Swimming is a sport that allows you to strengthen your entire body. But it is also one of the activities that requires the most energy.
For lose weight by swimming you must be regular (3 sessions minimum per week), vary the strokes, but above all, adopt a adequate nutrition !
Does swimming make you lose weight?
Swimming helps you lose weight, but on one condition: you have a calorie deficitTo do this, you need to consume fewer calories than your body requires to last a whole day.
In addition to helping you lose weight, thanks to the water pressure:
- Your joints are not traumatized.
- You are very unlikely to get hurt..
That being said, swimming is a very good sport for losing weight. It is a complete practice that mix of muscle strengthening and cardio.
Swimming helps you tone your figure
With this sport, your whole body is involved thanks to the resistance of the water which helps tone the muscles.
Swimming is also especially strengthen your abdominal muscles a lot, because When you swim you must stay tight.. Whatever the stroke, you will need to be in core strength.
Swimming allows you to burn maximum calories
Indeed, The more you swim, the more calories you will burn.. Swimming is a sport with a high energy expenditure. Especially thanks to the resistance of the water on your moving body.
Depending on the intensity and duration, you can easily exceed 400 calories burned by swimming session.
And besides, even after you're done swimming, your body will continue to burn calories!
How to swim to lose weight?
Swimming to lose weight is not complicated. The goal is just to produce a moderate, prolonged and continuous effort. This is what will allow you to have a regular energy expenditure and therefore of losing weight.
Don't exhaust yourself right from the start by giving it your all on the first few lengths. The goal is to have a constant cadence And to increase crescendo :
- The pace of your sessions.
- The time of your sessions.
How many swimming sessions per week should you do to lose weight?
To get results on your figure, it is important to swim at least 3 to 4 times a week.
If you have a busy schedule and you have trouble doing more than 3 sessions, do it at least 2 per week.
You must stay regular, it is not in 1 month that your body will completely change.
So, stay the course and do the sessions one after the other, you won't be disappointed with the end result!
How long should you swim to lose weight?
To lose weight with swimming, it is advisable to swim about 40 minutes per session. But if you start swimming again, or that you start, Go for it gently !
Start slowly and increase gradually. : 20 minutes, 25 minutes, and so on.
Increase your sessions by 5 minutes every 2 weeks until you can swim for 40 minutes.
But if you can hold out longer, don't deprive yourself! Swimming for an hour is even better.
Swimming with fins to expend even more energy
With some flippers you add even more resistance in the lower body. You go increase muscle work and the energy expenditure !
Use some mini flippers preferably, in order to keep a good leg kick cadence. You will feel your glutes and legs working even harder.
To give you more details on the subject, we invite you to watch our article on how to swim with fins. 👀 You will have what it takes to become a fin pro.
What swimming style to lose weight?
Butterfly is the stroke that will burn the most calories.. But it is also the most difficult and the most tiring.
Behind the butterfly, the strokes that burn the most calories are the breaststroke, THE crawl and the back crawled.
The breaststroke
It's a very complete swimming, but which will especially tone the hips, THE glutes as well as inner thighs. Breaststroke will also work the upper body and the abs.
Crawl and back crawl
These two strokes will require the abdominal strap (especially the obliques), the upper body, THE legs and the glutes.
The crawl and back crawl work the muscles well. abs, because you need to stay tight. These strokes are interesting for make love handles disappear.
How to choose your stroke?
Think about your technique and movements first and foremost.. Certainly swimming the butterfly burns a lot of calories, but it is the most technical and complicated stroke.
To begin, the best is to swim breaststroke, crawl or backstroke.. Start by breaking down each movement.
Try to have the best technique swimming possible. Over the course of the sessions you will feel that you are progressing.
Also, don't hesitate to vary your strokes.. It will allow you to tone your body in several ways, for a harmonious silhouette.
And for a change you can try swimming only by doing leg kicks or some undulations. You will mainly work your abs and legs!
Swimming also helps you eliminate cellulite
When you swim, with the kicking, undulations, etc., the draining action of water offers a massage to your skin.
In addition, swimming promotes blood circulation and the lymphatic drainage, what helps reduce orange peel skin.
To learn more, we invite you to take a look at our article on swimming and cellulite. 👀
Some tips for losing weight through swimming
Swim regularly
To lose weight, regular efforts over time will be more effective than intense efforts over a short period of time.
To privilege several swimming sessions of 30 to 40 minutes in the week rather than a single 2-hour one.
Vary your sessions
To have fun, vary your sessions. Also try to alternate between different strokes.
If you swim monotonously every time you swim, you will quickly get bored. You will not even want to go to the pool anymore…
Varying it will also help you allow you to work your muscles differently. For example, you can include specific exercises for abs, legs, etc.
Use accessories will also allow you to make your sessions swimming more fun.
Vary the rhythms
It's interesting to do some split For alternate fast pace And slower pace.
It will help you to improve your cardiovascular capacities and to increase your metabolism (which will help you burn more calories at rest).
For example, you can do:
- Two fast lengths and one slower one.
- A fast length and a slower one.
- One fast length and two slower ones.
Take your time
Start slowlyThere is no point in tiring yourself out in the first few sessions and not wanting to go back to the pool afterwards.
If you are a beginner, take your time. Find your cruising speed, and increase little by little.
You're not necessarily going to swim for 40 minutes right from the start. Climb gradually : 20 minutes, then 25, then 30, and so on.
Eat a healthy diet
For to lose weight, it happens especially on your plate ! But be careful, this does not mean that you should only eat salad.
Don't deprive yourself! Watch what you eat, avoid snacking and stick to your meal times.
The goal is to have balanced meals with sufficient carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.
Try to consume as much as possible seasonal fruits and vegetables, of the local products, And avoid processed products.
Hydrate yourself sufficiently
It's just as important for your digestion that for your swimming sessions. Just because you're exercising in the water doesn't mean you shouldn't drink...
Drink several times during your sessions, but also before and after. Your body needs water, and even if you want to lose weight, you have to drink enough.
Relieve stress
The better you feel in your head, the more lenient your body will be with you. Because yes, Stress also contributes to weight gain.
So, take some time for yourself., rest, do meditation, yoga, etc. The swimming will also allow you to relax with water.
There feeling of lightness, the fact of float through water, etc. will help you relieve your stress.
To conclude
Swimming is great for helping you lose weight. You tone your figure while expending maximum energy.
Be regular in your practice, feel free to vary your sessions And increase the pace step by step.
With a good Alimentation, and by taking care of yourself, the results will be seen quickly. So, once you get started, don't give up!
Swimming is full of other benefits. So, if you want to know more, we invite you to read our article on the benefits of swimming. 👀
Aquabiking for weight loss
And if you want to try another water sport to lose weight, you can come and try aquabike at Aqua by!
Immersed in a pool, YOU pedal on a bike in a group. You are guided by motivating coaches and the music sets the tempo !
Aquabike helps eliminate cellulite, and like swimming, makes you burn up to 500 calories per session!
SO, book your first session And take the plunge. Our studios located in Paris and Boulogne are waiting for you! 💦
