Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Exercise in the water
• Method 2 of 4: Do important swimming exercises
• Method 3 of 4: Exercise outside the pool
• Method 4 of 4: Get outside help
• Tips
• Warnings

Swimming is a low impact aerobic workout that also strengthens important muscle groups such as the shoulders, back, legs, hips, abs and glutes. However, because swimming requires a lot of movements and muscle movements that are typically not used on dry land, swimming also requires a lot of training and exercise before it feels easy. So with some knowledge, practice and a positive attitude, you can get great results from your workouts.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Exercise in the water

1. Schedule a swimming routine. You don't have to train every day, but try to commit at least three days a week. Decide what time works best for you. Some people find it helpful to swim before work, while others prefer to swim after work. It just depends on what your schedule is.
   • It will take your body some time to find a rhythm between your beat and your breath. If you're just starting out, try swimming for 10 minutes at least three to five times a week. Then slowly increase it to thirty minutes or more.
2. Structure your swimming sessions to increase fitness. A swimming session of 2 hours can look like this:
   • Warm-up - 15 minutes, usually 200m front crawl and then some more gentle lanes, at a vigorous pace (aim to apply constant pressure during each movement).
   • Legs or arms - 15 minutes. It's a great way to loosen up muscles and warm up the legs and get into a rhythm.
   • Breath Restrictive - 5 minutes, usually done before or after the main core. Respiratory means holding your breath under tension or during training. Do sprints with only 1 or 2 breaths per lane, or do butterfly kicks underwater up to half and then butterfly (every strokes breathe) the rest of the course. Don't do breath-restraining training for too long if you expect to have to do the main core afterward.
   • Main core - 35 minutes, a small number of high intensity courses at fast times, or a lower intensity but many courses with no rest. A good example is 5 x 25 m front crawl every 40 seconds with a target time of 30.
   • Swim Out - Very importantly, swim out gives swimmers the opportunity to recover and stretch their muscles. You should try to get as much distance per stroke as possible (try 12-16 strokes in a 25 m pool).
3. Work on your breathing. Concentrate on both exhaling and inhaling. If you're not breathing, don't move your head. It is more efficient to keep your head in a fixed position. Turn your head only to breathe.
   • Many swimmers have the problem of not exhaling underwater. Make sure to exhale a little when you go underwater again to keep some air in and keep your nose from filling up with water.
   • Never lift your head when you need to breathe. Always turn your head to the side.
   • With the front crawl, you hold one lens in the water and one above it. This will help keep you from turning your head too far.
   • Try to breathe every three or five strokes to make sure you are breathing on both sides of your body.
   • Don't hold your breath.
4. Develop your backstroke. The backstroke can be one of the most difficult strokes to master. You need strong back and shoulder muscles for it. The key to a smooth back crawl is in your hips. Do a simple exercise with a crawl leg stroke on your back while holding one arm up. Switch arms after a lane and finish with a lane normal back crawl.
5. Strengthen your breaststroke. The breaststroke is based on the synchronization of your sliding moment and your stroke. This flexibility does not come naturally. Striking harder or trying to push more water backwards can actually have the opposite effect.
   • Make sure to always hit underwater. Pull-outs give you an edge and are very important for a strong and fast breaststroke.
   • Your arms shouldn't actually be pushing the water behind you, but instead, focus on forming an upside-down heart with your hands.
   • Bring your hands together as you extend them forward. Use your elbows, not your hands, to push your hands forward.
6. Work on a separate stroke per exercise. If you spend a whole day on one type of stroke, you will get into the rhythm of that stroke more quickly. You can even focus on one individual stroke per week and then switch strokes the following week.
7. Learn to make a turnaround. This is a difficult act that increases your speed in lane swimming. Find the "big T". The "big T" is the perpendicular line at the end of the course in a competition pool. When your head crosses the line, bring your chin to your chest as you do one more stroke. Then you do a butterfly stroke for the last push.
   • Don't look up before doing the flip. The wall is always there as long as you look at the "big T" at the bottom of the pool.
   • This move can be challenging and it is recommended to have someone demonstrate it.
   • To go faster, do a series of underwater butterfly kicks in a fairing position. Try to get past the flags above the pool if you can.

Method 2 of 4: Do important swimming exercises

1. Train with technique exercises. One way to improve your swimming is to strengthen your technique. Incorporating certain technique exercises into your workouts will benefit you by strengthening your muscles and individual parts of your stroke.
2. Do the exercise with one arm. Split your shot to just one arm per lane. This will help keep your shot symmetrical and balanced. Hold a plank if you have trouble swimming straight. Keep your kick steady and narrow throughout the exercise.
3. Use the side kick exercise. Hold one arm out in front of you with your body completely straight to your side. Focus on maintaining a steady kick. Your head stays in the water unless you rotate it to breathe. Switch arms after each job.
4. Do the Tarzo exercise. Practice your front crawl stroke as normal, but keep your head out of the water, facing forward. This exercise strengthens your kick, neck and back muscles. Only practice this over short distances.
5. Do exercises in the water where you stay in one place. There are many exercises you can do in the pool that do not require you to swim lanes. Sometimes your pool has training equipment intended for in the water such as water gloves, paddles or pullbuoys.
6. Do a jump exercise. Spread your legs wide apart while standing upright. Pull your knees up to the surface. With your knees there, put your hands down and pull them back up as your legs return to the bottom.
7. Try a stamping and pushing exercise. Spread your legs wide and take turns pulling them up. Imagine pulling your knees high or crushing grapes. Extend your arms out to the side and bend them towards the bottom. When you raise your legs, make the same movement with your arms.
8. Practice a scissors exercise. Put one leg in front of the other and push it down, with your knee at a 90 degree angle. Keep your arms out to the side on the surface of the water and then push them against your body.
   • Use a buoy for extra excitement.
9. Work on the kick.
   • You can use a board that you buy or borrow from the pool.
   • Just hold the plank and do whatever leg stroke you want. There are many positions to keep your arms. Find which one you like best.
   • You can also keep your arms streamlined and kick your back.
10. Work on your elbow room.
    • Use a pullbuoy that can be bought or borrowed at the pool, gym, club, etc.
    • Put the pullbuoy between your ankles or thighs, whichever you prefer, and swim with your arms.
    • Remember not to use your legs as this will make your arm stroke less effective.
11. For front crawl, do the exercise of dragging your fingertips. Instead of lifting your hand out of the water, drag your fingertips across the surface.

