Month: July 2021

Swimming is a fantastic weight loss exercise. It works your entire body, it’s great for your health, and it’s one of the safest workouts there is. It can even be effectively combined with weightlifting and other gym exercises to deliver many other benefits.

However, simply getting a membership at one of San Diego, CA, gyms with pools won’t help you burn fat if you don’t also have a good training regimen. Luckily, we’re here to help! Read on to learn about the top 4 most effective weight loss swimming exercises anyone can start doing today. 

Can you lose weight doing pool exercises?

Absolutely. The density of water is 800 times that of air, so every time you move your limbs under water, you’re performing a resistance exercise. This naturally boosts your metabolism, helps your muscles recover after more strenuous exercise, and causes you to expend more energy (and therefore burn more fat) than you otherwise would.

Here are 4 time-tested swimming exercises for burning fat:

1. Just swim

If you’re a beginner, simply swimming leisurely laps in the pool will be extremely beneficial for your health and cause you to lose about 500 calories per hour. Swim a few laps, take a break, and then swim a few more. Over time, this will help you build up endurance and enable you to move on to more challenging workouts.

2. The bicycle

Place your elbows on the side of the pool and “pedal” an imaginary bicycle with your legs. This exercise strengthens your core, legs, and shoulders, which in turn causes you to burn more fat.

3. Water jogging

Stand in waist-deep water and start jogging across the pool area. Start with 1-minute intervals, and gradually work your way up to 3-minute intervals. For added resistance and to help tone your arms, grab some pool weights as well.

4. Waist-deep lunges

Stand in waist-high water and lunge with the right foot forward so that your right thigh is parallel to the swimming pool floor, your left knee is bent, and your hands are on your hips. Jump up rapidly and scissor your legs so that you complete the movement with your left leg forward. Do 15-20 repetitions per set.

Can you lose belly fat by swimming?

You totally can! However, it should be noted that regular swimming doesn’t specifically target belly fat. Rather, it burns any excess fat that your body has reserved for energy, regardless of whether this fat is located on your stomach, hips, thighs, or other parts of your body.

Here’s how to work your belly muscles and lose fat while swimming:

• Keep your core straight while swimming. This will work your belly muscles and help reduce the risk of injury.
• Do more cardio swimming. Swim 15-20 minutes at a time while keeping your heart rate levels in the fat burning zone. Do this as much as you can.
• Walk through water. While in the deep part of the pool, tread water as quickly as you can. The water resistance will work against you and strengthen your core muscles.

Where in San Diego, CA, can I find well-equipped gyms with pools?

Are you in need of a quality public swimming pool that offers various amenities and programs such as a fully equipped gym, a swimming school, daycare services, water aerobics classes, and even private party rentals? If so, The Plunge San Diego is the place for you!

Located a short walk from the Mission Beach Park, we have everything you need to get an effective exercise and have a great time while doing it. Visit us today and see for yourself why we have one of the best swimming pools in California.

As any personal trainer will tell you, swimming is one of the best exercises there is. It strengthens your whole body, tones your muscles, and is beneficial for your respiratory and cardiovascular health, all while being a low-impact exercise with minimal risk of injury. 

Weightlifting is quite a different beast. It targets individual muscle groups and requires specialized equipment and careful planning to achieve the best results. It’s also highly effective when it comes to losing weight and building large, powerful muscles.

So what would happen if you combined these two types of exercise by working out at one of San Diego’s gyms with pools? Is it even necessary to go to a gym if you’re swimming regularly? Keep reading to learn more.

Can you get in shape by just swimming?

It depends on what your goals are. If you simply want to stay healthy and active, swimming alone can be more than enough. However, if you’re looking to build up your strength and get larger muscles, you’ll probably need to incorporate weightlifting into your workout regimen.

Let’s look at the main benefits of these two types of exercise:

Swimming

• It works your entire body
• It builds physical endurance
• It tones your muscles
• It’s low impact (good for people with arthritis, injuries, etc.)
• It’s beneficial for heart and lung health
• It helps burn calories
• It improves your sleep
• It helps with muscle recovery
• It’s safe for children and pregnant women
• It’s affordable (doesn’t require access to costly equipment)

Gym

• It builds up physical strength
• It builds larger muscles
• It enables you to target specific muscle groups
• It speeds up your metabolism
• It improves your self-confidence
• It improves the quality of your sleep
• It improves your heart health
• It causes your body to produce mood-improving endorphins

As you can see, while there’s some overlap between them, both weightlifting and swimming affect your body in different ways. Swimming is primarily a cardio exercise, while weightlifting is a strength exercise. Combining these two types of workout can have extremely beneficial effects on your long-term health, physical looks, and personal happiness.

Is swimming better than going to a gym?

As explained above, weightlifting and swimming differ widely in how they affect a person’s body. Neither of them is better than the other: rather, they should be combined together to achieve the best results.

That being said, there are some groups of people who, due to age, health problems, and other factors may not be able to effectively train at a gym, but who can still reap significant benefits from swimming.

These groups include:

• People with underlying conditions such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues that make weightlifting difficult, uncomfortable, or dangerous. 
• Young kids whose bodies are still not mature enough to partake in strenuous exercises such as weight lifting. 
• Elderly individuals are generally advised to avoid lifting heavy weights unless they have already been doing it for many years.

Where can I find the best San Diego gyms with pools?

Having both a well-equipped gym and a great swimming pool at a single location is a must if you’re looking to reap the full benefits of a training regimen that includes both swimming and weightlifting. Here at The Plunge San Diego, we offer all of that and more!

Located a couple blocks from the Maruta Gardner Playground, we are a historic swimming pool with a modern aesthetic and a fully retractable roof. In addition to public pool and gym services, we also offer water aerobics classes, poolside daycare, swimming lessons, and more. Visit us today.