How to Use Swimming As an Exercise Program

Swimming provides an intense cardiovascular workout that calls on all of your body's muscle groups to propel your movements in the water. This means your arms, your core, your legs and your back all benefit from swimming laps in the pool, therefore improving your overall fitness. Due to the natural buoyancy of water, swimming places minimal strain on your joints and remains one of the few aerobic exercises that you can perform safely as you grow older or after sustaining an injury. This simple exercise burns over 300 calories in one half-hour, for the average 150-lb. individual.

Things You'll Need

  • Swimsuit
  • Goggles
  • Waterproof watch
  • Fins
  • Pull-buoy
  • Kickboard
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Instructions

    • 1

      Swim in intervals for the first week of your aquatic exercise program. With your goggles in place, swim for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds. Continue doing this for 10 minutes. Put on your fins and repeat the previous interval training for the next 10 minutes. Wearing fins provides an additional workout for your legs and allows you to swim farther and faster. Do this two to three times a week.

    • 2

      Increase your aquatic workout by 10 percent each week. For the second week, add two minutes on to your 20 minute workout. Adding on slowly to your workout plan will reduce the risk of injury. To add variety to your swimming, use a kickboard. Hold on to the kickboard with your arms and vigorously kick with your legs. This is another way to intensify your leg workout.

    • 3

      Add more days to your workout plan. Once you have built up to 30 minutes of swimming each time, hit the lap pool more days out of the week. Instead of three days a week, add a fourth day and then a fifth day to your swimming workout routine. This builds your endurance and increases your overall cardiovascular fitness.

    • 4

      Reduce your rest time in your swimming intervals and increase your swim time. Begin by increasing your swim time to 45 seconds at a time and reduce your rest time to 15 seconds. Vary your routine by practicing interval training some days of the week and focusing on improving your strokes other days of the week.

    • 5

      Focus on your upper body workout in the water by placing a pull buoy between your knees. This piece of equipment allows your legs to float and focuses your attention on your upper body. Push yourself to swim faster and make each stroke smooth and accurate. Tighten your core while swimming with a pull buoy to strengthen your abdominal muscles and boost your calories burned.