If you want to lose a couple of kilos, swimming may be one of the solutions with lifeguard recertification. In addition to being an aerobic exercise, it engages many muscles in the body.
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The benefits of swimming have long been proven and publicized. However, is it possible to use this sports discipline if we look for a method to lose weight? Here’s the relationship between weight loss, fat burning, and swimming.
When the kilos are accumulated, and many times also for aesthetic reasons, people often look for exercises that help them in their mission to win on the scale. What can a sport like swimming offer us if we have this purpose?
Swimming as a method to lose weight
For various reasons, this sport appears as an excellent alternative when it comes to losing weight. In the following listing, we’ll cover some of these fundamentals:
Promotes the burning of calories
When swimming, the individual performs movements and exerts a constant force involving a large number of muscle groups; this includes both the main ones of the whole body with lifeguard recertification, such as the legs, abdomen and back, as well as other minor ones.
As a consequence, caloric expenditure increases and metabolism accelerates. This means that, for energy, the body uses fat reserves and, therefore, helps us lose weight.
It is an aerobic work
Since it increases the heart rate, swimming is considered one of the most important aerobic exercises for lifeguard recertification. In this sense, it demands an almost permanent effort on the part of the athlete to stay afloat and advance in the water.
It also has a direct influence on the reduction of cholesterol and glucose. Therefore, we can see that almost the entire body benefits from doing this activity, including our mind.
This point is closely linked to the previous one. Due to the large energy consumption that swimming demands, the body uses other sources of energy in addition to the traditional ones.
Works the abdomen and legs
These are two parts of the body where fat tends to accumulate and, unfortunately for many, where it is difficult to remove.
Thus, these localized works, which in turn are combined with the effort of the upper extremities, help the individual to burn fat and tone these parts of the body.
However, it is worth clarifying that swimming is not the ideal exercise to gain muscle mass. The reason is that, by offering limited resistance, the water is not a sufficiently demanding stimulus to cause the breakdown of the muscle fibers that make the muscle grow. If this is the goal after losing weight, it is advisable to do gym exercises as well .
It can be combined with other exercises as a method to lose weight
To enhance the results of swimming, it is also possible to perform other physical exercises. As we said before, it is extremely positive to do a muscular strength training that complements the hours in the pool, which provide the body with resistance, agility and flexibility.
However, if we are looking for a greater variety of aerobic work, we can perfectly walk, run, bike, or exercise on the elliptical on the days that we do not swim. Of course: it regulates the duration of the sessions and the requirements so as not to fall into the risks of overtraining.
Other benefits of swimming as a sport
In addition to being a good method to lose weight, swimming has other virtues. One of the main ones is that, unlike other aerobic work like running, walking or dancing, there is no impact that affects the joints. This is a very important detail for overweight people.
Likewise, when it is carried out in a different environment. It helps the person to disconnect from their concerns and generates greater motivation. In the long run, these positive feelings translate into greater consistency and better results.
Finally, we cannot forget that, as recommended by the World Health Organization. For example, carbohydrates for energy supply are a good measure before doing intense sessions.
In short, there is no doubt that. It is a very good exercise to shape the body and relax the mind. As a method to lose weight it is also very effective, it is a sport with all the letters!