5 Important Facts about Swimming
Have you finally decided to lose weight this year? Great decision, considering that present life offers many interesting activities that can help you with that. One of the best choices is definitely swimming. But you will have to take care of some things before you start swimming in order to get the best results out of it. Here are 5 facts about swimming. One of them is losing weight. Are you ready to dive into them?
1. CHOOSE WHERE YOU WILL SWIM
Basically, you have two choices where you could swim this year – go to the local sea / lake / river beach or visit the local pool. Swimming pools are usually an easier choice, since we don’t all live next to some natural water. Whatever you decide, take care not to be very crowded at the chosen location, because otherwise you will not be able to do the training at full capacity.
2. ORGANIZE YOUR SCHEDULE
Swimming will not bring much good to your body if it does not become a regular activity. That’s why you’ll need to organize your weekly schedule really well to find time to visit the beach or pool at least every other day. Another thing worth mentioning – do not overdo it. If you push yourself to the limits with intense training, you will not get far. You will feel tired and painful, and your motivation will certainly not be what it should be in order to persevere.
3. CHOOSE A STYLE
If you’ve ever followed a professional swimming competition, you probably already know the four basic styles of swimming – breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and freestyle (known as front crawl). Which style to choose? Chest swimming is good in cases of slow swimming in order to develop the shoulder and chest muscles, but it is difficult for those who suffer from pain in the neck, back or knees. Backstroke is really good for strengthening the back muscles, but it is technically very demanding. Butterfly is the most demanding style, but you will burn an astonishing 900 calories per hour with it. Freestyle is generally the easiest, but you will demand a lot from your hands, if they are not well developed. Each of the styles has its advantages and disadvantages, so it is best to combine them all.
4. MAKE A PLAN
If you don’t make a clear plan, you’ve probably already condemned yourself to give up swimming after just a few attempts. The plan doesn’t have to be that detailed – just set clear goals and plan how you will achieve them. For example – you want to lose 5 to 10 kilograms that are overweight, so you will go swimming three times a week at the local pool and with each visit you will swim about 50 lengths of pool. Simple, isn’t it?
5. STRETCH
Good stretching is very important before you start swimming and also after you stop doing it. Before you jump into the water, take five minutes to stretch your whole body and warm up your muscles. Do the same after you finish, because it can help you reduce the muscle pain that will occur in the next few days.