Unlike running or cycling, swimming offers a brilliant arm workout and has a low risk of injury. You'll burn up to 700 calories an hour (provided you swim hard!) and work every muscle in your arms, while the buoyancy of the water cushions your movement, taking the pressure off your muscles and joints. To see results, good technique is key says Steven Shaw, author of Master the Art of Swimming (Collins & Brown, £9.99). 'It's difficult to keep going for long enough to burn significant calories unless you get your swimming style right,' he says.
SORT YOUR SWIM STYLE
1 CHECK YOUR ALIGNMENT For efficiency and speed, make sure you align your head, neck and back in the water. It's far more important than how you move your body.
2 POSITION YOUR LIMBS PROPERLY Before every propelling movement, make sure your limbs are in the correct position to pull or push you forward so you don't tire yourself out splashing and thrashing. Take it slow and steady.
3 DON'T FOCUS ON BREATHING Overcoming breathlessness is one of your biggest challenges. Focus on your out-breath, as it will naturally trigger an in-breath and stabilise your breathing.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Try this 20-minute interval training session to burn major calories and keep your metabolism revved for hours afterward. 'Focus on front crawl and backstroke to tone your arms - both are arm-dominated strokes and will help increase the overall mobility of your arms and shoulders.'
■ FIVE-MINUTE WARM UP
■ FOUR LAPS, EFFORT LEVEL 8 (out of 10)
■ SIX LAPS, EFFORT LEVEL 6
■ FOUR LAPS, EFFORT LEVEL 8
■ SIX LAPS, EFFORT LEVEL 6
■ FIVE-MINUTE COOL DOWN
BUTTERFLY MASTERCLASS
No stroke will work your arms harder than butterfly. It's the most difficult stroke to master, but do it properly and you'll burn about 150 calories in just 10 minutes. Here's how;
■ Face down in the water, your hands should enter the water at the same time, shoulder-width apart, palms out as you kick down with your legs together.
■ Sweep your hands down through the water, powerfully pushing them towards your thighs, simultaneously pushing your chin forward and your mouth out of the water to take a breath.
■ Now lift your arms completely out of the water and throw them back to the start as you kick your legs again.
