Getting a swimsuit! Fitness here I come...

[Saz]

Hey!

I'm going to buy a swimsuit :whip:

But how often do I need to swim to get fit? And for how long? Also... does the stroke/style make any difference?

I'm hoping to tone up my stomach so I'm doing 50 - 100 sit ups a day to start with. Will the swimming also help? It's pretty fatty at the mo hehe.

I'm also going to get a bike and go for a ride once a day if possible :)

What dya think?

Saz x

[snownose]

This isn't swimming related, but what helped to tone my stomach a lot was at home yoga or pilates videos made especially for abs.
When I swam often, I became more fit on the treadmill too, so I think swimming is an all over workout.

[janie]

I have heard from swimmers that it's one of the best ways to get fit... I'm pretty sure it has to do with the resistance water gives, as it makes your muscles work harder than they would during normal exercise. My friends would probably suggest swimming every day, but a few days a week would still be beneficial! Any stroke would work well if you're looking to lose weight, especially for your upper body.

[rawgirl]

Swimming is great for your core as it should be powered by your core. Butterfly is really great for stomach muscles if you know how to swim it. Another great thing in the water for stomach muscles is using a kickboard to do butterfly kick. Your abs will be burning after a few laps of that. You can also do lots of core strengthening exercises on land. We did that when I was on swim team. We'd always to land exercises for core strengthening before we got into the water. Swimming is great. I wish I had a pool at my gym.

[Saz]

Heya,

I found a swinsuit and went to the pool ... which was shut! lol. So I walked home (about 50 minutes) to compensate a little. I'll go tomorrow hopefully and when I get my bike I'll try to go most days.

I can't do butterfly stroke unfortunately and wouldn't want to constantly splash everyone lol.

Thanks for the responses. I shall heed your advice :)

Saz x

[healthnut32]

[QUOTE=Saz]Hey!



But how often do I need to swim to get fit? And for how long? Also... does the stroke/style make any difference?

I swim a fair amount. I usually swim for an hour, 3 times a week. I Think the important thing to remember is not to get stuck on one sport/activity. Cross-train. Ride a bike, walk, run, do pilates or yoga, lift some weights. You will feel better physically right away. I believe it takes about a month at any fitness regime before you start seeing real results. Keep up with it, but don't over do it right away-you're likely to burn out and get injured if you do too much all at once.

[brownieB26]

I wouldn't work my abs everyday...Abs are like any other muscle. They need rest in order to grow. If you work them every day, with that many reps, you'll liekly see results, but you may see even better results if you give them a little break in between.