5 tips for lap swimming beginners

Getting your new years fitness resolutions on track? Lap swimming is a great way to improve your fitness motivation and try something new for 2020.

Keen to start swimming and lap up all of the benefits but not too sure how to get started? Our top 5 tips are perfect for those starting to incorporate swimming into their routine for the very first time.

Start Small

With a lot of new things it is a great idea to start building it into your routine gradually from the beginning and increasing it weekly from there as you find your fitness begins to improve. If you push yourself too much at the beginning, you may find that you will start to lose motivation and burn yourself out.

Set yourself realistic goals

The best way to keep yourself accountable and on track towards reaching your swim achievements is to set measurable and specific goals. Set an overarching goal such as, wanting to get fitter by taking up swimming this year and put into place how you will achieve that. For example, saying to yourself that you want to head to the pool at least 2 days per week, will keep yourself more accountable and on track towards achieving your overall goal.

Break it up

When starting out lap swimming it is always a good idea to break up your workout. Swimming 20 straight laps in the same stroke up and down the pool can get tiring very easily. Instead of 20 straight laps try breaking it up into 5 laps and switching up your stroke in between each set. Following this technique when you are first getting started on your lap swimming journey will keep your motivated and gives you the opportunity to find what different strokes you like best and those that you need to shift your focus too. It is important that you are staying engaged throughout your entire swim to achieve the maximum benefits from your workout.

Recruit a friend

Having a friend by your side can be a great technique to improve your motivation and help with the beginner stages of swimming. Having someone with you along the way of your swim journey will push you to give your all as well as adding a bit of fun to your weekly workout. You will find yourself less likely to skip your workout when your swim buddy is there to keep you accountable and on track towards your goals. Afterwards you can reward yourself with a relaxing float in the pool, or a fun race to finish. 

Quality equipment

When starting out, it is always a good idea to invest in some quality equipment. A lap swimming must is to get yourself a good pair of goggles. A great tip when shopping around is to press a pair onto your face when not in the water and if they suction for a few seconds without the strap then you've got yourself a winner. A swim cap is also a great purchase to keep your hair dry and away from your face, so you can focus on perfecting your stroke and less on those straggly hairs that keep blocking your vision. 

At HBF Stadium, our pools are the perfect place to start your swim journey with facilities built to cater for high performance use. Find out more about our swimming facilities here.