2 Swimming Workouts in Honor of Summer!

     With summer just about upon us (here in Vegas it seems like it's been here for a few months now haha) I thought it might be fun to throw in some great workouts to do in the pool. I decided to keep things basic since I realize that not everyone has competed and knows all of the strokes well enough to utilize them in a workout. However, if you are one who knows all of the strokes, feel free to substitute freestyle out for whatever you want to mix things up a bit. For those of you who are new to swimming and don't understand some of the terminology that I use or don't understand how to read my workouts, please click here for further explanation!

    

     The beautiful thing about swimming is that it is low impact and it works your entire body, head to toe. Whether you're swimming continuously or using equipment and modifications to focus on certain muscle groups, your whole body is getting a great toning workout while you're getting some intense cardio. If there's one thing I love, it's getting both the toning and the fat burning all together! Another beautiful thing about swimming is that it is the perfect exercise for pregnant women! (Which is a big deal to me right now as my belly gets more and more in the way.) Being in the water can ease a lot of the aches and pains that come with pregnancy (and for those with back and joint pain) and I find it incredibly helpful with lower back pain. My lower back is constantly painful but that pain is relieved while I swim and even helps to relive that pain for a long time after I get out.

     I've got two great workouts for you today. I'm going to keep them around 1,000 yards (including warm up and cool down) with some interval training that will give you a nice cardio boost. If you feel that you cannot complete the workout then go ahead and do what you can but don't forget to do your cool down. If you feel that you can do more, go ahead and add more of the same intervals. The second workout in this post focuses a little more on strength and will require you to get up and out of the pool regularly and for this reason I ask our pregnant readers to do this workout with caution. Use your best judgement and please don't hurt yourself. If you have stairs or a ladder close to your lane please use them to assist you in getting out of the pool. If at any time you feel weak, dizzy, or your heart rate is too high, please sit at the side of the pool and rest until you feel you can get back in (and please don't dive back in - diving is a bad idea for pregnant women :)).

Workout #1

Warm Up:

- 1x100 freestyle easy

- 2x50 kicking only (either use a kick board or hold your arms in streamline position)

Main Set:

- 1x200 freestyle, even laps moderate, odd laps faster (not a sprint)

- 4x50 first lap sprint, second lap easy - rest 1 minute in between

- 1x200 freestyle moderate

Cool Down:

- 1x100 freestyle easy (rest 1 minute)

- 2x50 freestyle easy with moderate rest in between

- stretch

Workout #2 (If possible, choose a lane at the end of the pool.)

Warm Up:

- 2x50 kicking only

- 2x100 freestyle easy to moderate

Main Set:

- 4x25 sprint freestyle

- Torture Tens

   - swim one lap across, hop out and do 10 pushups, repeat for a total of 10 laps

- Lunges

   - swim one lap across, hop out and lunge along the side of the pool 25 yards back down to where you started (you'll be making a loop, always swimming down to one side and lunging back to the other), repeat for a total of 6 laps

Cool Down:

- 1x200 freestyle easy

- stretch

* Something I find helpful in my workouts is to write/print out the workout and stick it in a plastic sandwich baggie so that you can have your workout at the side of the pool and it won't matter if it gets wet. Just remember to take it with you when you leave so you don't litter!