Losing weight is difficult, especially when you are overweight, but adding in exercise that is easy on your joints, while also challenging for your body, can help get you there. The exercise I always recommend people try is swimming.
Swimming is a great exercise if you want to lose weight, however, you need to find the right fitness club, buy a small amount of equipment, and stay consistent in order to see results. You should go to the pool at least 3 times per week and check out some video guides of workouts to follow.
Ready to learn how to swim to lose weight? Below are the tips you need to learn how to swim to lose weight.
1. Find a Fitness Center With a Pool and “Invest” in a Membership
Spending money on a club/pool membership is one of the best “health investments'' you can make, especially when you want to lose weight the healthy way. You will want to shop around a bit to find a club that you like, and that has a membership you can afford.
Before you sign up for any membership, ask yourself the following questions:
Is the pool located nearby and convenient to get to 2-3 times per week?
Do the hours of operation fit the times you want to swim?
Does the pool have lap lanes?
Does the pool have dedicated lane lap time?
If the answer to all of the above questions is yes, then you’ve found yourself a winner.
When swimming for weight loss, it’s vital that you find a pool that has lap lanes so you can swim unobstructed without breaking your stroke pattern. 25 to 50-meter pools are plentiful but sharing open pools with casual swimmers not doing laps is almost impossible as you will be constantly crashing into leisure swimmers.
Also, ask about the times for open or reserved lane swimming. Sharing a lane with another swimmer is an option if limited lanes exist during certain pool hours. My wife and I share a lane often, and most of the time, we are on opposite ends of the pool and do not struggle much when we pass by each other in the lane
Don’t be afraid to play with your schedule a little bit. Sometimes you may want to swim on the way to work if you find a pool that’s more convenient than near your home. Shop around and take some tours of the facilities before you decide on your best fit. The hours of operation have to be a good match for your anticipated pool time schedule.
2. Buy Some Simple Equipment and Consider Swim Lessons
Swimming to lose weight isn’t always easy, but investing in a small amount of equipment can go a long way toward making the experience more pleasurable.
Here are the basics of what you should purchase to get started:
You don’t need to spend much on these, but you will find you will especially need a pair of goggles. I have to wear earplugs since I seem to have a problem with getting water in my ears. I also struggled with a baggy bathing suit that used to slip down below my waist and restrict my leg kicks and strokes. Oh, it also was a bit embarrassing when my “bum” was showing during the freestyle stroke! Check out some of the great deals on swimsuits on Amazon (see links below)
For Women:
For Men:
Normal Coverage (Comes in Plus Sizes)
Don’t forget to bring a water bottle to the pool. Many new swimmers forget because they are in a pool with lots of water, they will still get thirsty with the exertion. It’s important.
You should also consider lessons if you are beginning to use swimming as part of your weight loss plan. You may have been a casual swimmer who did learn strokes once upon a time but never swam for exercise. To successfully lose weight while swimming, you need to learn the strokes, breathing patterns, and timing of lap swimming.
This will make it so much easier to get comfortable in the water and save you days and days of struggling, which can create discouragement for beginners who may feel like they just can’t seem to swim without a lot of effort.
If you take lessons from a swim instructor, may suggest some floatation devices or boards to help you develop your strokes and kicks. Normally these are inexpensive as well.
We’ve listed our favorites below:
3. Go to the Pool 3x Per Week and Follow up with YouTube Videos
The most important part of a swimming weight loss plan is to get into the water as often as you can. Our experience as beginners, with a desire to get more efficient at swimming, was best achieved by us getting to the pool 3 times per week for 45-60 minutes each time.
We recommend joining a swim club that meets at least three times a week to “motivate” you to keep your weekly schedule. Secondly, camaraderie with fellow swimmers is a great idea since they will give you free tips to improve your technique, offer other insights, and challenge you to swim longer.
You will notice your swimming will become more effortless if you're in the pool more often. Once or twice a week, especially when you're just beginning, won’t cut it.
I am a big fan of YouTube videos to help me get better at doing the different stroke techniques and nuances. I watch videos every night after my swim days to review where I have made progress and where I need to improve.(ref #2)
The health benefits of swimming are amazing.(ref #3) I am an avid road cyclist, but swimming is also now one of my new favorite choices for exercise. Check out our video about swimming exercises for weight loss, titled “Dive-In Tips for Smarter Swimming on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKUXkVPlztg or on our website https://rxhealthyhabits.com
One final piece of advice for beginners. Learning to swim as an adult can be scary, awkward, and at times embarrassing in the beginning. Do not give up.
Give yourself time to get more comfortable in the water and be patient in learning to swim with less effort. A moderate skill level will come faster than you think. One day soon. you will feel proud as you master your swimming routine and you begin paying it forward and giving tips to new swimmers.
Editor's Note: Swimming alone isn't enough to lead to a large change in your weight, as dieting is also an important part of your weight loss journey. Check out our video about diet vs. exercise to learn more about how you need to change your diet to get the most out of our swimming exercise routine.
Swimming and Weight Loss FAQ:
Can You Lose Weight by Swimming?
Swimming is a great cardiovascular exercise, and it is possible to lose weight with a regular swimming program. For the best weight loss results, you should swim at least 3x per week.
Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?
Swimming is great for weight loss because it doesn’t put as much pressure on the bones and joints as other forms of exercise. This makes it a great place to start for people who aren’t physically fit enough to run or jog just yet.
How Much Swimming Do You Have to Do to Lost Weight?
In order to lose weight while swimming, you have to hit the pool consistently. Most professionals recommend swimming at least 3 times a week when you are doing so to lose weight.
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