Water exercises. What are the benefits of swimming? The benefits of swimming in the pool for women and men

Fashion for healthy image life and regular physical activity leaves the choice of sporting activity to the individual's discretion. For the modern city dweller, it is a very convenient option to maintain excellent physical fitness And peace of mind is swimming. Moreover, at present, visiting the swimming pool is available to most people, and the opening hours of sports and recreation centers allow you to choose a convenient time in your schedule to visit them. Let's look at who and how a swimming pool is useful for, and also find out what troubles you might encounter when visiting it.

The effect of swimming on the body

Since all major muscle groups are involved during swimming, regular exercise has a positive effect on the overall muscle tone of the body. In turn, this allows you to monitor your figure or work out the necessary muscle groups. Another amazing property of swimming is its positive effect on the nervous system. During calm and long (30 minutes) swimming, uniform breathing helps relieve stress and tension. Blood circulation to the brain improves.

During even a calm swim, the circulatory system is subjected to significant stress, which, in turn, leads to strengthening of blood vessels. At deep breathing When the chest is completely submerged in water, the lung capacity is fully utilized. This is an excellent alternative to professional breathing exercises. The difference in air and water temperatures allows you to work on strengthening the general immunity of the human body.

Why should a woman swim in the pool?

Let's look at what is useful for women. It is no secret that the main motivating factor for women to engage in physical activity is maintaining a slim figure and maintaining flexibility. Swimming in the pool does an excellent job of accomplishing these tasks.

The high resistance of water allows the muscles to work intensively, which leads to their strengthening and tightening. At the same time, the weight of a body immersed in water is ten times less than in air, and the load on the musculoskeletal system and joints is minimal. This allows you to work on reducing even very heavy weight without causing additional harm to health due to overloads.

Swimming is also great for dealing with the problem of cellulite. Powerful streams of water, providing resistance to the body during movement, improve blood circulation in the subcutaneous fat tissue.

Swimming pool during pregnancy

Medicine has long given its answer to the question about the benefits of swimming in a pool for women during pregnancy. Constant high loads on the lower back and legs during pregnancy can lead to serious health problems after childbirth. At this time, the pool helps out a tired body.

The relaxation that comes from free swimming at a comfortable pace is beneficial not only to expectant mother, but also for the baby. Deep, measured breathing saturates the body with oxygen, and its constant delay for 20-30 seconds (between breaths) allows you to prepare the body for childbirth. Regular swimming helps to avoid congestion in the legs and pelvic area.

Currently, various aquatic training complexes have been developed for pregnant women. At the same time, you can choose a complex that will be suitable not only for experienced swimmers, but also for women who have never dealt with water.

So, to the question of whether it is useful for pregnant women to go to the pool, the answer suggests itself that it is useful, but only after the permission of the obstetrician-gynecologist, since some conditions during pregnancy (for example, the threat of miscarriage, nausea or bleeding) can be a serious contraindication for any physical activity.

The pool and the male body

A visit to the pool by the strong half of humanity often occurs without realizing how useful the pool is for men. In turn, fitness instructors claim that knowing what benefits a particular load brings to the body significantly improves the final result.

Are an excellent alternative gym. Swimming significantly loads the muscles of the upper half of the body, which allows you to create the ideal Broad shoulders, powerful chest - the result of swimming in the breaststroke or butterfly style. These are the most difficult styles to perform. When choosing sports swimming in the pool, it is advisable to use special glasses. This will help protect your eyes from chlorine exposure.

How is a swimming pool useful for children?

Regular swimming can significantly strengthen a child’s immunity. Many parents make the mistake of stopping taking their child to exercise after the first cold. They believe the pool is to blame. In fact, at first the child’s body adapts to unfamiliar loads, reagents, and a new environment. And at this time children most often get sick. But after two months of constant trips to the pool, the baby’s immunity will become stronger, and the problem of respiratory diseases will disappear by itself.

