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Best Way to Control Your Body Weight & Help You Lose Weight

April 3, 2018December 3, 2018 Jason

For many years now swimming has been considered as one of the best methods to lose and control your weight. Till now no one was able to tell how many calories exactly the person can lose when swimming.

The approximate figure is 150 calories for every 10 minutes; this, of course, depends on several factors, such as the speed, swimming style, etc.

During swimming you use many muscles, thus your body needs to work harder in order to supply sufficient energy to your muscles, and thus it burns relatively more calories than the majority of other sports.

You will not see the effect of swimming after the first hour; keep in mind that to lose weight through swimming takes relatively longer time. On the other hand once you lost some weight you will not gain it back in a few days, like in case of many other sports.

Swimming alongside with a balanced diet will provide better results. However, if you are eager to keep a diet, make sure you do not eat after getting out of the pool.

The majority of people get exhausted after the swimming session, as the water takes a lot of energy. Not to gain extra weight after a hard workout; you need to avoid food for 2 hours after it.

If you are a beginner you need to take it slowly – swim for 30 seconds, give 30 seconds rest to your body and repeat it over and over again… Once you feel more confident try to swim 500 meters in 60 minutes. This will be a great work out for your body.

You will start losing weight after a few visits to the pool. When your body gets used to the pace, you will train your muscles rather than lose weight. Every time you feel that you are doing something with ease, it means that you need to fasten your pace.

When you become more experienced, you need to look for other alternatives to reach the desired goal. For instance, swim several laps without stop, go for a sprint – increase your speed for a couple of laps more and then slow down for the next lap.

Add some exercises to your training as well. As water is 800 times denser, compared to the air, exercising in the water guarantees better results.

On the other hand you need to keep in mind that many people’s appetite is being simulated after exhausting workout in the pool/sea (especially if the water is rather cold).

If you decide to swim for losing weight you need to know that you should not stop going to the pool once you reached your goal (if you have already lost several kilograms, for instance).

To keep your body in shape, you need to visit the pool regularly, you can decrease the number of visits, for instance, if you attended the pool 4-5 days in a week, you can decrease your visits to 2-3, but do not quit the training.

It will help you keep your body in a good shape, and simultaneously decrease the risk of several serious problems (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, etc.).

What is Competitive Swimming and History of Competitive Swimming

September 25, 2017February 6, 2020 Jason

Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) is the governing body of the international competitive swimming. According to FINA, competitive swimming has started hundreds of years ago, but it was fits recorded in 19^th century.

Competitive swimming has become one of the most demanded sports during the last decades. Men and women compete in order to record faster time in the swimming pool.

It was Great Britain that first developed competitive swimming as a real sport and started to organize different competitions during 1837. Already in 1896 it was one of the Olympic sports (it was intended only for men, for 100 or 1500 meters freestyle).

Nowadays this sport is widely spread among men, women and children. There are 4 strokes available in competitive swimming – freestyle, backstrokes, butterfly and breaststroke. Medley – is the combination of all 4 styles.

Freestyle stroke allows the swimmer to choose any stroke. While there are hardly any limitations, but the most commonly used stroke is the crawl. During the crawl the swimmer’s arms are stroked over the surface combined with flutter kicks up and down.

The second type of stroke, backstroke, includes motion of the arms and at the same time with a flutter kick (the athlete is on his back). When the swimmer reaches the end of the pool, he/ she can rotate to the stomach in order to turn around and continue the race.

The third type, probably the most beautiful one, is the butterfly style. While implementing dolphin kick, the arms are simultaneously moved over the water. The legs of the swimmer are kept together. When the swimmer turns or reaches the finish both hands should touch the wall at the same time.

The last stroke, breaststroke, reminds of a frog. The arms are moved simultaneously on the same plane (horizontal) while the hands are pressed from breast to front (the action takes place both on the surface of water or under the surface). Like in butterfly style, in breaststroke, the swimmer should also touch the wall with both hands when turning or finishing the race.

During the competition the participants are mainly divided into competing groups based on their age and achievements. For younger participants – the groups are mainly consisting of children aged up to 10 years old (or 8 in some cases), 11-12, 13-14, etc. up to 18. The senior events, as a rule, do not follow the similar logic.

