Swimming is a complete and effective physical activity for losing weight while toning the body. The water offers a natural resistance that allows you to work all the muscles, while the absence of impact reduces the risk of injury. If you’re looking to get a flat stomach, fight cellulite, or simply lose weight, swimming can be your ally.
In particular, it is possible to lose weight by:
- Swimming breaststroke and crawl regularly,
- Swimming 2 to 3 times a week,
- Performing sessions of 45 minutes on average,
- Using tools like flippers or a board.
So, let’s dive into the benefits of swimming and find out how it can help you transform your body and improve your overall health. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced swimmer, there’s a place for everyone in the water. Follow the guide and get ready to feel good about yourself through swimming!
Which stroke to choose to have a flat stomach?
The breaststroke and front crawl are two swimming options that can help achieve a flat, toned stomach .
Although the breaststroke does not directly engage the abdominal muscles, it strengthens the deep abdominal muscles , such as the transverse muscles, to improve core stability and posture. On top of that, the breaststroke engages the entire body, promoting overall fat loss and tummy toning.
The front crawl is considered the most complete stroke and offers similar benefits. It strengthens the abdominal muscles by maintaining a horizontal position in the water, and it helps to propel the body, thus toning the abdominals. Regular freestyle swimming can burn calories, build muscle, and improve endurance, all of which contribute to a flatter, toned stomach.
To intensify the training, you can practice the front crawl with flippers, which increases resistance and puts more strain on the abdominal muscles . This promotes strengthening and toning of the belly.
Although more demanding, the butterfly is a stroke that intensely uses the abdominal muscles . The undulating movements of the body and legs stimulate the muscles of the abdomen, strengthening and toning them. However, it is essential to master the movements of the butterfly correctly to avoid injuries and muscle pain.
A swimming coach can help teach this demanding stroke correctly.
All of these strokes, including the butterfly, engage your entire body , which promotes overall fat loss and helps achieve a flat stomach. The muscles of the arms, legs, back and shoulders are also strengthened, which contributes to better musculature and greater calorie expenditure.
It is important to remember that swimming is a cardiovascular exercise that improves blood circulation and promotes better digestion. Good blood circulation helps flush out toxins and bring needed nutrients to the body , which can also contribute to a flatter stomach and better digestive health.
By regularly combining the practice of these different strokes, one can gradually achieve a flat and toned stomach while enjoying the many health benefits that swimming offers
Which stroke to choose against cellulite?
Just like for a flat stomach, the breaststroke and the crawl are the two strokes best suited to combat cellulite .
The breaststroke allows you to work the body gently while the crawl will require more effort and technique. From these two strokes, several exercises help fight cellulite 👇:
- 👉 Undulations : this exercise consists of creating undulations with the whole body while keeping the arms positioned on a board. This works many muscles and causes the water pressure to massage the skin.
- 👉 Breaststroke legs : to remove cellulite from the legs, take a board, then perform the breaststroke movements but only with the lower body. This will work your thighs more intensely.
- 👉 Beating with palms : always using a board, perform leg kicks as for a crawl. This makes it possible to work once more on the thighs and all the legs to reduce or even eliminate cellulite.
- 👉 Swimming with a pull-buoy : to finish this series of exercises against cellulite, use a pull-buoy and perform a few lengths. This exercise is perfect for removing cellulite from the arms.
Thus, you can regularly use these three accessories to fight against cellulite:
fins
Flippers burn more calories compared to classic leg kicks.
The pull buoy
This 8-shaped accessory blocks the legs in order to work the upper body.
The board
The plank allows you to focus on the lower body and thus remove cellulite from the legs.
Swimming: what program to adopt to lose weight?
Swimming is an excellent way to lose weight , but it is essential to be regular in its practice to see the effects.
It is recommended to swim twice a week throughout the year rather than doing several sessions in the same week and not holding out over time.
Swimming sessions to lose weight or lose weight generally consist of three exercises: warming up, alternating between fast swimming and recovery swimming, and kicking. It is advisable to do three sessions per week , lasting 30 to 45 minutes each. You can thus follow this training program:
All strokes are effective for losing weight, but the breaststroke, front crawl and backstroke are the most recommended. They solicit the large muscle groups and allow you to swim at high intensity. It is possible to use accessories such as fins to increase the effectiveness of training.
The swimming program can be adapted according to the level and the preferences of each one. It is important not to force and to listen to your body. Consistency is key to getting results.
The distance to swim to lose weight varies according to the intensity, frequency, duration of each session, diet and personal goals. In general, it is recommended to swim regularly for at least 30 minutes per session , 3 to 4 times a week, with a moderate to high intensity.
1kg = 7700 calories
To lose one kilogram of fat, you need to burn about 7700 calories.
By combining regular swimming with a balanced diet, it is possible to lose about 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week .
It is advisable to start slowly and progress gradually in the practice of swimming. It is possible to increase the intensity of the sessions by including high intensity intervals to burn more calories. Swimming can be supplemented with other physical activities such as muscle strengthening, cardio training or stretching.
However, to get the best results, it’s important to follow a healthy, balanced diet . It is recommended to hydrate properly by drinking water before, during and after training. Lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables should be favored in the diet.
Calling on a personalized coach can be a good option to adapt the swimming program to your abilities and obtain better results.
How quickly can you build muscle by swimming?
Swimming is a complete sport that uses muscles, joints, bones and the cardiovascular system. Each stroke works different muscle groups. For example, the breaststroke works the lower parts of the body, the front crawl engages the triceps, arms, legs and obliques, the backstroke strengthens the upper body, and the butterfly strengthens the shoulders, abs, traps and pecs.
It should be noted that the results of bodybuilding by swimming are not immediate . During the first few weeks, it is possible to see improvements in bodybuilding such as firmer abs or more toned thighs , but this depends on the general level, the starting body and the intensity of the sessions.
To maximize the effects of swimming, it is important to master the swimming techniques , to adopt a healthy lifestyle, to add weights to the ankles, to use accessories such as the pull-buoy or the board, and to allow a good recovery after the sessions.
It is important to choose swimming according to your personal goals. However, it is essential to listen to your body and its limits to avoid injuries. The main thing is that every aquatic movement remains a pleasure.
As explained above, to build muscle effectively while swimming, it is recommended to swim regularly, two to three times a week, for 30 to 45 minutes per session , varying the strokes and speeds. Swimming is a complete sport that works every muscle in the body, but visible results can take time and depend on several individual factors.
And you, how fast do you swim?
