Make Swimming Apart of your Fitness Routine

Make Swimming a Part of your Fitness Routine

Take the boredom out of your workout. Shake up your exercise routine with swimming. Great for building endurance and low impact, swimming isn’t as hard on your body as other popular exercise methods like running or weightlifting. On its own or combined with other exercises, swimming can provide you with a full body workout that keeps you coming back for more.

Here are our top picks for keeping things fresh and fun:

Beginner

Try this: Deck Dip

Target your triceps, abs, and obliques.

Begin with your back facing side wall of pool and place palms on edge behind you, fingertips facing forward; bend left knee to place left foot flat against wall and raise straight right leg to hip height in front of you.
Straighten arms to lift out of water; lower to start.
Do 10 reps; switch legs and repeat.

MAKE IT EASIER: Keep both knees bent and both feet flat on wall. (If your backside scrapes the edge, you can also do this in corner of pool.)

Intermediate

Try this: Vertical Kicks

Just one set of a swim routine created by Olympic swimmer Dara Torres vertical kicks add a challenge to your routine.

Stand in the pool at least chest deep with your arms in front of you and bent at a 90-degree angle.
Using a rapid flutter kick, propel your body up through the water for 30 seconds.
For the last 10 seconds, while kicking, extend your arms overhead, with one hand on top of the other
Rest for 30 seconds. Complete eight reps.

Advanced

Try this: High Cardio Swim Routine

Build endurance with this routine. Not for the faint of heart!

Warm up with a front crawl or freestyle stroke, 4 sets
50 yard swim, 6 sets
Fingertip drag stroke, 4 sets
Kick drill, 4 sets
Pull drill, 6 sets

Need more convincing?
Swimming not only adds variety to your workout, it also helps you de-stress, improve flexibility, and lower the risk of diabetes. See what swimming can do for you: