Ser is here, which means that summer is
just around the corner. Sounds like a good
time to swim your heart out, if you ask me!

Did you know?

Swimming is considered one of the best sports
for burning calories.

Calorie burn depends on your weight.
According to Maclean’s, the average Canadian
man weighs 187 pounds, while the average
Canadian woman weighs 155 pounds. Taking
this into account and referring to data from
Nutristrategy, swimming laps of freestyle for
an hour can burn up to 600 calories for the
average man and 493 calories for the average
woman. That is only for swimming freestyle
laps at a slow and even pace, so if you swim
fast or competitively, then you can expect the
amount of calories burned to be even higher!

Types of strokes

ememe_ There are four types of swimming

~ strokes: freestyle, backstroke,

breaststroke, and butterfly.
WeDo” Freestyle and breaststroke burn the

same number of calories. Backstroke

burns less calories because it is a
rather graceful stroke. Butterfly burns the most calories,
and if you aren't familiar with the stroke then you should
definitely look up videos of it right now, because it is
quite something to see.

Every swimmer has their best and preferred stroke.
Personally, butterfly is my least favourite stroke to swim
because it can really be tiring. However, when | want to
show off my impressive skills in the pool it’s the flashiest
one to do. Breaststroke is my favourite because | find

it relaxing—even when I'm going all out. I‘’m also good
with both backstroke and freestyle.

Want to swim competitively?

Don't be intimidated. Remember
that everyone in the pool started
out as an amateur. No one is going
to judge or make fun of you if you’re
slow in the beginning and can't quite

 

keep up. Everyone is training to
become better, so everyone is working towards their
own personal goals. What really matters is that you
swim your heart out, keep up with your own time, and
do your very best. If you have that mindset, you will
see your speed, form, and everything else improve
dramatically as time goes on.

Attend training daily. |t is absolutely crucial that you attend every training
session. Missing one day of training is basically like
mn taking two days off. You will feel noticeably slower than
before. Swimming is a sport that requires continuous
Ha practice and training, so if you're considering swimming
competitively, you have to be sure this is what you really
want.

Get your sleep. Every swimmer’s worst enemy is sleep deprivation. Many
studies show that lack of sleep affects your athletic
performance. In fact, if the optimal amount of sleep is 7
hours and 30 minutes, you'll have to aim for 9 hours of

J

sleep. | remembered a day when | only had 7 hours of
sleep; when | went to swim, | was losing breath quickly
and my kicks weren't as strong. When | had a complete
nine hours of sleep, | was in perfect shape and beating
my personal bests.

Eat a lot. Now this may be a perk, actually! Have you heard of the
Michael Phelps’ diet? In 2008, Phelps ate 12,000 calories

a day to prepare for the Beijing Olympics. Now it sounds
crazy, but there is a scientific reason behind it. You burn a
lot of calories when swimming and your body will need just
as much fuel to keep going. | can guarantee you that your
appetite will increase tenfold once you start training—of

course, not to a 12,000 calories a day, but around 3,500.

 

| remember when | used to swim, | would eat thrice the amount as what

| usually would eat, and there was a time | was so hungry that | took on a
biggest burger challenge at a restaurant and finished it. Just make sure to
rest for at least an hour after every meal before swimming!

Make friends! — Having friends to swim with makes training an even

more enjoyable experience. Swimming may be an
individualistic sport by nature, but camaraderie can still
_ take place, especially when you're all ixqn the same
Z team and trained by the same coach. You all could be
competing against each other during sprints, but at
swim meets—and especially during relays—you'’re all

going to be working together.