These advantages are more than enough for regular swimmers. Swimming is also useful for problems with a child’s appetite. Such activities help solve the problems of both “little children” and overweight children. Systematic training in the pool forms the child’s correct muscle corset and accustoms him to physical activity. Deep night sleep is restored. This is why a swimming pool is useful for children. Even short exercises (up to 40 minutes) two to three times a week have such an effect on the growing body.

Lose weight with swimming

Exercises in the pool and during intensive weight loss have many benefits. Go to proper nutrition often becomes stressful for a person losing weight. As noted above, swimming allows you to relax and restore the nervous system. The calories expended during training, together with the massage effect of water, allow you to achieve visible results much faster.

For effective reduction weight using water procedures, it is advisable to follow the following rules:

  • Systematicity. Training in the pool should take place at least 3 times a week.
  • Duration. The time spent in water should not be less than 45 minutes.
  • Activity. Swimming for weight loss is carried out at high intensity.

It is advisable to begin training under the supervision of an instructor. A professional will help you properly organize your time in the pool (set up a regime of intense exercise and rest), teach you how to properly perform exercises and how to warm up and cool down. All this contributes to the speedy achievement of the cherished goal.

Disease Control

Conducting exercises in the pool can significantly help in the treatment of various diseases. Doctors are often asked whether visiting a swimming pool is beneficial for asthma. Optimal air temperature and humidity help reduce breathing discomfort for asthmatics. Medicine believes that regular swimming can significantly reduce the risk of attacks.

Visiting the pool is also useful for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Reducing the load on the skeleton allows you to recover faster from injuries, as well as strengthen the muscle corset without additional injury to the affected areas.

Dangers of visiting a swimming pool

A meaningful attitude towards one’s own health implies awareness not only of the benefits of a swimming pool, but also of the dangers that visiting it entails. High humidity is an excellent factor for the proliferation of viruses and bacteria. Most of them no longer react to the disinfectant used to clean the pool.

To reduce the risk of contracting viruses or fungal infections, choose a pool that requires a certificate upon entry. Beware of going there during epidemics. Be sure to shower thoroughly after water treatments.

When swimming, use a quality cap to keep your ears tightly covered. It is advisable to use special earplugs for the pool. These precautions will help protect yourself from otitis media, which often occurs after water gets into your ears.

What to take with you

When visiting the pool you will need:

  • Certificate from a medical institution.
  • Swimming trunks (swimsuit for women).
  • Shales.
  • Shampoo, shower gel, body sponge.
  • High-quality swimming cap (additional earplugs).
  • Swimming goggles.
  • Towel or terry robe.
  • Hairdryer (if not installed in the locker room).
  • Bag for wet accessories.

Swimming in the pool: features of this sport

Swimming in the pool: what are the health benefits?

You've probably heard a lot about how swimming improves physical health. However, many people do not know that swimming in the pool is beneficial. for mental And emotional health of a person. Water relaxes, calms, relieves stress, improves appetite, and normalizes sleep. Thanks to water procedures, it strengthens nervous system, a feeling of calm and harmony appears. Relaxation activates the functioning of nerve endings.

In the water, a swimmer has to perform forceful movements that involve almost all muscle groups. Therefore it is balanced muscle workout, which will strengthen bone tissue and the musculoskeletal system. When you swim, there is minimal stress on your joints, your posture improves and your body develops endurance.

Swimming in the pool has health benefits; the body is literally saturated with energy. Swimmer exercises breathing exercises , during which ventilation of the lungs occurs and their volume gradually increases. The body receives more oxygen, metabolism accelerates, and this leads to the burning of subcutaneous fat and improves digestion, which leads to strengthened immunity.

Swimming in the pool is good for the body, heart muscles are trained. Regular use of the pool strengthens the cardiovascular system, increases the power of the heart - in one cycle the heart is able to push out a much larger volume of blood.

Swimming in the pool: what are the possible health risks?

Swimming has a number of contraindications, so before you start visiting the pool regularly, it is better to consult with a therapist, orthopedist and neurologist. There are not many contraindications to this sport, but, nevertheless, Swimming is not recommended:

At colds such as acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, pneumonia;

For neurological abnormalities accompanied by seizures;

With congenital severe heart disease;

For epilepsy;

In case of serious dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system, when a person needs constant fixation of the limbs;

For skin infectious diseases.

