| People of all ages can swim. As we age, adding low impact, aerobic exercise to the physical fitness routine is key to maintaining a healthy body and mind. Swimming can be the ideal activity for many who can’t bear the high impact and joint stress of running, jogging, bootcamps or other high impact exercise routines. | When starting a swimming routine, as with any other physical fitness activity, make sure you consult with your doctor. Start slowly and build up to increase the limits. Speed and distance is not as important as the amount of time you swim. According to the American Heart Association, just 30-60 minutes of physical activity 3-4 days per week can help reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A regular physical activity program can also help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. |
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SWIMSUIT - wear a comfortable and inexpensive swimsuit. Keep in mind that the chlorine in the pool will most likely damage it in a short period of time. HEAD COVER - A loose swim cap, shower cap, or other head cover is recommended if you would like to keep your hair dry. Swim Fit Board will keep your head out of the water, but a head covering is recommended to protect against other swimmers and inadvertent splashing. SUNGLASSES AND VISOR - These are optional, but will keep your face covered and protected from the sun |
SWIMMING AIDS - once you are comfortable swimming continuously for at least 30 minutes, you may want to try hand paddles and/or flippers. These will increase resistance and help build more muscle and increase stamina.
WATERPROOF BLUETOOTH HEADSET - Once you are comfortable swimming with Swim Fit Board, invest in a waterproof Bluetooth Headset that is paired with your phone. Listen to your favorite music or audiobook while gliding on your Swim Fit Board! |
Swimming is like no other exercise. Your whole body is involved in this exercise. You will find that swimming short distances, even 1-2 laps will be challenging at first. You are most likely not used to engaging all of your body in an exercise at the same time.
| Your heart rate will go up quickly, and you should limit your first sessions to not more than 1-2 continuous laps. | Take a break, let your heart rate go down, and go for another couple of laps. |
Interchange freestyle and breaststroke, swim a lap with just your legs, or just your arms.
The first few sessions, limit your total time swimming to between 15-30 minutes. Swim at least 2X per week if you are able.
Within 30 days, your body will adapt quickly, and before you know it, you will be able to continuously swim for 30 minutes without stopping. Yes! it may even take longer! 30 days is the average time to condition your body to swim continuously for a 30 minute period.
Swimming is, without question, an effective way to burn calories. And, since swimming is a non-impact sport, it's neutral on common problem areas like the lower back and knees.
You can incorporate a slow pace, fast pace or HIIT (High Intensity interval training) program into your fitness routine. For a slow pace freestyle program, you can burn 500+ calories per hour.
For more specific information on calorie burning, visit : https://www.omnicalculator.com/sports/swimming-calorie
Watch the clock.Pools where competitive teams swim will usually have pace clocks installed. Most pace clocks are visible from anywhere in the pool. Rather than counting laps, register the time you start on the pace clock and calculate a ½ hour or more to swim. If there is no pace clock, or if you can't see it from the pool, consider purchasing a waterproof watch. |
You can't swim too slowly.Swim comfortably and you will enjoy it for a lifetime. Don't worry about how fast other swimmers are. One of the benefits of Swim Fit Board is that if you are swimming in a lane with other swimmers, you can circumvent or move aside from other swimmers if they are swimming faster or slower than you. You will never bump into another swimmer! |