Great Swimming Exercise Routines

Swimming is one of the best forms of total body conditioning you can come by and it can be a great deal of fun too.  If you’re looking to add something different to your regular routine opt for a day or two of swimming workouts to shake things up.  Swimming has the potential to really kick start your weight loss and it is great if you have any kind of injuries or joint problems that prevent you from doing other forms of cardio exercises.

To start a swimming fitness routine, begin by simply getting reacquainted with the water.  Head to your local pool and try to just practice your old strokes from swimming lessons a little.  It will all come back to you pretty quickly if you’ve had some lessons, but if not, you can always sign of for adult lessons, either with a group or privately.

Now once you’ve got the hang of the basic strokes again it’s time to set out a routine.  Begin by warming up as usual and then begin doing laps.  Laps can be divided into five laps at a time, but if you’re already a strong swimmer you can go a little harder.

Mix up your strokes in these sets.  Begin for instance with the front crawl and do five laps of this.  If need be, rest between laps, but don’t take too long as you’ll decrease your fat burning potential.

After a tough lap set you can do a less intense stroke like the breast stroke, side stroke or back stroke in order to give yourself a break.  You can also alternate between these in a freestyle swim and then begin your front crawl laps again.

Using the kickboard can also be a great way to give yourself a small break while also working the legs between strokes.  Going back and forth with the kickboard is actually a terrific leg and butt workout.  Try to up your speed as you go and really give those legs a workout.

As you begin to improve and build stamina you can start to gradually increase your lengths and/or increase your speed.  Good swimmers can do about thirty laps without resting, but this may take some time if you’re not a strong swimmer just yet.  Whatever your level of swimming expertise though, this form of exercise can be as intense or moderate as you make it.  Challenge yourself as you go and most of all enjoy.