Trying to stay healthy and in very good condition isn't as easy as you'd think, especially while you grow older. Eating healthy foods and dealing out sound good in writing, but trying to actually do both can be very challenging. Between your workload and the fact that going to the gym isn't exactly fun, you will most likely go home, eat a pizza, watching TV rather than exercise.
This is the reason why you need to invest your energy in swimming, not going to the gym or fitness classes. It can give you the perfect workout, and it sure is a lot more fun than weight lifting, so you will want to go.
The question is, how long do you need to swim to obtain a good workout?
Beginners
The time needed for a beginner to get a good workout from swimming is definitely not like a professional's or someone who has been swimming for quite some time. If you are just starting out, you should swim for 20- or 30-minute intervals 3-5 times per week. The key here is consistency. If you want to see results, you have to be consistent with your workout. That means you can't go almost every other week because this will not help you get what you need out of the workout.
You should also push yourself to get those numbers. It will be difficult at first, but you can't expect great results if you swim for less than Twenty minutes per session. The great thing about this sport is always that it is low impact, it isn't like lifting weights where pushing yourself can result in serious injuries. In swimming, as long as you stretch and warm up, you can keep pushing yourself until you get the numbers you want per workout.
Intermediate
The more you practice, the greater you will get, and you can start demanding more out of your body. You can gradually start increasing the training intervals so you can go ahead and take workout to the next level. If you want to practice at home, as this source explains, you might like to consider getting a swim spa. They may be easily installed in your garden and some can even fit inside the house, and with some adjustment, you can get the workout you need without ever having to leave your home.
In any case, start increasing your swims to 45 minutes rather than half an hour, and start mixing things up with your workout. Complete some drills and finished sets in the water, and try adding variety for your workout so you can get the best results possible. Alternate between different speeds by doing a bit of laps on normal speeds yet others on higher ones. This can keep your heart pumping and assist you to burn calories, not to mention build your core muscles – – swimming is great for core body strength also it can even help alleviate some joint and back pains.
Professional
After sufficient time and practice, you will be ready to start out to the next level, which might even qualify you for competing on a local or national level. We're talking 60- to 90-minute sessions for 6 days a week. This degree of swimming will help you improve your endurance levels and make muscle memory so you could relocate the water smoothly without having to think about your every step. This is the kind of workouts that professional swimmers undergo, and you can even do it without competing. Any time you spend in the water, swimming and moving parts of your muscles, is good for you, and it will exponentially improve your physical and even mental health.
Tips
You also needs to change up your workout routine as you progress. There's no need to do all the laps in the same style. That you can do some backstrokes, breaststrokes, or freestyle. The more you vary things, the more muscles in your body will benefit. It is fine to take breaks after a set or between laps, but you shouldn't rest for too long. Keep the heart pumping and your muscles warm, and go ahead and take workout to the next level. You will even discover that swimming opens a lot of other fitness doors for you personally, and you will probably want to do some weightlifting or yoga alongside your weekly swims.
Swimming could well be the ideal sport for anyone who really wants to tone their muscles and remain in good shape. It increases flexibility and significantly improves your endurance levels, so there won't be any more panting while rising the stairs. Remember that the most important thing with regards to swimming is consistency and staying on schedule. Keep swimming, and you'll have exactly the kind of body you want.