Some people sign up for a gym membership or renew it as soon as they make the decision to lose weight. But to change your body, you don't need to go to the gym.

In actuality, engaging in enjoyable activities like swimming could help you achieve your goals more quickly.

Franklin Antonian, a personal trainer and the creator of the online personal training website iBodyFit.com, claims that swimming is one of the finest ways to reduce weight in addition to being an excellent method of cooling off on a hot day.

The same amount of weight can be lost swimming as jogging, but without the impact, which is ideal for those with ailments or aching joints, the author claims.

So how does swimming help you lose weight? Learn some advice by continuing to read.

How to Swim to Lose Weight and Tone Up

10 tips for swimming to lose weight

Here's how to achieve the greatest results, whether you're swimming to lose belly fat, improve muscle tone, or simply switch up your routine.

1. Swim in the morning before eating

Here's how to achieve the greatest results, whether you're swimming to lose belly fat, improve muscle tone, or simply switch up your routine.

Not everyone can fit in a morning swim, but if you can get to a pool before work, it's worth a go.

Nick Rizzo, a trainer and fitness director at RunRepeat.com, an athletic shoe review website, adds that going for a morning swim will put your body in a fasting condition when it is ready to use those fat stores as energy. Swimming is not only a fantastic aerobic workout, but it also works your entire body, so you can expect some terrific results.

2. Swim harder and faster

You first burn a lot of calories when swimming. Paul Johnson, the creator of CompleteTri.com, a website that offers advice, ideas, and gear reviews for swimmers, triathletes, and fitness fanatics, cautions that as your swimming abilities advance and you become more effective, your heart rate doesn't rise as much.

Johnson advises swimming more forcefully and quickly to maintain a high heart rate.

Wear a waterproof fitness tracker to accurately monitor your heart rate while you're swimming. During a moderate-intensity workout, your target heart rate should be between 50 and 70 percent of your maximal heart rate.

Your maximum heart rate may be calculated by deducting your age from 220.

3. Take a swim class

You can swim at a reasonable pace if you learn the right stroke mechanics. For information on swim classes, get in touch with a YMCA or community center, or sign up for a course via the American Red Cross.

4. Switch up your swim routine

Your body may ultimately reach a plateau if you consistently swim at the same pace and employ the same stroke mechanics.

A great strategy to use different muscle groups and enhance your results is to step outside of your comfort zone and change your routine.

5. Swim four to five days a week

The simpler it will be for you to lose weight, the more active you are. This holds true whether you're swimming, walking, running, or utilizing cardio equipment.

According to Jamie Hickey, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at Truism Fitness, swimming for weight reduction should be done on a similar schedule to other cardiovascular workouts for the best outcomes.

6. Start slow

As your body allows, start with every other day for 15 to 20 minutes swims and work your way up to five days a week of 30-minute swims. Muscle stiffness and exhaustion may lead you to quit if you begin a new swimming practice at a high intensity.

7. Alternate swimming with water aerobics

To notice effects, swimming doesn't have to be done every day. On the days you have off, attend a water aerobics class. On active recovery days, this is a great low-stress workout to keep moving.

8. Swim with a float or pool noodle

Swim laps in the pool while utilizing a pool noodle, kickboard, or life jacket if you are not a strong swimmer. As you navigate the water with your arms and legs, these will keep you afloat.

9. Use water weights

In between laps, perform a few bicep curls with water dumbbells if you're swimming to lose weight and tone up. Resistance from the water can assist develop strength and stamina.

10. Adjust your diet

Swimming is no different from any other weight reduction regimen in that you need to burn more calories than you consume.

You still need to make dietary changes if your goal is to shed a few pounds, according to Keith McNiven, owner of the personal training business Right Path Fitness.

"And take care. You'll need to eat to replenish your energy as swimming uses up a lot of it. Additionally, following a session in the cold water, your hunger may significantly rise.

McNiven advises increasing the number of veggies on your plate, getting a protein drink, and avoiding snacking if you're feeling particularly hungry.

Swimming strokes to help you lose weight

Remember that depending on the muscles used, various swimming strokes may result in a higher calorie burn. Try trying different exercises to keep your muscles and body guessing.

Swimming in freestyle one day and butterfly the next. According to Hickey, the butterfly stroke is the most difficult since it uses the entire body and burns the most calories. The backstroke would place third, followed by the breaststroke.

According to Rizzo, changing up the intensity of your workout also produces fantastic benefits. He suggests sprint interval training, which entails sprinting for 30 seconds and then resting for four minutes.

He advises either complete relaxation during this period or continuing to swim four to eight times at an intensity of one out of ten. It may not seem like much, but keep in mind that you gave it your all for the full 30 seconds. To put it mildly, it is hard yet effective. You might alternate between various swimming strokes or techniques, or keep it simple.

A common myth about swimming

Many kids were instructed to wait 30 to 60 minutes after eating before going swimming. After eating, it was believed that some blood would move to the stomach to help with digestion, which would then move blood away from the arms and legs.

Some people thought that the loss of blood would make the arms and legs weaker and increase the likelihood of drowning.

However, despite being a widely held idea, there doesn't seem to be any evidence to support this advice.

After swimming on a full stomach, some people may get stomach cramps, although this is not a serious or risky situation.

The bottom line

Swimming is a great technique to get in shape if you don't like going to the gym or have joint discomfort that prevents you from doing other exercises.

It's a wonderful exercise for shedding pounds, building muscle, and fortifying your heart.