The Dynamic Express Magazine

It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of cardio... I just get bored of steady state cardio or running on a treadmill... yet there is one type of cardio that I adore doing and that is swimming.

Swimming can be a wonderful form of “exercise”... it uses almost all the “major muscle groups” and places a vigorous demand on your “heart” and “lungs”... it develops “muscle strength” and “endurance” and improves “posture” and “flexibility.” 

The buoyancy factor makes it especially useful for people who are pregnant... have injuries such as leg or lower back problems... or who find high impact exercise uncomfortable... it is a great way of keeping fit  for people of all ages and all proficiency levels. 

In order to lose weight you might want to very your swimming regime... like speeding up your pace a little bit and increasing the length of your swimming sessions if necessary... and supplement it with some good paced... arm swinging walks.

After the first couple of laps swimming becomes a sort of “moving meditation”... it is “relaxing” and a ”full body workout” and incredible at helping reduce “muscle soreness.”

Swimming is also known to increase fat loss. 

Back in the 2008 Olympics Michael Phelps consumed 12,000 calories a day just to maintain his body weight... now in order to do that from solely swim practices he would have to maintain a continuous butterfly for 10 hours... which let us be honest not even the great Phelps can do that. 

No... what accounted for all those “calories being lost” was the “thermal load of water”...  water is 24 times more “thermally conductive” then air and Phelps spends 3... 4 hours a day in the water... it is the same effect as pouring hot coffee into a metal cup instead of a ceramic mug... the metal cup would lose heat much quicker. 

So in effect... coffee = calories and metal mug = water.

The swimming strokes that you choose play a key role in determining the rate at which you will burn calories... the general rule is that the more “up tempo” and “strenuous” the stroke... the more calories you will burn. 

According to the Harvard Medical School... a 155 pound person will burn 298 calories when swimming the backstroke for 30 minutes and 372 and 409 calories respectively... in 30 minutes of swimming the breaststroke and butterfly... so for those looking to lose 10 pounds or more... swimming is a “unique” and “effective alternative” to other types of cardio workouts like running or biking. 

Swimming is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise because it works the entire body and also provides a “low impact” form of exercise... regardless of your swimming ability... with some practice... you should be able to hit the pool and lose some weight when swimming.

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... investing 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 this “cardiovascular exercise.” 

Like the above routine... you will want to “focus” upon “interval training”... try to sprint for three laps and then swim one lap slowly... at the end of the last lap... stop and rest for 30 seconds... continue to repeat this process for 60 minutes... to avoid boredom consider switching to different stokes such as backstroke or the ever challenging butterfly... additionally you can add kicking exercise... where you utilize a kick board, to your routine.

The University of Florida completed a 3 month study of swimming and determined that certain individuals actually gained weight when following a swimming regiment... this research determined that some people have their appetites stimulated after prolonged exposure to cold water temperatures... be “aware” of this and refrain from eating back all those calories you burned during your workout.

30 to 60 minutes of swimming 4 to 6 days a week can help individuals both lose weight and reduce health risks such as stoke... diabetes and heart disease... unlike running... biking, and many other forms of cardio... swimming provides a “full body workout.” 

Muscles in the lower body... upper body... core, and back will all be worked and strengthen during a good swimming workout... in addition to these muscles... swimming also helps strengthen both the heart and lungs.

Swimming is often recommended for individuals with joint problems... this low impact exercise does not put additional stress upon knees... hips... or backs... unlike running or biking.

So there you have it and why I prefer swimming over others forms of  cardio workout... plus in what other form of “workout” do you get a full body wash at the same time?

Swimming keeps you clean too!

Take care of your Health and Fitness. 

You have the power!

Thank you... and may you enjoy a Dynamic and Productive week ahead!

Yours Sincerely

Ange is an  Author... Speaker... Multipreneur and International Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant... and Psycho Dynamic Counsellor who works with men... and women who desire to develop themselves and their relationships to become Dynamic Lifers from around the World!

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