There are very few cardio workouts that do not force impact on the joints of the body. Swimming is the perfect workout for your cross training days. It is a fantastic way to recover, while still getting a great workout.
The Benefits
Swimming is a highly cardiovascular workout that gets your blood pumping, while strengthening all of the muscles in your body. It can also help you expand your lungs. Through this you can learn breathing patterns that can be aid you and improve your runs and bike rides.
Most importantly, as mentioned above, it takes away the impact that you normally feel during your runs and bike rides. This gives your body a much-needed break from the regular pounding of your daily cardio workouts.
The Risk
There are, of course, always risks to look out for during any type of workout. According to UMPC, common swimming injuries include irritation and inflammation in the shoulders and also neck and lower back pain. Other injuries can also include rotator cuff tendonitis or even tears, shoulder impingement syndrome, tears in cartilage around the shoulder socket, bicep tendonitis, and overuse injuries from placing stress on the knees. Most of these injuries are caused by overtraining, poor technique or too little strength and/or flexibility in the muscles and joints.
The Solution
To avoid these common problems, and any running or biking injuries, make sure you are complementing your workouts with strength and core training. Before you begin swimming, make sure you know the proper techniques. A quick Google search can give you lots of tutorials for proper stroke mechanics, but if you are really interested in learning more about swimming, consider taking a swim class or working one-on-one with an instructor. It is also important to make sure you learn the proper breathing techniques and how to stay afloat in the water.
Once you have the basics mastered, you can start experimenting with different swimming strokes and workouts to find what you like best. Below are three workouts at different levels to help get you started.
The Next Steps
Beginner Interval Training Workout (adapted from Runner’s World):
- Warm Up: 10 minutes of drills and easy-effort swimming
- Workout: 4-6x across the pool (typically 25 meters) – rest at the end of each length
- Cool Down: 10min easy-effort swimming and stretch
Intermediate Interval Training Workout (adapted from Runner’s World):
- Warm Up: 10 minutes of drills and easy-effort swimming
- Advanced Workout: 6-8 laps (back and forth across the pool, typically a total of 50 meters) – rest at the end of each lap
- Cool Down: 10min easy-effort swimming and stretch
Advanced Swimming Workout (adapted from BikeMap Blog):
- Warm Up: 10 lengths across the pool (typically 25 meters) & stretch
- Workout:
- 10-20 lengths across the pool (typically 25 meters) swimming with legs only
- 10 lengths across the pool (typically 25 meters) alternating between fast and slow length – rest 10 seconds between lengths
- 64 lengths across the pool (typically 25 meters) alternating back stroke and crawl
- Cool Down: 8 lengths across the pool (typically 25 meters) breast stroke