4 Ways Swimming Can Be A Fun Workout

Swimming is a great way to give your body a complete workout without requiring a treadmill or dumbbells. It does not require any equipment, is friendly to your joints, and helps you burn around 500 calories per hour by working your core and speeding up your metabolism.

If you have recently had a private swimming pool installed, you have the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits offered by swimming, while having fun too. Besides getting your laps and floating around, here are some fun ideas to add to your workout:

1. Waterproof music players

   Thanks to advances in technology, you can now do as many things underwater as on land, including taking your electronic devices into the water with you. As you get yourself new swimming gear, consider buying a waterproof mp3 player as well. So the next time you are perfecting your stroke, you can do it as you listen to some energizing music. You might not even notice how much time passes by.

2. Try out different variations

   Swimming offers countless workouts. Beyond the four strokes, you can pull, kick, or use the wall to perform pushups. Consider inviting a friend or two to join you during your pool workout when alternating between gym sessions and swimming.

3. Create competitions

   When you have a private pool, you are free to invite anyone to join you during your swimming sessions. You can challenge your spouse, kids, or other family members to some friendly competitions. Competitions are particularly great for getting the whole family involved in fitness and swimming.

   If you have kids, you will need to get more creative. You can, for instance, set up an obstacle course in the shallow end or have them dive for coins and whoever collects the most within a given time limit wins. For teens and pre-teens, you can make the competitions focused on speed, perhaps a race using a certain stroke. Even when rewarding the victor, it is important to give everyone something for their effort, and to keep them motivated.

4. Incorporate aquatic fitness classes

   Aquatic fitness has become increasingly popular, especially since swimming is considered the ultimate aerobic activity, offering more breath control than running, owing to the increased demand for oxygen, and resulting in greater muscle strength. Taking your cardio class to the pool also gives you a chance to increase your flexibility, balance, endurance, and coordination.

Final note

Even with some basic swimming skills, simply moving inside the water without doing any specific routine can give you a range of benefits while offering great enjoyment.