Dear Wet Behind the Ears, Way to go! Swimming is much more difficult to learn as an adult. Now you’re ready to reap the benefits. The summer is the best time to get started on a swimming program. It’s really one of my favorite summertime activities. I always try to find an outdoor pool. When I lived in San Diego that wasn’t so hard, now that I’m living in Maryland it’s a bit harder. Whether you swim indoors or outdoors, swimming is so great because it gives your entire body a workout – literally from head to toe. But to get the full benefits of swimming you’re going to need to do more than just float on your back or dog paddle a few laps back and forth. To burn those calories, and tone and condition your body, you’re going to have to work a little harder. That said, the best way to get started is to go slow. If you’re not used to lap swimming, start with 5 or 10 minutes. And do the laps continuously, taking as few rests between laps as possible. Proper breathing is important too. If you can, try to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, taking deep, full breaths. Slowly increase your time to 30 minutes 3 or 4 times per week. Even if you can run or bicycle 30 minutes, it will takes some time to work up to the same amount in the pool. Don’t get discouraged, that’s normal. Swimming really pushes your body in different ways than other fitness activities. Once you feel comfortable with 30 minutes you can start making things more interesting. One of the biggest problems I have with swimming is that it’s so darn boring -- just going back and forth. What I like to do is vary my swimming workout to make things more interesting. The easiest way to vary your workout is with a technique I call “The Fit Equation.” What that means is that you vary your intensity level over the course of your workout. For instance, for the first few minutes you’ll start off nice and slow to get warmed up. Then for the next 4 minutes you’ll increase your intensity and effort. Then, for the next 5 minutes you do another easy effort. And so on and so on. In my upcoming book The World’s Fittest You: Four Weeks to Total Fitness (Dutton, 2004) I have some great programs on how to change things up, and you can apply these to any fitness activity. The other thing you can do to add some variety to your swimming workouts is to use accessories. These are two of my favorites and you can get them at your local sporting goods store for under $15 each: Kickboard: If you want to give your legs an extra boost, try a few laps of just kicking with a kickboard. This really works your calves and hamstring muscles. Pull Buoy: This device you place between your legs so that you can just focus on your arms. It helps to develop upper body strength and proper alignment during your swimming workouts. And don’t forget a good pair of goggles and bathing cap to protect your eyes and hair. Swimming with a buddy or a team can also help keep you motivated during your workouts. Try contacting USA Swimming to find a local swim club in your area: www.usswim.org. If you’re looking to try out some new workout programs, take look at this website. There’s a special tool to find a workout that matches your fitness level, type, and duration: www.swiminfo.com © Joe Decker 2003 |