Since the water in the pool is disinfected using chlorination, this chemical element negatively affects the skin, mucous membranes, hair and nails. It is not uncommon for an allergic reaction to occur.

Swimming in the pool: benefits for weight loss

Swimming in a pool does not cause harm, the load is distributed evenly throughout the swimmer’s body, and there is no risk of sprained ligaments, muscle overload and stress on the joints. Water resistance is 12 times stronger than air resistance, so during water training 400-500 kcal are consumed, which is 25% more than energy consumed during intense running. At the same time, movements in the water are light and smooth, you will not feel the muscle tension that you feel when sweating in the gym. No sport fights cellulite as mercilessly as swimming; water massages the skin, increases elasticity and tone. When you swim in the pool, blood flow increases, fluid begins to circulate evenly in the lymphatic system, so this sport is not just a means of combating cellulite deposits, but also a method prevention of “orange peel”.

For pregnant and lactating women: is swimming in the pool beneficial or harmful?

Swimming in the pool for pregnant women health benefits a scientifically proven fact, as it helps to relax the spine, which bears the main load during pregnancy. Back pain and osteochondrosis will not make themselves felt when visiting the pool regularly.

For those women who are pregnant and have gained weight, swimming is a necessary form of physical activity: in the pool minimal risk get injured or sprained, while the expectant mother’s body can actively consume energy, and therefore extra calories.

Regular use of the pool has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure and strengthens blood vessels, which relieves a woman of varicose veins and hypertension that accompany pregnancy.

Breathing exercises while diving in the pool help the expectant mother prepare for childbirth. Proper breathing is important during childbirth, as a sufficient amount of oxygen helps the muscles contract better - breathing imitation occurs during contractions.

Swimming has a calming effect on the psyche and allows a pregnant woman to relax, relieve stress and get rid of fears associated with the upcoming birth and difficult contractions. Regular visits to the pool during pregnancy will help a woman feel more alert, energetic and get rid of ailments caused by stress.

Nursing mothers are not contraindicated from visiting the pool, because after the birth of a baby, every woman strives to gain athletic shape and a slender, toned body, and swimming is effective way Eliminating extra pounds and swimming in the pool will not harm a weakened body. During lactation don't forget about safety precautions which, if followed by every woman, will maintain sufficient milk production:

1) any kind of hypothermia of the body sometimes leads to loss of milk, so after visiting the pool it is advisable to warm up in a sauna or under a warm shower.

2) you should carefully choose a swimsuit - the main thing is that it does not pinch or squeeze the chest.

3) you should not overwork and exhaust yourself with kilometer-long swims; a nursing mother should choose a feasible load for herself that will only bring benefit and pleasure to the body.

4) after exercising in the pool, rinse your body, rinse off the chlorinated water, dry your hair and change your wet clothes to a dry set. And only after these procedures go home to the baby.

Moderate physical activity will not cause milk loss. They change its taste, because when you exercise, lactic acid is produced, but after an hour the effect of the acid weakens, and soon after visiting the pool you can easily continue feeding your baby.

Swimming in the pool for children: good or bad

Swimming in the pool: benefits for the spine and figure

Swimming in the pool. Benefits for figure and weight loss

Water procedures are considered an integral part of silhouette correction. The fact is that the density of water is much greater than air. Consequently, you will have to put in much more effort to make the simplest movement. The muscles are actively working, calories are being burned intensively. In addition, water has a massage effect on the entire body. This effect causes the stomach and legs to tighten.

For men, water procedures will allow you to create a beautiful silhouette with wide shoulders and narrow hips. In this case, it will not be typed large number muscle mass, as when working out in the gym. Women should not be afraid of the appearance masculine traits in her figure, because it is genetically determined that ladies have narrow shoulders. To expand them, you will need a significant load, like professional athletes.