The group competitions also consider age and achievements of group members. The sportsmen are competing in long (50 meter pool) or short (25 meter pool) courses. The difference here is that participants can power up more in the short courses as they reach the wall more often.

The distance varies a lot: it can be 50 meter, 100 meter, 200 meter, or even 800/1600 meters for freestyle (women/men). For each stroke special rules have been prepared in order to ensure the fair and equitable conditions for all the participants. This is also done for the promotion of uniformity within the swimmers.

Everything You Need To Know About Different Swimming Styles

July 6, 2017February 6, 2020 Jason

Any swimmer will know that there are several different swimming styles (strokes) that you can perform. As you become more of a competent swimmer, you will find that there are some strokes that you may prefer over other ones.

Here, we want to look at the merits of each particular swimming style and help you to work out which one is right for whatever situation you find yourself in!

Freestyle Swimming Technique AKA Front Crawl

This is probably the most popular of swim strokes. Most people, once they have progressed past the point of beginner swimming, are likely to gravitate towards the front crawl. With this swim stroke, you will be swimming flat on your stomach.

Your legs will be kicking at the back. Your arms will go in an alternative motion. Basically, your arms are going to help you glide through the water.

Probably the main reason why people opt for the front crawl is because it is the fastest of swim stroke. It is also one of the most efficient. If you watch the Olympics, or any swimming competition for that matter, you will notice that the big speeds come during the freestyle event.

The real issue with freestyle is the breathing. For the most part, your face is going to be point down into the pool. You need to learn to turn your face every so often to breathe the oxygen in. This means that while it can be easy to learn the basics of the stroke, if you want to properly master it, it can take an age.

Backstroke Swimming Technique

Most swimming lessons will teach the backstroke as one of the first strokes (after the breast stroke). With this stroke, you will be travelling on your back. You will alternatively kick your legs up and down as you traverse through the water. Your arms will be sort-of like a windmill.

One of the main reasons people do the backstroke is that you do not need to worry about breathing issues. You will also find that it is far more efficient than the breast stroke. However, it is a very slow method of travelling through the water.

In addition to this, it can be difficult to get the right amount of balance to ensure that travelling through the water with the backstroke is simple. Many people find that doing the backstroke is difficult for them as they are unable to see where they are going as they travel through the water.

Butterfly Swim Stroke

Many people say that this is one of the most difficult to master of the strokes, at least at the ‘basic stroke’ end. With this, it is very like the freestyle stroke. The difference is that your body is going to be bobbing along. Your arms are going to be moving in sync with each other too.

If you can master the butterfly stroke, then you will be moving through the water incredibly fast. In fact, this is the second fastest stroke after the freestyle stroke. It looks a lot better too.

However, the major downside is that you will not be able to travel across large distances with it. Due to the way in which the butterfly stroke works, you are going to need to pour a lot of energy into it. This means that you can tire even after the shortest of distances.

In addition to this, it is very difficult to get the butterfly stroke ‘right’. Many people will never be able to master the butterfly stroke. This has an impact on their overall energy levels and will really slow them down further, mainly because they are not giving themselves enough time to rest.

Breaststroke Swimming Technique

For many people, the breaststroke is the first stroke that they learn. This is because it is so simple. Your legs will normally be under the water too, although you can ‘advance’ to having your legs on the surface of the water, but by that stage it is likely that you will have learned other strokes so this is not going to be that much of an issue.

The main advantage of this stroke is that your head is always going to be above the water. This is why it is normally taught as the first stroke that a person learns. Since your head is above the water, you are never going to suffer from breathing issues.

In addition to this, your legs and your arms should be working together. Since they are always going to be ‘in sync’, it is going to be far, far easier for you to move through the water. This is why it is so easy to learn.

The major downside to this swim stroke is that it is just not efficient at all. It is also going to be incredibly slow. It is going to be fine if this is the first stroke that you have ever learned, but you are eventually going to want to jump up to something a little bit better than this.

That being said, if you do not want to learn much about swimming, this is a good basic stroke to learn so you can stay safe while you are in the water.

