Beginner's Guide To Swimming For Weight Loss

Swimming can be a pretty intimidating exercise. Not only is it physically strenuous, but it requires a lot of technique to glide through the water effectively.

Swimming is great exercise for blokes on a weight loss journey because there is less impact on your joints.

The good news for beginners is that there are some easy steps you can take to make swimming fun.

In our piece How To Lose Weight By Swimming, we discussed how beginners need to start slow, so as not to cause muscle soreness and fatigue.

Ideally, you should aim for four laps of any stroke during your first couple of sessions. Maybe start with freestyle and backstroke, and work your way up to breaststroke and then butterfly (this one burns the most calories but is the hardest to master). The other alternative is to use a kickboard, which allows you to practice your kicking without putting strain on your arms.

If you don’t know how to swim or lack confidence in your swimming ability, it’s definitely worth getting swimming lessons. Many local pools offer classes for adults. These lessons will teach you proper stroke technique and aslo boost your confidence.

Swimming is pretty damn strenuous, so don’t be surprised if you struggle during your first few sessions. If you fail to complete your objective of swimming four laps during your first session, don’t be discouraged. Be proud that you’ve made the first step and realise that the more you swim, the better you will get.

To ensure you get the best experience while swimming, you need a couple of key pieces of gear. First and foremost, get a good pair of goggles. Not only will they help you see where you are going in the pool, they’ll also protect your eyes from the chlorine or salt in the water. Likewise, try to pick up a good pair of earplugs. You don’t want to spend the rest of your day dealing with that uncomfortable feeling when water gets trapped in your ears.

No matter your fitness level or experience around the water, it’s imperative that you never swim alone. Make sure there are plenty of people about when you take a dip, that way, there will be plenty of help around if something goes wrong.

Before you jump in the pool there is a series of exercises you should do on dry land. You’ll want to get your body moving and get the blood flowing, so try doing a few push-ups while also stretching any areas that may feel tight.

Likewise, you’ll want to warm up your muscles and joints. Experts recommend stretching your shoulders with arm swings. To do an arm swing, put your arms in a ‘T’ position and swing them across the front of your body before returning them to the starting position. 

Check this video out for further guidance on performing a lateral arm swing.

Because swimming is physically quite strenuous, you must refuel appropriately. The best post-swim meal is The Man Shake, which will provide you with plenty of protein. Likewise, if you feel like you need a little bit of extra energy during the afternoon, try The Man Shake BOOST, formulated to rev up your energy levels, sharpen your focus, improve hydration and power up your metabolism, all without the post-high crashes.