Will I lose weight swimming breaststroke? I want to start swimming for weight loss, and the most enjoyable style for me is the breaststroke. But I'm not particularly eager to put my face in the water. Will I look like a dummy if I swim laps like this?
Swimming breaststroke without putting your face in the water is probably one of the most common ways of swimming. The fact that it is technically incorrect is of no importance if that is how you wish to swim.
My dilemma is whether to advise you about your swimming or assess your appearance as a dummy!
Joking aside, if weight loss is your goal, then go for it. Swimming is arguably one of the best ways of burning calories, toning your muscles and changing your body shape. But keep one very important thing in mind…
Swimming is easy to take it easy. If your poodle up and down the pool at a gentle pace, it will not be a challenge to your body. You will then burn very few calories, resulting in little or no weight loss.
So, you absolutely must take yourself out of your comfort zone. In other words, get out of breath like you would if you were to do a workout at the gym.
To achieve this in the pool, try swimming one length as fast as possible, followed by a slower length to recover. Repeat this as many times as you can for at least 20 minutes.
As you become fitter and your weight decreases, you will find it easy again, so change the pattern. Maybe do two lengths at speed and only one to recover. Maybe take a float and use your legs to give them a workout. Try one length full speed, one medium pace and then one slow.
There are hundreds of ways of varying your swimming, even if you only swim one stroke one way. The point is to keep it challenging for your body, and at the same time, it remains interesting. Also, your weight loss is less likely to plateau, and your fitness and body shape will continue to change how you want them to.
Then you can look back at all those swimmers gently swimming up and down, trying to convince themselves they are doing a workout. Who will be the dummies, then?
The easiest way to swim out of your comfort zone is to try a more difficult swimming stroke. Giving your body and, ultimately, your muscles something different to do will burn tons of calories.
Click on a stroke for more information on how to swim it.
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