Swimming is at the top of the ranking of the most beneficial sports. Its practice implies a complete exercise that improves the flexibility and capacity of our respiratory system. Its advantages are many, but how long to swim a week?
Although it seems that this is a harmless sport, it also has its risks. Overtraining can be just as negative as any other physical activity. In the pool, the rule that everything in excess is bad is also fulfilled with lifeguard class.
Behind the training of a swimmer
There are many stories told about Olympic swimmers. Actually, weeks before a competition, a professional trains daily. This without counting gym workouts and other additional routines.
What we must understand is that this type of intense training is only done right before a competition. To complete it, the food and rest requirements of swimmers are really high, in addition to having a whole physical preparation of years.
But the daily training of a swimmer is not usually exaggerated. It is a fact that there should always be rest intervals between each session. Therefore, the routines are planned on a weekly basis.
The ideal time: swim three times a week
Swimming three days a week is healthy and efficient. The intensity level of this exercise makes it necessary to have a rest day between sessions. In this way, we intensely work the upper part of the body and also the legs.
By training three days a week, we can even alternate the style of swimming that we want to practice. In this way, we will also avoid muscle injuries that usually occur if we fall into excessive training.
During the days outside the pool, we can complement the training by going to the gym. An excellent exercise for these moments is to ride a bicycle. In this way, we balance ourselves because in swimming the legs are used to a lesser extent.
How long to swim per session?
The regular training time in the pool is approximately 40 or 45 minutes. This would define the maximum and the standard that is handled in the specialized classes. In the case of children, you could lower the time to about 30 minutes.
Despite the above, everything will depend on the time we have been practicing. For those just starting out, the exercises are less intense and the time can be reduced. Around 20 minutes is the usual minimum for beginners.
For children, playtime in the water can be allowed alternating with warm-up exercises. Extending ourselves above these limits can have negative consequences for the benefits of swimming.
Consequences of overtraining in swimming
If we train too much in the gym and don’t rest, the least that happens is that we degrade the muscles. In practice, this is the same thing that happens when we overtrain in swimming. A muscle that is under constant stress has no room for recovery.
In swimming, you also lose a good amount of calories. Therefore, if we overtrain we could lose more weight than is appropriate and in this case, it will be very difficult to develop the desired muscle tone and development. In both children and adults, the results will be the opposite.
Added to this, we must add the possibility of injuries that also abound in this sport. Cramps are always a possibility, and if we practice injured we could worsen the situation of the affected area. This without counting other risks such as infections and colds due to exposure to cold water.
Getting the most out of it
Beyond these healthy limits, we can always enjoy swimming and its full impact. We can plan training weeks throughout the year without any problem. Training under the guidance of expert trainers will ensure that we achieve proper toning.
In any case, the most important thing is not how long to swim, but to do it better and better. Pool time should be optimized by planning exercises. An intelligent and planned routine is the key to achieving the goals we set for ourselves as swimmers.
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