Slimming with swimming
If you start swimming to lose weight it can offer plenty of advantages. In fact, swimming has a number of all-round health benefits, some of which we covered in a previous blog.
We will get into some of the most effective ways to burn calories and maximise your efforts. And we will also look at some useful insider tips for burning fat whilst swimming. However, before we do, here is a little context.
There are two stages to losing weight effectively. First, you need to lose weight. But then, you need to keep it off.
For most people, long term weight loss is the goal. So if it is swimming or any other regime you choose, it needs to be sustainable.
For that to happen, it needs to be realistic, manageable and enjoyable over the long term. That being said, let’s take a deeper look at how swimming can help.
Lose weight swimming
Why swimming can help you lose weight
In addition to stating the obvious, swimming burns calories, there are other subtle ways in which it can help.
- It can elevate your mood, and therefore reduce the emotional eating response.
- It boosts your energy levels by increasing your metabolic rate. This can stop you from reaching for caffeinated or sugary drinks and snacks during work.
- Swimming increases all-over muscle tone, which means you burn more calories even at rest.
- It can also improve your sleep, which in turn will help to reduce cortisol, and consequently help to reduce food cravings during the day.
Different things you can do to lose weight swimming
Traditionally, most people swim up and down a pool for about 20 minutes, usually performing just one stroke. This is often done at a sedate pace and without any breaks.
Whilst swimming like this will have its benefits, there are things you can do to enhance weight loss.
- One of the key concepts in the fitness world in recent years is something called HIIT training. It stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It sounds scary, but it doesn’t need to be.
- All you have to do is swim close to your maximum speed in short bursts. These can be as short as 15 to 30 seconds. You get to rest in-between. The rest doesn’t have to be for a specified length of time. Just long enough to get your breath back. HIIT has the added bonus of raising your metabolic rate for longer during the day, helping you lose weight.
- You can also try adding props to your swimming sessions. Items such as hand paddles (also known as Power Paddles), add extra resistance and help improve muscle tone.
- And finally, if the pool is shallow enough, you can add variation to what you do. Jogging on the spot, treading water, or even walking backwards in the pool, can all be a great way to work out.
The key is to add variety into what you do. This not only keeps your sessions fresh and fun but makes the body work harder as it looks to adapt to each new demand.
A final word
It can be very rewarding to lose weight swimming. But keep in mind that exercise is only half the battle. If you would like some sound nutritional advice to compliment all your hard work, contact us, we will be happy to help. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington.
We hope this information is useful. If you like it, please share!
