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Are you looking for new ways to get in regular exercise? While going to the gym, walking, and jogging are all efficient ways to get fit, switching up your workout routines helps to maximize your results. Swimming, although thought of as nothing more than a fun summer pastime, can actually be an excellent physical activity to help you feel your best. If you're interested in more than a leisurely swim, these tips can assist you in developing a solid workout.

Locate a Pool

The first step would be to identify a pool where you can go for regular swimming. While you could very well visit a public pool, they are often closed during the fall, winter, and spring and are crowded during the summer months. Not to mention, they are often not as well-maintained as other pools. There's also an option to visit a local gym to see if they have a pool available. Many large gyms have pools available along with swimming classes for those who don't know how to swim.

Get Your Gear

Once you've found a place to swim for exercise, you need to purchase the appropriate gear. You'll first need a swimsuit or swimming trunks. For ladies, whether you decide to go with a one-piece or a bandeau bikini, the idea is to make sure that it fits comfortably. You'll be doing a lot more movement than you would at the beach or when just lounging around the pool so you'll want to make sure everything stays intact. You'll also need shoes that can be worn by the pool like water shoes or flip flops. Some may also want to wear goggles if the pool water irritates their eyes as well as a swimming cap to keep their hair out of the way while they're working out.

If you're not good at swimming, you may also need to get gear to help keep you safe. This might include a life jacket, a waterboard, or inflatables to prevent you from drowning. Some expert swimmers also purchase weights and resistance bands to enhance their workouts.

Come Up with a Workout

Unless you're taking swimming classes for adults, you'll need to develop a workout routine. Though there are many exercises you can complete in the water, you want to make sure that your routine has the following elements included:

●      Warmup - Don't dive in the pool and start swimming at full speed if you haven't first warmed up. Like any exercise routine, your body needs to be eased into it. So, for the first ten minutes, you should create a warmup. Get in the water and move around to allow your body to flow with the water. Taking deep breaths in and out, move your arms, and legs around in the water or swim slowly around the pool.

●      Swimming Drills - After your body has warmed up you're ready to begin completing drills. During this time you are working on various swim techniques. You might focus on arm movements, work on your breathing, or swim a few laps back and forth working on your legs or speed. Repeat these drills several times to help get your heart rate up and your muscles working.

●      Laps - Now that you've worked on your swimming technique you're ready to put them to the test by completing a few laps at full speed. Go back and forth in the pool completing the drills you tried above.

●      Cool Down - After completing a few rigorous laps around the pool you need to calm down. This cool down period doesn't have to be long, just do another 5 minutes of leisure or lighthearted swimming.

Continue Getting Better

Now that you have a place to swim regularly, the proper gear, and a basic foundation for a workout routine it's time to master it. Continue visiting the pool a few times a week working on new swimming techniques and drills. As you keep swimming, you'll find that you build endurance, speed, and improve your form for maximized results.

Swimming is an excellent exercise to try with many health benefits. Not only is it a lot of fun, but swimming works your entire body. From strengthening muscles and bones to your heart and lungs, you'll get a total body workout in an hour or less. If you're thinking of swimming for exercise, be sure to take the above-discussed steps for the best experience.