Sidestroke

This is one of those ‘unheard of’ strokes, but it is probably one of the best of the lot. The efficiency of the side stroke means that this is the one that the military use. If you need to rescue somebody from the water, then you would always opt for the side stroke.

This is because you can continue to pull yourself along while holding them. It is simple to learn too.

Obviously, you are going to swimming on your side. You will use both arms and both legs, but they will each be doing different things. This is a fantastic swim stroke to use if you are looking to exercise. It does take a little bit of getting used to, but most people should be able to ‘nail’ this after a few lessons.

If you need the pictures describing each steps in all swimming strokes, head over to WikiHow, they have explained each stroke with pictures really well.

How to Protect Your Eyes & Hair While Swimming

January 21, 2017May 21, 2019 Jason

Hair & Eyes Protection Almost all swimming pools contain chlorine, which is used to keep the pool free of bacteria and debris.

The chlorine that is used in the swimming pools hardly can have any serious effect on your skin; it can irritate your eyes, but it does not have the same effect like undiluted chlorine.

Despite of this, it is always better to have some protection – a swimming cap and goggles.

Chlorine has a drying effect: when you enter a swimming pool without a swimming cap (or with a cap that doesn’t fit you well) your hair shafts will start absorbing chlorine which at some point will cause your hair becoming dry.

There are several steps you can take in order to prevent any damage caused by the chlorine.

Step 1: Before entering the swimming pool, you should take a shower (the majority of swimming pools require this).

If you have a possibility – wash your hair thoroughly before going to the pool. This will impregnate your hair shafts and will help your hair to absorb less chlorine when in the water.

Step 2: Use conditioner. After applying the conditioner comb your hair the way that all the ends are coated. This helps your hair to limit the amount of chlorine absorbed by your hair.

Note, that your hair should not be slippery, otherwise your swimming cap might slip off.

Step 3: Put on a swimming cap. Even if you have very short hair, use a swimming cap. For many people it is pretty difficult to put on the cap.

You need to hold the sides of the cap when you pull it over your forehead. If you have very long hair, do not try to put your hair under the cap from the first try.

Put the cap leaving the long hair in the back. When you are comfortable with your cap, twist your hair and afterwards tuck it under the cap.

Step 4: After you leave the swimming pool, remove your cap accurately not to damage your hair, thoroughly wash it with a soap or shampoo and dry it.

Wash your cap with fresh water, dry it and store – this will help to prolong the life time of your cap.
When in the swimming pool your eyes can get very irritated and that might disturb you while swimming.

If you are wearing contact lenses, you need to remove them before getting into the swimming pool as the chlorine absorbs like a sponge.

However, if you there is no way for you to swim without lenses, you need to keep in mind that the best you can do is to throw away your lenses after you exit the swimming pool.

As a second choice you can order swimming goggles. In many countries this is a quite affordable product. You can get one for around $$, depending on the brand, quality, etc.

It is suggested that you wear swimming goggles when in the swimming pool.

You need to get goggles that fit you perfectly, otherwise your eyes still can be in contact with water which in its turn may cause irritation. Probably all goggles are adjustable, so you can adjust them the way that is most convenient for you.

After exiting the swimming pool do not forget to rinse your goggles with fresh water and store them in a special case.

Take proper care of your swimming equipment and it will serve you for a long time!

Things You Need To Know Before Buying Swim Goggles

January 13, 2017May 21, 2019 Jason

Swimming goggles are important attributes for both professional and non-professional swimmers.

There are several types of goggles; they vary by their shape, material, lens, etc. When choosing the swim goggles you need to know how to differentiate them.

First thing you need to choose is the shape of the goggles – you can get Swedish goggles, classic or gasket goggles, and/or swim masks.

Goggles Types

Swim Goggle Types The Swedish goggles became very popular among competitive swimmers as they have less drag, and fit the eye socket perfectly.

The second type – classic goggles (or calling it in a different way – gasket goggles) are the most common swimming goggles used. There are two types of classic goggles – those made of silicone and those made of foam.

There is no right or wrong choice between these two options; it is solely based on the taste and preference of the swimmer. Even though the majority of swimmers prefer silicone goggles, the number of swimmers that go for foam goggles is still pretty high.

