exercise into your interval for