Swimming in the pool. Benefits for the back and spine

Water is denser than air and provides good support for the body. Therefore, the load on the joints and spine is reduced. In the pool they seem to “straighten out.” The intervertebral discs are unloaded and take the correct position. With the help of swimming you can get rid of many problems with posture and cure scoliosis. Swimming in the pool is also used to recover from injuries. The benefits of these activities have long been known to sports physicians.

Also, when swimming, the back muscles work very actively. They become stronger, more resilient. Developed muscles also allow you to unload the spine, because it takes on part of the load on itself. Those people who have a sedentary job simply need to swim in the pool. The benefits for the spine will more than reward all your efforts.

Impact on the circulatory system

What else is useful for visiting the pool?

Beneficial effect on children

Swimming in the pool is recommended for all children and teenagers. The benefits for children will be simply enormous. Thanks to regular training, the baby will grow strong and strong. Water has a healing and hardening effect, so the child will practically not get sick. Thanks to swimming everything mental processes will return to normal. Parents of hyperactive children should consider swimming in the pool. The benefit for the child will be double: improvement and the ability to get rid of excess energy.

Water has a massage effect and relieves nervous tension and fatigue, which is very important for students. After bathing, they will feel invigorated and rested, while strong healthy sleep guaranteed. At school, it will be easier for the child to concentrate on the lesson and learn more easily. new material, because he will have the strength for this.

The benefits of swimming in the pool are also great for the general physical development of children. Their movements will be more coordinated, their muscles will be strong and strong, their body will be resilient. Another bonus that swimming gives is excellent posture and a healthy back, which is especially important for modern children, most of whom have scoliosis.

How to swim to get the most benefits

Contraindications

Rules of conduct in and after the pool

Swimming - indications and contraindications for swimming in the pool

The benefits of swimming in the pool

You need to understand that the benefits of swimming in the pool are truly priceless. Swimming in the sea or ocean, unfortunately, will not give such effective results. This is explained quite simply. sea ​​water contains an impressive amount of salt, which facilitates the swimming process, reducing the load on the muscles and allowing a person to stay afloat without special effort. Of course, this significantly reduces the benefits that swimming can provide.

In other words, the benefits of the pool are manifested in the fact that excellent prevention of numerous diseases is carried out, the main ones among which are:

  • osteochondrosis;
  • diseases of the spine;
  • back diseases;
  • cold.

As soon as a person is immersed in water, the human body is forced to optimally use all muscles, loading them evenly. The load on joints and bones is the most normal and is calculated human brain individually.

To one degree or another, it is beneficial for human health. A certain influence of each sport is observed on different human organs and systems. It is also useful to run for weight loss and play chess.

The benefits of swimming or 10 reasons to go to the pool

Swimming is special kind sports, because it helps strengthen almost all human systems, develop muscle tissue, burn calories, relax and gain a great figure. Besides this, there is hardly anything more pleasant than diving into cool water in the Surgut pool or at sea on a hot summer day. So, our women's magazine has already concluded that swimming is two in one: pleasure plus benefits.

Benefits of swimming

2. Easily achieve an athletic, muscular figure. The benefits of swimming are not only positive impact on some muscle groups, but in the development of muscles in general. Thanks to a person’s attempts to stay on the water with his hands, a certain load appears on the muscles of the shoulders, back and chest. Legs - driving force, therefore, if you practice swimming, you can achieve slender legs. As a result of greater resistance in water than in air, greater muscle tension occurs, and accordingly, a beautiful, slender figure can ultimately be achieved several times faster.

3. Relieving stress, calming and providing a boost of energy to a person.

4. Almost everyone can go swimming without restrictions. If a child is taught from the very first days of his life to water exercises, then in the future this will have a positive effect on his health and physical fitness.

5. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. If you visit the pool regularly, you will increase your body's endurance.

6. Normalize blood pressure and improve blood circulation.

7. After swimming, there is no pain like after jumping or running.

8. Training the lungs and improving the functioning of the respiratory system.

9. Water tends to cool the body and prevent it from overheating while swimming, and also relieve the feeling of sweating.

