Swimming is a more fun way to workout, the waterworks your muscles and relaxes them at the same time.
Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body against the resistance of the water.
You will burn at least 500 calories per hour if you are doing just breaststrokes.
Swimming is a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise, it is a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day, it alleviates stress, it Improves coordination, balance, posture, and flexibility. It also serves good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
It is available in many places – you can swim in swimming pools, beaches, lakes, dams, and rivers. You just need to make sure that the environment you choose to swim in is safe.
The Benefits of Swimming:
- It keeps your heart rate up and it takes some of the impact stress off your body
- It helps the body build endurance, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and Tones muscles and builds strength.
- It helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart, and lungs
Despite having lots of great’s benefits, it’s a great way to lose weight in every part of your body, because each movement, each stroke is done with every muscle in the body.
Below are 7 exercises that will help you burn fat fast.
1. Pool Plank
Planks are done mostly to strengthen the core. However, if your upper body isn’t strong enough, you won’t be able to suspend yourself long enough to work your abdominal muscles. The case is different when you are in water.
Planks increase your endurance level and the push and pull of the water on your body works your core more.
How to Do It:
- Stand inside the water, make sure your legs are touching the floor of the pool.
- Hold a water log vertically in both hands (water log is a piece of foam that floats, it is cylindrical).
- Hold the water log straight down into the water and bend forward till your body is on a slope.
- Keep your head out of the water, and try to stabilize yourself for two minutes.
2. Aqua Teaser
This workout targets the shoulders, arms, abs, and hips.
How to Do It:
- Stand in the shallow part of the pool, and sit back into the water, simultaneously.
- With your hands out to the sides while treading and raise both legs together, so that they are folded at your hips to form a wide v shape, placing just your head and toes just above the surface.
- Immediately bring your knees closer to your chest to make the v less wide, then keep your legs extended as you return to v position.
- Do a set of 20 reps and tread with your hands for about a minute.
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3. Pool-Edge Side Burpee
This work out targets your abs, oblique’s, hips, and legs. Do this only if you are already an expert at swimming.
How to Do It:
- Stand in the deep end of the pool, so that you can hold on to the edge of the pool with your right hand and your body will be perpendicular to the edge.
- Bend your knees into your chest so that you place your feet flat, with the right placed above the left, against the sidewalls of the pool.
- Make sure that your hand is still firmly gripping the edge of the pool, push your feet off the wall, keep your legs extended as you work your core so that your body is as parallel to the surface as possible like in a side plank pose.
- Return to the bent knees pose and continue for about 2 minutes, then switch sides and repeat for another minute.
4. Kickboard Kicks
This workout is the most suitable for beginners.
How to Do It:
- Keep your arms extended in front of you. Firmly hold onto a kickboard in front of you and start flapping your feet.
- While you are swimming, try to contract your abs in toward your spine and away from the bottom of the pool.
- Swim the whole length of the pool back and forth till you feel fatigued
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5. Pikes
This exercise works both your abs and your arms.
How to Do It:
- In a standing position with the water up to your neck, lift your knees to your chest.
- Slightly bend backward, extend and straighten your legs forward into a pike position. Your body should form a v with your butt facing the floor of the pool.
- Maintain that stance, and keep your core contracted, this will help work your abs.
- Try to keep afloat by pushing your arms backward in circles, this will work your triceps.
- Hold that position for 5 seconds, rest and repeat a set of 10 reps.
- If you are a beginner you may only be able to hold for 2 seconds but consistency with this routine will allow you
6. Jump Outs
This is a very fun workout but still very intense. It’s a mix of dryland exercise and swimming.
Getting out of the pool and getting the exercise done on dry land provides cardiovascular work and it will strengthen and work your muscles and joints.
How to Do It:
- Swim for at least 50 yards, then go out of the pool and pick any type of body-weight workout, like squats, pushups planks, crunches, etc.
- You can start with 5-8 reps and then increase over time when you are fit.
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7. Spiderman
This exactly like the name, you are to climb the walls of the pool like Spiderman climbs buildings. This workout will help challenge gravity in a way that you can’t possibly do on land, it also works your core and back muscles.
How to Do It:
- Stand inside the water, beside the walls of the pool.
- Make sure your upper body is stable by moving your hands back and forth in a sweeping motion while running your legs up the side of the pool and back down the pool floor.
- Do a set of 10 reps, switch legs at the end of each rep
Conclusion
If you want to these workouts, ensure that you know how to swim. Choose a safe environment with at least one person around.
Ensure that you warm-up and stretch your muscles and joints before you enter the water. Have plenty of fluids available and stay hydrated.
Don’t overwork your muscles. If you’re just starting. Try to see a doctor if you haven’t worked out in a long time.