To begin with, let's figure out what kind of swimming pools can be found in a fitness club and what they are for. Pools are sports, as a rule, 3-6 lanes of 25 or 50 meters, non-standard shape. Functional, but not surprising. Much more attention is attracted by outdoor swimming pools with enhanced water heating, mini-waterfalls, lighting or hydromassage. Most often, in fitness clubs, pools are used for aqua aerobics lessons, swimming sections and free swimming for club members. Less common are water polo, synchronized swimming and diving.
Like any physical activity, exercises in water have their own clear criteria for volume, intensity and types of load, which are aimed at achieving certain goals. Usually, a water aerobics class takes 45-60 minutes, it is very emotional. The level of load depends on the type of lesson and is controlled by the trainer. In the classroom, the load on the muscles is carried out using special equipment and taking into account the resistance of the water. Let's not forget that in the water the load on the spine and joints is minimized, as a result we get a very useful workout available to almost anyone involved in a fitness club.
How to train yourself in the pool
If you are not attracted to group exercises in the water, then all questions of planning loads must be solved independently. In this case, you need to understand that for recreational swimming, you can start training from 20 minutes and gradually bring them up to 45-60 minutes. The intensity of the exercise is achieved by increasing the swimming speed, reducing the rest intervals and using special equipment such as shoulder blades.
In order to conduct effective swimming training, it is necessary to master various sports swimming styles. There are four of them: a crawl on the chest, crawl on the back, breaststroke, butterfly or dolphin. There are also so-called applied swimming styles: on the side, on the back and holding the breath.
In general, the meaning of swimming is to push off the water and then slide. The more technical and stronger the repulsion (stroke), the faster and less tiring the glide and movement on the water. Therefore, in order to swim fast or for a long time, you need to be able to breathe correctly, to have the right technique. All swimming uses all the muscles in the body, but in different ways. Different movements force different muscles to work.
Self-training program in the pool
To get the most out of your swimming workout, I recommend alternating between different swimming styles. For example, at first you can swim in the most physically difficult style - butterfly, then in a technically difficult style, individually for everyone, or breaststroke or crawl on the back, end the workout with the most familiar style - a crawl on the chest. Moreover, in each of the swimming styles, you can still change the principle of breathing. For example, in a crawl on your chest, you can breathe after two, three or four strokes. You can breathe in one direction, or in different directions. If you get tired quickly, you can take 15-30 seconds rest intervals every 50-200 meters. During rest, I advise you to take several breaths into the water, so you will recover faster. After swimming 50-300 meters with each style, you can swim in total for about a kilometer, which is very good for a beginner swimmer.
In the second part of the training, you can swim with applied swimming styles or with special equipment, for example, with a calabash, a board, for practicing strokes, sliding and breathing. You need to finish the workout with a slow, habitual swimming to relax and restore breathing, and also be sure to take a few breaths into the water.
Thus, in 40-50 minutes you can carry out an effective workout with a flow rate of 500-1000 k / k, it all depends on your swimming speed, water temperature and your weight. Such training corresponds to running for the same time at a speed of 12 km / h - which is physically inaccessible to many for health reasons.
Of course, in order to be able to conduct such training, you need to have good technical training. This is best achieved by training with an experienced coach. The coach will teach swimming technique, correct breathing, teach how to dose loads and take into account the heart rate (HR), which is the main indicator of the level of intensity of the load. Your heart rate should not exceed 70-75% of the maximum at the initial stage. HRmax = 220 is your age. During training, the pulse can be monitored by a trainer or by yourself using special devices.
By exercising in the pool in this way on a regular basis, you will achieve good results: from getting pleasure and good mood, to losing weight and increasing the functionality of your body as a whole.
Expert:
Vladimir Kolesnikov
Photo: Getty Images, personal archive
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