10. For many Swimming is fun and joy. Sometimes forcing yourself to go to the pool is much easier than going for a run or walking, especially on a hot summer day.

3 disadvantages of swimming

1. Among the disadvantages of swimming, we can name only a few. If you decide to swim at a professional level, then be prepared to quickly build muscle in your arms and shoulders. Swimmers-athletes, as a rule, have a fairly wide upper part torso and pumped up arms.

2. When deciding to swim in the pool, remember about chlorine, which is added to the water for disinfection. As you know, the effect of bleach on the condition of hair, mucous membranes, skin and nails is far from the best. After a long swim without special glasses, you may have red eyes, which are painful and watery.

3. In a pool, as a rule, quite a lot of people swim in the same water. For this reason, before visiting the pool, find out how often the water is changed here.

If you have already taken in all the benefits of swimming, our women’s portal recommends taking a towel, a swimsuit (it’s better if it’s one-piece and sports cut), a swimming cap, water goggles, rubber flip-flops, as well as a hairdryer and comb.

It’s not for nothing that swimming is called the most popular view fitness: it works real miracles with our body. What are the benefits of swimming in a pool, you ask? We found eight compelling reasons to quickly find a sports swimsuit in the depths of your closet, purchase a subscription and sign up for classes with an instructor.

Impressive results with less effort

Swimming allows you to exercise without putting extra stress on your skeleton. The body becomes lighter in the pool. If you go into waist-deep water, you will become twice as lighter. And having sunk up to your neck, you will feel only 10% of your body weight - the remaining 90, literally, will go into the water. This means that the pool is an ideal environment to exercise, especially if you suffer from excess weight or arthritis.

Improved muscle tone

Have you ever seen a flabby dolphin or a puny swimmer? Surely not! The benefit of swimming in the pool is that it helps to significantly improve muscle tone and make them stronger. Especially if you compare swimming with other aerobic exercises. For example, when running, the only obstacle for the body is air, the density of which is low. The density of water is 12 times greater - accordingly, any movement you make requires more effort, and the workout is more effective.

In addition, there is an undeniable benefit of swimming in the pool for women: it helps strengthen bones, which become more fragile after menopause.

Flexibility

While swimming, our joints and ligaments are in constant work: by making circular rotations with our arms, we train our shoulder joints; leg movements strengthen the pelvic area. In addition, swimming brings invaluable benefits to the spine: during training, it stretches, the vertebrae fall into place - which generally improves flexibility and mobility from the top of the head to the tips of the fingers.

Healthy Heart

In addition to the triceps and abs, swimming trains another very important muscle: the heart. The aerobic exercise that we get during exercise in the pool strengthens this vital organ and helps it smoothly perform its function: contract and relax. Which in turn leads to improved blood flow throughout the body.

In addition, studies have proven that swimming helps fight internal inflammatory reactions, which often lead to heart disease, and reduces the risk of coronary disease among women by 30-40%.

Weight control

Swimming is one of the most energy-intensive types of fitness, and therefore ideal for those who are watching their weight. On average, in 10 minutes of breaststroke you can lose up to 60 calories, while swimming on the back the figure increases to 80, freestyle will take you 100 calories, and butterfly - all 150. Moreover, swimming in the pool for half an hour three times a week reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in men by 10 percent. Studies conducted among women led to even more impressive results: in order to reduce the risk of disease by 16 percent, one workout per week is enough for the fairer sex.

Fighting asthma

Due to the optimal air humidity in the pool, swimming not only does not cause discomfort for asthmatics, but also helps fight attacks. A study conducted by scientists proved that children suffering from asthma after a six-week course of training began to seek help less often, and for many, attacks did not recur for a year or more. Even if you are unfamiliar with this problem, know that swimming increases lung capacity and helps you learn to breathe correctly.

Reducing cholesterol levels

The health of the body is inextricably linked to the amount of cholesterol in our blood: the higher the level of “good” (HDL) and the lower the “bad” (LDL), the healthier we are. Swimming in the pool helps maintain the correct balance of lipoproteins and improves the condition of blood and lymphatic vessels.

