Body Workout Plan

The following is a swim workout created with a healthy, experienced swimmer in mind. Non-swimmers should never swim unsupervised. When starting a new exercise program, it is imperative that you consult with your doctor first to ensure that the workout will be suitable for your fitness level.

First of all, a few facts regarding swimming as exercise: Because water naturally resists movement and buoyancy, it is ideal for working out because you can’t help but expend energy to move around in it.

The water supports most of your weight, taking stress off your body and making water exercise ideal for people who experience joint pain, and those who cannot endure traditional workouts because of injuries.

Getting Started with Warm Up: It is very important, no matter your fitness level, that you stretch all your major muscle groups appropriately before beginning any kind of workout. This especially true with a pool workout, as safety must come first.

Most stretches that you do on land can be done in the pool as well. Be sure that you pay special care to stretching the large muscles in your legs, arms, back and chest. It’s also important to get your heart moving a bit faster, so walk around in the pool a bit to get your heart rate up. Your warm up should last a minimum of five minutes.

Strength and Endurance: This section of the workout should last ten to twenty minutes. Start by crossing the pool in a straight line, keeping as much of your body under the water as you comfortably can. Bring your arms forward and then push them back behind you in resistance to the water as you go.

Repeat this move, continually increasing your pace and lengthening your stride as you go. Reach a little further with your arms each time, and use them to pull yourself along. The faster you move the more resistance you will face and the more challenging you will find the walking.

Make your way up to the fastest controlled pace you can and walk back and forth across the pool twice. Next, execute one full lap across the pool and back, using a stroke you are comfortable with, such as the crawl, backstroke, or breaststroke. Keep a pace that allows you to do one complete lap. Start again with one fast lap of walking and go on to another swimming lap, but this time, use another swim stroke.

Keep repeating this pattern with each stroke you know, followed by a walking lap. This effectively reaches each muscle group while at the same time, elevating your heart rate.

Finishing up with a cool down: Cooling down is as important as warming up. Make sure that you stretch each muscle again, repeating the stretches you performed during your warm up. This will relax the muscles and help prevent soreness. As your fitness level permits, you are free to adjust this work out to suit yourself.