As I mentioned in a previous post, I have started incorporating swimming into my fitness programme because I hope to enter some swim and run events such as Stroke and Stride over the summer. I need to be able to swim between 500-1000m in the ocean, freestyle, non-stop. Improving on my stroke and speed now will mean that I’m not panicking later on. I thought it might be a good idea to put together a blog post outlining some of the benefits of swimming, as well as some tips for improvement.
Benefits of swimming o A great form of stress relief o A good type of cardiovascular fitness activity o A great way to lose weight, as it burns plenty of calories o A good type of exercise to do if you’re large as you’re submersed in water. Jumping/high energy activities on land may be difficult if you’re carrying excess weight o An excellent activity for women who are pregnant o Swimming is low impact on joints, reducing the risk of injury or making it a suitable exercise for those in rehabilitation from injuries o After awhile, you’ll see improved sleeping patterns o It’s inexpensive. Some community pools in Auckland are free o It’s refreshing. You can’t beat the feeling of being in the water o It doesn’t matter if the weather is cold, wet and windy as you’ll be indoors o In the heat of summer, there’s nothing nicer than swimming in an outdoor pool Tips o Swim T3 is the place to go for all your swimming needs. They stock an excellent range of swimsuits, wetsuits, caps and goggles o If you’re after a heated 50m swimming pool to train in, you can’t go past the Newmarket Olympic Pools. I recently won a free one month’s membership and really enjoyed going there, but it’s a bit far so I’ll probably stick to training in a local community pool o Work out when the pool isn’t busy and try to fit your swimming in then o Take a bag to put your belongings in. Don’t forget to take a towel and a snack for after the swim. Sometimes I have a protein shake, other times I have a piece of fruit or a yoghurt o It pays to invest in decent goggles. Until I did so, I found that my goggles always got foggy, the strap broke and they filled up with water, ruining my swim o If you wear glasses, look for a pair of prescription goggles. Being able to actually see properly in the water makes swimming much more enjoyable o Wear a swimming cap. It keeps your hair neatly in place, but you’ll find that you still have to wash it afterwards o Swimming can be hard on your hair. If you swim most days like me, you’ll be washing your hair nearly every day. It pays to invest in a decent moisture repair shampoo and conditioner to prevent your hair from becoming dry o Forget beach attire. Wear chlorine resistant swimming togs which are made for swimming. For ladies, I recommend a one-piece suit as they fit best when you’re doing lots of lane swimming o Take a pair of jandals to wear in the changing rooms, so you avoid getting athlete’s foot o After a long swim, treat yourself to a soak in the spa pool or head for the sauna
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