Fight stress and improve brain function

Scientists associate another undeniable benefit of swimming in the pool with the production of endorphins, which are responsible for our mental well-being. In addition, the relaxing effect of training is comparable to that we get after doing yoga - and all thanks to a combination of stretching exercises and proper breathing techniques. Swimming is a meditative process during which the sound of breathing and the splash of water help clear your head of unnecessary thoughts. In addition, during exercise, active neurogenesis occurs in the body and nerve cells lost due to stress are restored.

Prize-winner of the World and European Championships Nikita Konovalov tells how to swim correctly and get a kick out of it.

Do I need to check with a doctor before starting classes?

A medical examination is mandatory; without a certificate, you still won’t be allowed into the pool. Some things should be examined in more detail - for example, the back. If a person has matured, if his growth has stopped, he must definitely go to the doctor to have his spine checked. This is very important point specifically for swimming. In an adult, the bones have matured, there is nothing to fix there - you can only strengthen it.

It is not necessary for a child to have his spine checked, although it sounds a little strange. IN early age Back diseases are not so critical and can heal over time.

It is also important to check if you are allergic to bleach or alkali. Maybe you yourself don’t know about it, but there will be an unpleasant surprise in the pool.

What is the best frequency to go to the pool?

If our goal is to keep the body in good shape, then three to four times a week will be enough, and let the workout itself last an hour and a half.

It is advisable to swim in the morning - it is much healthier. The body wakes up, the muscles are relaxed - it swims much easier, and the effect will be greater. It is clear that many people do not have the opportunity to go to the pool in the morning. So, let's go in the evening - it's not a tragedy, it's just that more different little things can interfere with you.

How to eat before training?

Ideal: Fruit 40 minutes before you enter the pool building. There it will take 10 minutes to change clothes, and another 10 minutes to warm up on land. It turns out an hour has passed. When you jump into the water, those carbohydrates from the fruit will start helping you. Of course, you shouldn’t eat heavy food before class.

You can eat porridge - these are “long-lasting” carbohydrates, but they are not suitable for every workout. There will be a lot of energy, but you won’t be able to swim intensely on the porridge - only measuredly, calmly, without acceleration.

Do I need to master all styles at the same time?

For starters, a crawl is enough. Then it won’t be so difficult to master your back - the method is identical, you just need to roll over. Be careful with the dolphin. I myself am considered a “dolphinist”, but in training it takes up 10% of all my work. This is a very energy-intensive and technical style - it really pushes the heart, so you need to be physically prepared for it.

Breaststroke is also not as simple as it seems. Ideally, a trainer should monitor you so that you do not make unnecessary movements. There are a lot of injuries in breaststroke - especially in the knees. Even professionals do not always notice how menisci are damaged.


Our narrator Nikita Konovalov.

How to breathe correctly when crawling?

Every three strokes, exhale to the right and left - this is for technique and for the spine, so as not to load the same side. A mistake many beginners make is that they breathe on one side, on the one where they feel more comfortable. Over the years, this leads to injuries - one arm works more, the shoulder is loaded by the arm - and the joint begins to wear out. The coach may not notice this, so you have to look after yourself.

If you breathe in different directions through three strokes, your shoulders will be unloaded and your spine will work correctly. The twists will go in different directions, not in one direction.

What is the main mistake of beginners on the water?

Incorrect calculation of forces.

Where does it begin? proper training? You need to swim for 20-30 minutes so that your heart rate does not rise above 120 beats per minute. Then the heart will work out, the system will start. After 30 minutes at this rhythm, fat begins to be burned - now the heart rate can be raised, but a maximum of 140 beats per minute is no longer necessary for an amateur.

What do newbies do? Beginners are always in a hurry to swim to the other side. I didn’t measure their pulse, but even from their breathing it’s clear that it’s up to 180 per minute - that’s a lot. Professionals compete on such a pulse. The muscles don’t even just get tired, they become acidic. Milk appears - and that’s it, the desire to swim disappears. The body itself rejects the load.