Method 3 of 4: Exercise outside the pool

1. Warm up before entering the pool. If you are serious about swimming you should warm up outside the pool (no more than 30 minutes is needed) before swimming. Stretch your hamstrings, do planks, sprints, push-ups, burpees and streamline burpees (where you do a burpee and end in a tight streamline).
2. Strengthen your kick. If you don't manage to get to the pool, you can still improve your stroke and build muscle. Practicing the crawl leg stroke can be a great exercise for your core. Lie on your back and keep your hands under your buttocks. Lift your legs slightly and start moving your legs alternately. Try to do this for about thirty seconds, rest and repeat.
3. Work on your planks. Planks are effective exercises with your own body weight that strengthen the upper and lower body, as well as your shoulders, arms and glutes. This is a great exercise for the side. Practice these steps to perfect your planks:
   • Take a position as if you were going to do a push-up. Place your hands a little wider than shoulder width.
   • Use your toes to secure your feet and squeeze your glutes to keep your body stable.
   • Keep your head in line with your back. Focus on looking down at one point on the ground.
   • Hold this position for about twenty seconds. You need to make sure your legs don't like the tension. Practice this at intervals that are comfortable for you.
4. Do weightless exercises. You don't have to go to the gym every time to train. Set yourself up for a routine of about 20 minutes. Try to do some of the following in your workout:
   • 10-15 reps of push-ups
   • 20-30 reps of crunches
   • 5-10 reps of pull-ups
   • 10-15 reps of goblet squats
   • Rest for a minute and repeat
5. Strengthen your core. Your core is the most important group of muscles that help you do just about everything. Swimming relies heavily on the strength of your core. Practice a few things like these:
   • The bird dog position. Get on your hands and knees and keep your spine as flat as possible. Then extend your left arm and right leg. Don't lift your limbs higher than your spine, but keep them level with your back. Hold this position for 3 to 4 seconds and then switch sides.
   • V-Sits. Start in a sitting position and raise your legs to a 45 degree angle. Extend your arms to the knees and hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds.
   • Scissor crunches. Lie on your back and extend your legs straight on the floor. Keep your hands down at your sides. Lift your right leg straight up and your left leg a few inches off the floor. Extend your left arm to your right foot. Hold this position for about 10 to 30 seconds, then switch sides.
6. Practice other sports outside the pool. Keeping your cardiovascular system busy when you don't have time to go to the pool will keep you in shape. Football is a great sport to challenge your lungs and muscles. It also requires a lot of hand-eye coordination that parallels the synchronization between your breath and your stroke.

Method 4 of 4: Get outside help

1. Get a swim trainer. Many pools and clubs have something for children, but not many have options for adults or teenagers who want something. Find someone who has experience working with adults. Make sure his character suits you. You need someone who can listen and give you feedback on your success.
2. Join a swim group. There are master groups for people over 20 who want to swim. They range from real beginners to more experienced athletes.
   • Your local gym may also have something similar and may be a better alternative.
3. Go to a gym with a pool. You will find that many establishments in your area have swimming pools. Shop around a bit and find one that fits your price range and has a decent pool.
4. Ask a friend for support. If you want to commit to something that is physically demanding, it might be good to have someone support you. This person does not need to train with you, but only acts as a support system if you lose heart.
   • Having a friend who wants to go swimming regularly is an added bonus and a good friend.

Tips

• When you practice a new stroke, have someone take a look so you know when you get it wrong. For better information, always watch a movie about how to perform a particular stroke first, so you know what to expect when you do it.
• Take the time to practice your turning points and swim as much as you can, but don't overdo it.
• Always drink water before and after swimming. Although your body temperature will drop and you will not get thirsty, there is a high chance of dehydration.
• Try to swim for 1 hour if you have enough time. The more you swim, the more you get used to it. You can also go for a run or walk to strengthen your legs and improve your stamina.
• Do a few push-ups and sit-ups every morning and evening to work your abs and back muscles.
• Exercise as much as you can, but not too much! Take a break from time to time and keep drinking.
• After a long day of training, you should get a good night's sleep.
• Fast turning points are very important. Try to retract your legs on a rollover turnaround and do 2-5 butterfly kick kicks underwater. That should be enough to get you to the flags.
• Attending an exercise class is always good.

Warnings

• Never use weights that are too heavy for you as you will injure yourself no matter how big your muscles are. Start with light weights that are easy and then move up.
• Make sure someone is watching to see if you're doing it right. You may also benefit from tips and directions from someone.
• Don't get discouraged if you don't get it right right away.
• Do not hold your breath while exercising, as this can significantly increase your blood pressure. This is why breathing exercises are very important to you.