We recently went to the local public swimming pool for the first time in ages and we were reminded just how good water-based exercise can be to lose pregnancy weight. We looked outside the steamy windows and saw it raining and grey, yet it was a balmy 25 degrees inside. Just lovely.
Some swimming pools even have a creche so you can concentrate on you for a while before taking bub for their swim.
Admittedly, unless you’re a fantastic fast lap swimmer it probably won’t burn as many calories as a long brisk walk but it sure does take the pressure off your joints if you’re carrying a little too much baby weight right now. And of course, anything that breaks up your typical exercise routine is fantastic too. Variety is the spice of life.
From a weight loss perspective, the downside of swimming is that if you have a lot of extra fat you will be more buoyant so swimming would be easier than if you had a normal range BMI. Swimming must be one of the only exercises where the bigger you are, the less calories you burn doing it! On the flipside, being a little larger creates more water resistance which is great if you do high-energy water aerobics; it will really burn off more of your baby belly faster.
Did you know that briskly treading water can burn 11 calories a minute, same as a six-mile-per-hour run? It’s a great water exercise that puts no pressure on your joints. That’s not bad at all, not to mention if you’re ever woman overboard you’ll be able to bob around waiting for a rescue!
Seriously though, if you love the water and want some serious weight loss you should consider a water aerobics class. Water’s continuous resistance forces you to engage more muscles with a larger range of motion. This can firm all your problem areas, which is especially great if you want to lose tummy fat.
If you aren’t a fan of water aerobics but you love swimming, keep at it. Just make sure you do other activities so you can achieve the fast weight loss you want before summer comes around again and if you need some extra guidance and structure then check out our 28 Day Diet & Exercise Plan.
