Trying to stay healthy and in good shape isn’t as easy as you’d think, especially as you grow older. Eating healthy foods and working out sound good on paper, but trying to actually do both can be quite challenging. Between your workload and the fact that going to the gym isn’t exactly fun, you will most likely go home, eat a pizza, and watch TV rather than exercise.
This is why you need to invest your energy in swimming, not going to the gym or fitness classes. It can give you the perfect workout, and it sure is a lot more fun than lifting weights, so you will want to go.
The question is, how long do you need to swim to get a good workout?
Beginners
The time needed for a beginner to get a good workout from swimming is definitely not like a professional’s or someone who has been swimming for quite some time. If you are just starting out, you should swim for 20- or 30-minute intervals 3-5 times per week. The key here is consistency. If you want to see results, you have to be consistent with your workout. That means you can’t go every other week because this will not help you get what you need out of the workout.
You also should push yourself to get those numbers. It will be difficult at first, but you can’t expect good results if you swim for less than 20 minutes per session. The great thing about this sport is the fact that it is low impact, it’s not like lifting weights where pushing yourself can result in serious injuries. In swimming, as long as you stretch and warm up, you can keep pushing yourself until you get the numbers you want per workout.
Intermediate
The more you practice, the better you will get, and you can start demanding more from your body. You can gradually start increasing the training intervals so you can take the workout to the next level. If you want to practice at home, as this source explains, you might want to consider getting a swim spa. They can be easily installed in your garden and some can even fit inside the house, and with some adjustment, you can get the workout you need without ever having to leave your home.
In any case, start increasing your swims to 45 minutes rather than half an hour, and start mixing things up with your workout. Complete some drills and finish sets in the water, and try adding variety to your workout so you can get the best results possible. Alternate between different speeds by doing some laps on normal speeds and others on higher ones. This will keep your heart pumping and help you burn calories, not to mention build your core muscles –– swimming is excellent for core body strength and it can even help alleviate some joint and back pains.
Professional
After enough time and practice, you will be ready to take things to the next level, which might even qualify you for competing on a local or national level. We’re talking 60- to 90-minute sessions here for 6 days a week. This level of swimming will help you improve your endurance levels and build muscle memory so you could move in the water smoothly without having to think about your every step. This is the kind of workouts that professional swimmers go through, and you can even do it without competing. Any time you spend in the water, swimming and moving your muscles, is good for you, and it will exponentially improve your physical and even mental health.
Tips
You should also change up your workout routine as you progress. There’s no need to do all the laps in the same style. You can do some backstrokes, breaststrokes, or freestyle. The more you mix things up, the more muscles in your body will benefit. It is fine to take breaks after a set or between laps, but you shouldn’t rest for too long. Keep your heart pumping and your muscles warm, and take the workout to the next level. You will even find that swimming opens a lot of other fitness doors for you, and you will probably want to do some weightlifting or yoga next to your weekly swims.
Swimming is arguably the ideal sport for anyone who wants to tone their muscles and stay in good shape. It increases flexibility and significantly improves your endurance levels, so there won’t be any more panting while going up the stairs. Remember that the most important thing when it comes to swimming is consistency and staying on schedule. Keep swimming, and you will have exactly the kind of body you want.
