Plan a Swim Routine that will Last Longer than One Week

It is the start of February which means that for most of us, we have FALLEN OUT of our New Year’s Resolution ROUTINE. Planning a swim routine can be a bit cumbersome and even harder to follow through.

Underwater Audio has helped you bust out of boredom with your favorite jams. Now we are going to offer some structuring advice so you can get the most from your weekly schedule.
 

Pick the right schedule for you

First, look at your week and think about what works best for you. Most people do best when they treat scheduling a work out similarly to scheduling a class or meeting.
Pick out a specific work out time and DO NOT ALLOW any other event to encroach on this time.
Including dinner dates or sleeping in! Treat this work out block like it is a class that you cannot miss. Because you need to get fit!
Others need a bit of flexibility.  Personally, I need flexibility in my schedule because if I miss one work out, I get flustered and let it throw off my entire week.
Instead, PLAN TO WORK OUT FOUR DAYS A WEEK. This way if you are feeling extra sleepy through the weekend it does not suddenly ruin your work out stamina.  For example, in the next 91 days I plan on working out 52.
This gives me the flexibility to take off a week if I get sick or work out more than just four days a week if I am feeling great.
Setting how many days you work out a week should vary based on your work out goals.  Just be sure to work out three to four days a week. Four happens to be that MAGIC NUMBER that helps you MOVE PAST BARRIERS.
Less than three times a week and you are not challenging your body enough to make changes. More than four days a week is really only for those who are looking to be serious competitors- like those training for a race or triathlon.
 

Keep Variety in the Work Out

Swimming is probably the easiest aerobic exercise to work out your whole body. Running and cycling can help you lose as many calories, but swimming works out more muscles than either of those forms of exercise.
For this reason alone you should use your swim work outs to get a full body work out. This means using a VARIETY OF STROKES and techniques in your work out. Remember to give yourself both a warm-up and a cool down set. Use these slower sets to focus on your technique.
Weekly work out routines should have just as much variety as your day-to-day work out. Give your body tough days and easy days throughout the week.
It’s best if you start mellow, get intense for 2 work outs, and then a do a medium stress work out.

High intensity work outs are characterized by whether or not you can carry on a conversation. If you are having a hard time talking it means you are using over 80% of your stamina in the work out.
Make sure that at least HALF OF YOUR WORK OUTS CHALLENGE YOU in this way.
However, we all have days when we are just not into the work out. Write this off as a day of recovery and do not let your doubts stop your routine. Not all work outs need to be intense or perfect to help you improve!
 

Set Goals

So get out your calendar and start SETTING GOALS.  Maybe you want a six pack, maybe you want to compete in a triathlon, or maybe you are like me and just want to swim better than your little brother.
Setting goals without considering the number of days you work out gives you a stronger drive to get out of bed or off the couch to work out.
If you happen to find a friend with the same goals, even better! Work out buddies make getting to the pool that much easier.
Plan a swim routine that allows for structured swim time but also includes flexibility. Remember, not every work out needs to be intense.
Strokes and sets will vary depending on your comfort level with swimming as well as how you are feeling that day.  Just keep in mind that if you stick with swimming you will have a toned body, lower blood pressure and more brain cells in no time!
 

Refocus your Resolve

When do you work out? The morning, day time, or evening? What days do you normally rest? We want to see if swimmers have predictable patterns in their work out schedules.
Also, What motivates you to get up and work out? Lets remind ourselves of those goals so that we can get back into the fitness swim of things!