Buzz
You've been looking forward to this moment all year, haven't you? It's time to jump into the pool and swim your way to fitness. (Lakes and oceans are welcome for swimmers, too.)
If you're new to swimming or it's been a while since you’ve done laps, take a look at our guide on how to get started with swimming for exercise. All you'll need is a suit and goggles, a basic grasp of lap-lane etiquette, and some tips on what to do once you're in the water. Our guide will walk you through it.
Another helpful resource is this extensive post from reddit’s r/Fitness, shared by the mod of r/Swimming. It's packed with advice for swimming beginners, including these tips:
When buying swimwear, choose a suit one size smaller than what you’d typically wear for street clothes, as water causes fabric to stretch. It’s not visible to you, but others will notice.
There are three types of swim caps: cloth, latex, and silicone. Cloth caps are comfy but not very practical, mainly used in hotels to prevent hair from clogging filters. Latex caps hold up reasonably well but tend to snag on hair. Silicone caps, though the priciest, last the longest and are thicker, which can be too warm for some swimmers. Keep in mind, no cap lasts forever; personally, I never get more than a year out of one.
Calorie tracking during swimming from websites, apps, or fitness wearables isn’t reliable because so many factors are involved—weight, water temp, stroke type, skill level, rest periods, session length, etc. I’d bet it's likely lower than what those devices are telling you for an hour of swimming.
So grab your gear, find a suitable body of water, and dive into swimming. If you have any questions or topics you’d like me to cover as the month progresses, feel free to leave a comment!