There are limited producers of foam goggles, but you can definitely find one that will meet your requirements, as for silicone goggles – there are plenty options available on the market.

Swimming masks are typically used by children as they do not need a lot of adjusting and give wider visibility range, compared to Swedish goggles or classic goggles.

There are many different shapes and sizes of swimming masks and everyone can find one that corresponds to his or her preferences.

When purchasing swimming goggles, make sure you feel comfortable wearing them. You can get swimming goggles for relatively low price (a few dollars) if you do not look for very high quality.

In case you are into professional goggles that have better quality and are long-lasting you might spend additional $$.

There are some goggles that are adjustable based on the shape of your nose and face. They come up with separate parts that can be installed on the goggles to get the best fit.

All of goggles types mentioned above come in different colors, different shapes and additional features, such as anti-scratch lenses or anti-fog technology, etc.

The more features you want the higher will be the price.

Lens Type

Swim Goggles Lesn Another important thing you need to pay attention to is the lens type.

Some goggles come with clear lenses that provide natural light which is ideal for indoor pools.

The blue or violet lenses are a great choice for everyday training (they allow moderate level of light reach the human eye).

If you swim in rather dark waters you might consider purchasing goggles with amber lenses, as they provide excellent vision in different environments.

Mirror lenses, are ideal if you swim in a place where there is very bright light (they reflect the light away and protect your eyes). Smoked lenses, like mirror lenses, are designed for places with very bright light.

And finally there are prescription goggles for those people who need contact lenses or optical glasses to see their surrounding better. To calculate what prescription lenses you need, use the following formula:

Diopter strength = Sphere + (1/2 x cylinder).

You can purchase special goggles which will allow you changing your prescription lens if needed.

In order to keep the price low, the producers are mainly unable to provide the perfectly fitting lenses, for this reason consult with your doctor before ordering goggles with prescription lenses.

Benefits of Swim Goggles

Swimming goggles provide many benefits to swimmers.

First of all you see everything clear under the water. If you swim in a pool (where for protection purposes chlorine is used) swimming goggles will protect your eyes from chlorine.

If you swim in open door pool the goggles offer you protection from the sun. They prevent the eyes from irritation and redness.

If you swim in rather dirty water, it will protect your eyes from any potential harm. If chemicals are used in the water where you swim, swimming goggles will take proper care of your eyes.

The only thing you need to do is to make sure that your goggles do not leak.

When purchasing your goggles you need to make a choice whether to look for affordable goggles, professional goggles, or goggles with special features.

Based on your choice you will have several options out of which you can choose one that you like the most.

Some goggles offer anti-fog technology, some others have special fitting features (helping you to get goggles with perfect fit), some others are easily adjustable – making them a very useful tool for kids.

Have a look at the top 10 best swimming goggles to buy in 2016.

Goggles Price

You can also choose among different cosmetic features – color of the strap, or color of the lenses, etc. Hundreds of specialized goggles are available on the market. The prices start from $ and go up depending on the brand, features, style, shape, etc.

The price of prescription lenses is relatively higher. Some people think that they are hardly affordable for a person with low/middle income, but in reality you can purchase prescription goggles for $$ (the simple one).

If you need prescription goggles with extra features, of course, you will have to pay more. Some goggles come with their cases which make it easier to keep the in the best conditions for prolonging their life.

Taking Care of your Swim Goggles

Swimming goggles need a lot of care, like your swimsuit, or your swimming cap.

When you get out of the water, make sure to rinse your goggles in water (preferably cold) to remove any chemicals (e.g. chlorine), salt, sand or anything else.

Let the goggles dry naturally (in a room temperature). Put them in a case (if available) and store with your swimming suit, cap, etc.

Do not leave your goggles under direct sun light, or in a very cold room. Do not store them in the same case with sharp items as they may damage the lens or the strap.

In case there in an anti fog layer, storing it with other items (without a case) can become a reason for scratches and can even remove the anti-fog cover.

Still not sure which one to buy? worry not head over to this post top 10 best swimming goggles and you will sure to get the one of your likening.