Swimming is considered one of the most gentle sports, which can be practiced by everyone, young and old, without any particular danger of injury, therefore this sport is very popular. However, most swimmers rarely think about a training plan in advance, and as a result, they cannot improve their results or achieve any other goals, such as losing weight or strengthening the back muscles.
Swimming, like any other sport, must be practiced regularly. The frequency and duration of training should depend on both your physical capabilities and your goals. For amateurs, the best option is two or three times a week for 40-50 minutes. The ideal option is classes with a trainer (it does not matter - in a group or individually), as an experienced teacher will build the lesson correctly, and will point out all your mistakes and stimulate you to perform difficult exercises that will allow you to make significant progress in swimming. But if you decide to do it yourself, then you need to remember a number of simple rules. First of all, you need to start classes with a warm-up. If possible, take at least 5 minutes to warm up on land. Perform it sequentially, from top to bottom - first you need to gently warm up the neck, then the arms from the hands to the shoulders, the torso (especially the back) and, finally, the legs. By the way, a hot shower before starting classes, which must be taken in any pool, is also good for your muscles. If there is no opportunity to warm up on land, then be sure to do this already in the water. Warming up in water can be very different - it all depends on what exactly you will devote this workout to. Depending on your physical fitness, this can be either a 50 m slide breaststroke, or immediately percussion with a 400 m complex. In any case, do not try from the very first seconds to give out everything that you are capable of - start slowly, listen to your body, gradually increase the intensity of the exercises performed. It is better to plan the main part of the training in advance. Alternate exercises for arms and legs, for endurance and strength, for speed and for working out technique. A wide variety of exercises can be found both in text format and as video tutorials on the Internet. There you can also find ready-made training plans. Do not neglect exercises with additional equipment - paddles, boards, balls, fins and other devices. If it seems to you that you are doing something wrong, and there is no one to ask for advice, then ask a friend to record you on video (or record yourself using a tripod), look at yourself from the side - mistakes will immediately catch your eye. Try to follow the time intervals you set (whether it is 1 minute of rest or a series of exercises that must be completed in a certain amount of time). To do this, you do not need to have a new-fashioned waterproof watch with a stopwatch - in most pools there are clocks on the walls that allow you to track the time of the session, and at the same time monitor the progress of the workout. After the main, intensive part of the workout, do not neglect the so-called "buyback" - swim at least 50-100 meters slowly, calmly, gradually relax the strained muscles.
