Around 530 kilocalories (kcal) are burned in one hour of breaststroke – the same amount as when cycling. If you do an hour’s exercise, you burn up to 900 kilocalories, almost 35 percent of which come from fat deposits.

Extra temperature effect

Calorie consumption is also so high when swimming because a lot of energy has to be expended to regulate body temperature. Only at a water temperature of 26 degrees is the heat exchange between body and water reasonably balanced.

However, if the water temperature is higher or lower, the body uses additional energy in order not to cool down or overheat: Now it burns fat without any extra effort. In addition to burning fat, strengthening the muscle groups involved also has a positive influence on the swimmer’s body proportions.

The impact aspects in detail:

Swimming strengthens the muscles of the shoulders, arms and latissimus in particular and thus supports the classic V-shape of the upper body.

Nevertheless, you retain a “lean” musculature. In addition to the muscles of the upper body, almost all other muscles are involved in stabilizing the swimming position. This increases the overall proportion of muscle mass to body weight. Result: Calorie consumption also increases at rest because more fat is burned.

Stamina improves and the entire body becomes more efficient and resilient. Longer sessions become possible, the temperature differences in the water strengthen the immune system and reduce susceptibility to colds (sauna effect).

Swimming also promotes the release of the hormones endorphin and serotonin, which play a key role in reducing stress more quickly and making you feel more balanced and happier.

Swim yourself slim with swim4u.ch: Crawl courses

Improve water awareness

One of the most important factors in training your swimming technique and being able to swim longer distances is improving your feel for the water. Swimming coach Lange: “In principle, swimming is always about optimizing propulsion by reducing water resistance and improving rhythm.

You can often only do this by standardizing the movements, for example the curl pull, and practicing them over and over again.” In order to pull yourself forward in the water and push off from the water, you have to learn to perceive the water resistance and develop a feel for it.

“The feel of the water is different for competitive swimmers in every pool,” says Dirk Lange. “That’s why some athletes like one pool more than another.” Even amateur swimmers can improve their water awareness through various exercises:

Vary your hand position: one lane with a fist, the next with a flat hand during the arm pull.

Use fins: to feel the braking effect of a poor water position at higher speeds.

When crawling, consciously swim with your head in different positions: head held high, stretched out, head very low. When doing the crawl, only pay attention to the pressure exerted by your upper and lower arms and perform the arm movement completely under water. The exercise is called sculling – and it is reminiscent of dog paddling.

Motivating open waters

In the summer months, you can move your swimming training to the sea or a swimming lake. Swimming in open water often provides additional motivation – especially for amateur athletes who also take part in triathlon competitions. However, visibility is often restricted by swell and murky water, which affects the technique. In the pool, you try to maintain a low head position and breathe in with a very short movement to the side – in open water swimming, you breathe forwards for the most part like a water polo player.

Source: fitforfun.de

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