How effective do you think it is to practice swimming for weight loss? Does it help you burn calories as fast as running or fitness? And if so, what is the best swimming style so that the result becomes more noticeable to others?
Swimming for weight loss: yes or no?
To begin with, let's answer the most important question - is it possible to lose weight from swimming in the pool? Of course! Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss. Start curling your fingers:
- It engages almost all target muscle groups - thighs, abdomen, arms, buttocks. The relief of the body becomes more beautiful, the skin is tightened, the muscles are toned;
- Belongs to the category of cardio exercise. Styles like butterfly or chest crawl are just as energy-intensive as good strength training in the gym. Calm swimming breaststroke quite successfully replaces leisurely jogging;
- Paradoxically, the aquatic environment facilitates physical effort, while increasing its effectiveness. Let's remember the laws of physics, in particular, the achievements of Archimedes. An object immersed in water is subject to a pushing force equal to the weight of the water that this object pushes out. Therefore, gravity is felt much less in water than in air. In other words, it is easier for the body to endure physical activity. However, in water, the body needs to maintain a thermal balance, and a huge amount of energy is spent on this, unnoticed by the swimmer. And where to get the wood from? Of course, from fat, carefully accumulated in the abdomen and priests. That is why swimming in the slimming pool is a comfortable way, which has nothing more perfect than anything else!
- Also, swimming removes stress on the joints, which is inevitable when running, squatting and other "earth" exercises. Therefore, swimming, as a way of losing weight, is allowed for people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, recovering from injuries, pregnant women and the elderly.
- When a person swims, the skin experiences a massage effect, and blood circulation is greatly accelerated. The rate of metabolic processes also increases. As you can imagine, all this has an important role in losing weight;
- And finally, weight loss swimming for men and women is effective from a hormonal point of view. It lowers cortisol, which is involved in fat storage, and increases thyroxine, which helps burn calories. It also activates growth hormone, the work of which is associated with increased energy expenditure.
Well, we've convinced you, are you ready to go swimming in the pool to lose weight? Perfect solution!
How long should you swim to lose weight?
Let's find out how much you need to swim to lose weight - after what period of time can you begin to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of training?
As a rule, you will feel the result after 8 weeks. The skin will become tighter, the volume will decrease, and the weight will creep down. Of course, in addition to swimming, you will have to adhere to other recommendations - proper nutrition, good rest, etc.
To understand exactly how much you need to swim to lose weight, let's resort to math. For 60 minutes of swimming, a person loses:
- 400 kcal - breaststroke;
- 480 kcal - back crawl style;
- 600 kcal - in water on the chest;
- 900 kcal - butterfly style.
As you can see, a chest crawl burns as many calories as a good hour's run, and a butterfly stroke can be compared to an intense run or running uphill (stairs).
If you're wondering how long you need to swim in the pool to lose weight permanently, get ready to swim for the rest of your life. Turn it into a favorite habit, please the body with a healthy load! Visit the pool 2-3 times a week and forget about excess weight, back pain and bad mood.
How to swim to lose weight?
Let's talk about how to properly swim in the pool to lose weight and not waste time. First, let's briefly explain the mechanism of weight loss:
- Any physical activity requires energy. The body receives the latter along with food. Everything that he did not manage to spend before the next meal is deposited in the form of fat;
- In order to start losing weight, you need to spend more kcal than consumed;
- During exercise, glycogen stored in the liver is first broken down. Its reserves are enough for about 40 minutes. Further, the body begins to draw energy from fats. In other words, a weight loss workout should last at least an hour.
- Attention! It is necessary not only to hang out in the water for the set 60 minutes, but to move, do exercises, actively engage in swimming.
If you are interested in swimming for weight loss for women, namely, how to organize the process correctly, we recommend that you draw up a program and clearly follow its points. Do not break the plan, do not miss classes, watch your diet.
Always start your workout with a warm-up!
What is the best slimming style?
What style is better for a woman to swim in the pool to lose weight? First, start from which technique is closer and more familiar to you. Second, go back to the calorie expenditure section. The most energy-consuming style is the butterfly. However, not every woman knows how to swim like that, and not everyone is physically ready for the butt. Third, remember that you don't have to swim the same way throughout your entire activity.
Alternate styles, giving the body a high, then a light load. Give your best as you crawl on your chest and rest while cruising your breaststroke. Take pauses during which you perform exercises - leg swings, body bends, jumps, etc.
Let's take a look at how to properly swim in a slimming pool to tighten specific areas of the body:
- Slimming hands. The ideal swimming style, in which the hands work intensively, is a crawl on the chest. Also, the upper limbs are well involved in breaststroke. Based on your physical fitness, create a 20-minute cycle with these two styles, alternating between slow and fast paces. Repeat the cycle 2 times, supplement the session with a couple of pools with a back crawl, and, if you know how to swim with a butt, arrange a final intensive with it;
- Slimming in the abdomen. Many women are interested in how to swim to remove the belly. Again, the watery style on the chest comes to the rescue, which makes the obliques work. Try to swim at least 300 m crawl in each workout, and as soon as the load ceases to seem difficult, increase the distance. It is ideal to dilute the swims with butterfly - at least 50 - 100 m every hour and a flat tummy will appear much faster.
- Slimming legs and buttocks. Let's figure out how to swim to lose weight in the leg area. For this purpose, a breaststroke is suitable, which forces the lower limbs to work actively. In this style, all movements are performed in a horizontal plane, and resemble the body movements of a frog. Unlike the crawl, here the legs are involved not only in maintaining balance and coordination of the body in space, but also in moving forward, including speed. That is why breaststroke is ideal for those who want to pump up their leg muscles. Of course, it is useful to include several butterfly-style swimming cycles in the scheme.
Use specific sports equipment to increase the load on the target muscles. For example, holding the kickboard with your hands (board) makes your legs and butt work hard. If you squeeze it with your feet, all the work will go to your hands. If you put on fins, your legs will have to work harder, and you can shake off fat from the sides, outer thighs, abdomen and buttocks. Think about this when you decide to pump up your butt with squats. This is a great way to diversify your workouts.
Why can't you lose weight?
So, we have figured out whether swimming in the pool helps you lose weight, we hope we have convinced you. With the right approach, regular exercise and moderate nutrition, the result will not keep you waiting long.
We also explained how to swim to lose weight in specific areas. We add that the effectiveness will increase if you alternate the pace, supplement the workout with physical exercises, and use additional equipment.
In addition, other aspects of your life are involved in the process of losing weight. Give up the elevator and walk up the stairs. Don't eat sugary baked goods and fast food, replacing them with cereals, vegetables and fruits. Drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.
If you actively plow on the swimming lane and then celebrate success with sweet cocoa with 4 kinds of cheese pizza, you will not be able to lose weight by swimming in the pool. Lack of sleep leads to stress, and the latter we are used to seizing, which is also detrimental to the figure.
If you go swimming in the pool, work fully there, but weight loss does not occur, ask yourself the question: "What am I doing wrong?" Reread this section, you will certainly find the answer.
Whether people are losing weight from swimming in the pool, we answered you. Another thing is that not every person has sufficient willpower and motivation not to give up what he started halfway through. Therefore, any weight loss begins with a clear goal setting. Determine how many kg you intend to lose, what dress to fit in, and how you will reward yourself for completing the task. Involve friends and relatives in the process, let them praise your successes, and even better, do it with you. Share your achievements on social networks and special fitness apps. By the way, in the latter you can see good weight loss programs for beginners and advanced swimmers. Good luck and beautiful figure!