How should you swim during class?

The main thing is not to swim continuously for an hour. You need to work in segments with a pause. Everything here is individual, everyone has their own capabilities, but the principle is the same: take a segment, rest, lower your pulse. And so on for several segments per workout.

Always focus on your heart, not your muscles. All restoration comes from the heart. The muscles can be rested and light, while the heart is simply pounding. bad sleep- that means you don’t need to torture yourself. If you overload it, don’t expect recovery at night; in the morning you will have a headache and, possibly, blood pressure.

How to breathe properly in water?

The correct position of the head in the water is when the athlete lies on his stomach, and his gaze is not straight, but at an angle of 45 degrees to the bottom. Let's just say straight and down. The movement of the head to gain air should occur during the end of the stroke; inhalation should be done under the arm. So that there is not just a turn of the head to the side, but also a slight turn back.

Of course, you need to exhale into the water - this greatly affects recovery. Between working segments you need to make the first two or three exhalations into the water especially powerful, and then exhale more calmly.

How to eat immediately after training?

Within 15-20 minutes you can eat something from “fast” carbohydrates: a banana, some kind of bun. Within 45 minutes you can eat protein foods: scrambled eggs, cheeses, omelettes, cottage cheese, meat. This will not allow you to dial overweight and restore muscle mass, which burned during training.

Do I need to stick to a strict workout schedule?

A big mistake beginners make is they force themselves to go to the pool. It happens that circumstances interfere, there is no strength, there is no desire after work - but they still go. There is no need to turn classes into hard labor. There will be no effect anyway, and missing one lesson will not turn out to be anything terrible.

Even professionals try not to take risks, but to skip training if something does not allow them to carry it out effectively. The first rule in swimming: it is better to underwork than to overwork.

What to do if you overwork?

Take a break - there are no other options. The problem is that even professionals do not immediately understand that they have done too much.

Overload is very harmful. Everyone wants to progress, achieve muscle growth, and as quickly as possible. It happens: there is passion - you try to do more and more and drive yourself into a hole. Sleep, routine, and nutrition are disrupted. It’s simply impossible to eat, an internal refusal appears: I don’t want to, that’s all. The muscles no longer grow, no matter how hard you work, and the weight only falls - you have already entered the hole.

Solution: either stop training for several days until the body recovers, or, as a last resort, just swim and swim freely.


Is it possible to combine a swimming pool with a gym?

If our interest is simply to be healthy, then we can add a maximum of three classes per week in the gym. But this is not a rocking chair, but something moving so that the cardiovascular system works.

But again, you don’t need to torture yourself so that the workout makes you sick. You need to have fun, as if you were running with a ball. I went to one exercise machine, to the second, stretched a little, went to the third - light loads after short breaks.

It is best to install the pool immediately after the hall. An hour in the gym, then an hour in the pool - it turns out that you loaded your muscles and then stretched them in the water. In addition, the pool will give you good cardio work, help you lose excess weight, and your muscles will be in good tone.

Do you need a sauna after the pool?

Once or twice a week, depending on the condition. The bath is an additional burden on the heart. If you've done an intense workout, your heart already has enough. After each workout there is definitely no point in going to the bathhouse - it turns out that the muscles are not loaded at all.

How important is it to work under the supervision of a trainer?

Of course, it is better to exercise under the supervision of a trainer than alone. If you have the opportunity to choose a coach, I recommend an adult and experienced one.

Young professionals are recent university graduates. They follow what they read in books, but cannot rely on experience. A lot of people have gone through an adult coach, and sometimes he is able to work on a premonition: looking at the athlete and understanding what he needs and what he doesn’t.

There is also a psychological moment. If a coach is older than you, that’s good; he can motivate you to work and inspire respect. If you study with a peer, there will be no incentive for even the slightest progress.

“Barbells are terribly bad for flat butts and flabby arms.” Why do girls go to the gym?

Photo: globallookpress.com/Peter kneffel/DPA; RIA Novosti /Vladimir Astapkovich, Alexander Vilf