Swimming is a very good sport for your heart which allows you to improve your endurance and your breath throughout the sessions!
When you swim, prolonged efforts that you provide help you improve your cardiovascular capacity And pulmonary.
Swimming for the well-being of your cardio
Swimming helps you improve your endurance
The more you swim often And a long time, the more you go increase your endurance capabilities. To swim long term, you must be able to measure your effort.
To improve your endurance, you must also adopt a good swimming technique. The better she will be, the less energy you will waste and the longer you will last.
Swimming also and above all allows you to better manage your breathing. Because yes, the body is not not used to exhaling underwater.
When you swim, your heart must also adapt. He must take into account the fact that he must use oxygen better.
During your swimming sessions, your body will adapt do all these little things and you will feel your endurance improve!
Swimming promotes blood circulation
Swimming requires a large muscle volume, what promotes blood circulation in your body. So it will happen more easily to the heart.
The benefits of water, including its massaging and draining effects, will facilitate the lymphatic drainage. Two properties of water that also help reduce the feeling of heavy legs.
Swimming with the body (almost) to the horizontal will allow circulation more blood to the heart.
For what ? Because unlike when you are standing, THE blood falls less easily into the legs.
How to improve your cardio while swimming?
To improve your cardio, the goal is to change of pace when you swim. Vary your workouts swimming will also help you.
Test it split. At first it's not necessarily easy, but you'll see that gradually your body will get used to it. And you will therefore have to increase in intensity.
And for that, you can:
- Swim faster.
- Take shorter rest periods.
- Replace rest times by the swimming at a pace calm.
- Swim longer and/or more often.
A primordial thing who will you help improve your cardio, it's here breathing. Learn to breathe well and to blow well in the water.
This will make your life easier and you will be more efficient in your movements. To take your head out of the water in order to inhale and to perform more relaxed movements.
An example of a special cardio swimming workout
Start with the warm-up
Start by warming up by swimming for about 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. Vary the strokes, crawl, breaststroke, backstroke, even butterfly if you have mastered the technique.
The start of the session
Then, when you are ready, you can start the session. You go alternate between fast pace and slower pace.
For this, you will do 1 circuit of 3×50 meters while swimming, the crawl, there breaststroke and the back. A circuit that you go repeat 2 times.
For every 50 meters, the goal is to:
- Swim them first 25 meters quickly
- Swim them last 25 meters quietly
So you will do:
- 25 meters from fast crawl followed by 25 meters of leisurely crawl
- 25 meters from fast breaststroke followed by 25 meters of leisurely breaststroke
- 25 meters from fast back followed by 25 meters of quiet back
Once the first lap of the circuit finished, take approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute break and go for round two.
We continue with the fins
Once the two laps of the circuit are completed, you can put on fins for a few lengths.
Psst, we have all the information you need in our article on how to swim with fins. Take a quick look at it. 👀
To start, swim 100 meters in front crawl at a normal pace, focus on your technique. Make wide movements And released.
Then you will leave for 3 rounds of 75 meters in crawl where you will vary the rhythms again:
- 50 meters of fast crawl followed by 25 meters of quiet crawl.
Between each 75 meters, try not to take a break. If you find it difficult to complete the 3 rounds, take about 10 seconds of break before starting again.
Once you have finished the 3×75 meters, you can take 30 seconds to 1 minute break before set off again for 100 meters at a normal pace. Focus again on your swimming technique.
A little swimming with a pull-buoy
Once the 100 meters are completed, you can remove the fins and take a pull buoy with you. Place it between your thighs or ankles.
To start, swim 100 meters crawl And 100 meters backstroke at normal pace.
Try to make wide arm movements by looking far away. keep them well contracted abs to have good body alignment.
Then, as before, you will do 3 sets of 75 meters of crawl alternating rhythms:
- 50 meters of fast crawl followed by 25 meters of quiet crawl
The rule is the same, no break between each series, unless you feel that it is difficult to hold all 3 without stopping.
Some complete swimming lengths
Once you have completed your 3 sets, you can put down the pull-buoy. You go work on your technique a little and your breathing.
You will realize 2 sets of 200 meters swimming:
- A first 200 meters in breaststroke, doing as little movement as possible. The goal is to seek a large amplitude.
- A second 200 meters crawl, where you are going breathe all the 3 arm movements, all the 5, then all 7 before leaving for 3.
Between every 200 meters, you can take about 30 seconds break if you feel the need.
Return to calm to finish
When you have completed your 2 sets of 200 meters, you are almost finished with your session. You only have 2 gentle 100 meters left with a leisurely rhythm:
- A first 100 meters crawl
- A last 100 meters backstroke
Once these last two 100 meters finished, your training special cardio is also finished !
You can of course change stroke between each session, a first focused on breaststroke, another focused on backstroke, etc.
Also, do not hesitate to increase or decrease distances depending on your level. If you're just starting out, take it easy and shorten the lengths. Take your time and increase as you go.
In conclusion
Swimming is one of the best sports to keep your heart healthy:
- You learn to breathe better underwater in order to be more enduring.
- The act of swimming promotes your blood circulation.
- You bring more blood to your heart.
And to improve your cardio, nothing too complicated:
- Learn to manage your efforts and to breathe well.
- Vary the rhythms and the intensities in your sessions.
- Swim regularly And longer and longer every workout.
The benefits of swimming don't stop at your cardiovascular capabilities. So, to find out more, we invite you to take a look at our article on the benefits of swimming. 👀
Aquabike for good cardio works too!
It's not just swimming that's good for a healthy heart! You can also try aquabike.
Immersed in water, you pedal a bike, varying the rhythms. With the aquabike, you strengthen your lower body muscles, YOU eliminate cellulite and above all you improve your cardio !
At the house of Aqua by we offer you to discover aquabike differently : group classes guided by motivating coaches and with music to combine physical activity and good humor!
Our sessions are varied (including HIIT sessions for cardio), so if you want to dive into the deep end of aquabike, book your first session.
Our studios located in Paris and Boulogne are waiting for you, so take the plunge! 💦
