Life&Style

Whether it’s for heading on holiday, shaping up for summer or simply to look and feel better, then it’s time to head to the pool for a swim workout. Swimming is a great way to tone up and trim down, because just moving in the water means you are moving your body against the resistance of the water.

With a gentle swim able to burn around 200 calories every half hour, and a medium to fast paced swim burning up to 400 calories every half hour it’s one of the best exercises to get an all over body workout with minimal impact on your joints.

Here are some great ideas to make your pool session more enjoyable:

• Try using a variety of strokes; swimming freestyle works out different muscle than swimming than swimming breaststroke because each stroke uses very different muscles.

• Try using training aids to mix up your workout. If you use an aqua belt and run in the water, it helps to mimic the posture and technique that you would use when running on land, but it has less impact on your joints; or using a kickboard will ensure that your legs get a great work out.

• Try doing sets rather than just swimming up and down the black line. You’ll find that you are challenging yourself and time goes quicker.

• If you struggle finding some ‘me time’ to get to the pool, why not try taking the kids to have swimming lessons, meaning you have the time to do your own swim session.

• Or, take the kids swimming with you. Not only will they enjoy the fact that you’re in the water with them, but you’ll get a great workout swimming around after them!

• If swimming laps isn’t for you, check out the timetable at your local pool to see what other activities they have on offer. There is a great range of swim sessions available these days including the likes of Aqua Zumba, Aqua Aerobics and Water based circuit sessions!

• It doesn’t matter whether you can get to the pool once a week or once a fortnight! Just making the effort to get there will have you feeling better about yourself! The time yourself to enjoy the water and some exercise will have you feeling instantly better about yourself!

• If you don’t enjoy exercising by yourself, see if you can get a friend to swim with you. Exercise is not only more fun if you have a friend to keep you company, but having a commitment to exercise with someone else means you are less likely to find an excuse not to!

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