Swimming not only perfectly affects health but also helps to lose extra pounds. Especially if you train correctly.
Is swimming effective for weight loss?
At the end of the 20th century, scientists generally did not recognize that swimming at least somehow helps in the fight against excess weight.
In a 1987 study, the weight of participants did not change after six months of swimming. In 1997, subjects who swam for 2.5 months for 45 minutes three times a week were also unable to lose weight.
The results of modern research are more optimistic. In 2006, scientists proved that swimming, combined with a diet, still helps to lose weight: after 13 weeks of exercise, the subjects lost an average of 5.9 kg and reduced their fat percentage by 3%.
A 2015 study also confirms that swimming helps to get rid of fat and pump stamina. Its participants were engaged in swimming for one hour three times a week. After 12 weeks, women lost 4.3% of fat, their muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance increased.
Yes, swimming is not the most effective sport for losing weight compared to running, interval training or strength training, but it has a big plus: no load on the joints and spine.
This is of great importance for people who are overweight, who are at great risk of their knees, going for a run. Swimming provides a gentle load and at the same time helps to spend calories, develop strength, endurance and flexibility.
And if you also love swimming, you should definitely choose this sport for weight loss, because the ideal training is regular training.
How many calories can you spend while swimming
According to Harvard Medical School, over 30 minutes of swimming, a different amount of calories are spent depending on weight.
The most energy-consuming, and therefore useful for weight loss styles are breaststroke, crawl and butterfly stroke. It turns out that just splashing around in the pool is not enough. You need to learn to swim and conduct active training.
How to swim to lose weight
These tips will help you spend more calories in swimming workouts.
Buy gear
A swimsuit that is not intended for sports will be untied all the time and interfere with training, and water will flow under a poorly fitting gum of poor-quality glasses.
All these little things are terribly enraging and spoil the impression of classes. Therefore, if you are going to the pool, buy a sports swimsuit, a hat that fits in size, perfect glasses, and flippers. All this will help you forget about the equipment and give all your best.
Learn to swim in different styles
When you learn to swim in a crawl, you will want to use only this style: familiar movements, high speed and a lot of pleasure from swimming. However, it is better not to focus on one style and try breaststroke, backstroke or even a complicated butterfly stroke.
Different styles help harmoniously develop all the muscles of the body. For example, swimming on the back will help you strengthen the muscles of the back and shoulders, which will positively affect posture, and the breaststroke will provide a load on the inside of the hips.
Train with a trainer
If you can only dog paddle, take a few lessons with a trainer. He will show the basics, teach to exhale into the water, indicate errors.
You can learn to crawl in 3-4 lessons, and then hone your skills yourself by finding programs on the Internet and periodically consulting with a trainer.
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