swimming

Can swimming help you to lose weight ?

Combined with a healthy, well-balanced diet, individuals who commit themselves to a regular swimming routine should be able to lose weight. With that goal in mind, spending 60 minutes a day, 4 to 6 days a week in the pool should yield results.

If you are new to swimming, start slowly. During the first week, begin by doing intervals. Swim for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. As this gets easier, begin to increase your swim time and reduce your rest interval. Repeat for 30 minutes. Aim to advance to 60 minutes and to the point where you can swim up to 20 laps, or 500 meters, without stopping.

For more advanced swimmers, to be able to lose weight, you will need to maintain proper form and keep your heart rate elevated to reap the benefits of thiscardiovascular exercise.

fitness benefits:

Not only is swimming easy on the body, it's a great way to get fit.

Swimming recruits all the major muscle groups, including the shoulders, back, abdominals, legs, hips, and glutes, she says. And because water affords 12 times the resistance as air in every direction, it really helps to build strength.