middle-aged beginner

Question
I have taken up lap swimming and have found i cannot do more than a couple of laps using freestyle. can you suggest a style to build up my endurance? is freestyle the best at burning calories ? thanks

Answer
Joe,
Thanks for asking me a question.  I got your email while online...so you are getting a QUICK response!!!

Let me answer your 2nd question first.  No stroke burns more calories than any other per se.  Calories will be burnt based upon your cardio vascular level of input.  As long as you get your heart rate up and keep it up, you will burn calories.  Most people find that freestyle is the easiest stroke to maintain and keep a good heart rate.  I know that isn't what you wanted to hear.  I have actually been asked this before.  Swimming will burn calories no matter what.  It's physical exercise.  However, each stroke utilizes different muscle groups.  You will get a whole body workout no matter what stroke you use.  Just think about getting your heart rate up for calories.  The actual stroke is irrelavent.

Now you may be saying..."I know that one stroke must be better for calorie burning."  You may be correct.  However there are no official studies that cover everyone.  Certain individuals may burn more calories doing some strokes and others may not.  I can swim butterfly for a long time.  Others can't.  Most people don't like the stroke, so they wouldn't consider it something that would burn calories.  My suggestion is to just work on what your first question deals with...ENDURANCE.  Build your endurance and all will be better.

Now let me answer your 1st question.  More than likely you need to just build your endurance.  You say you can't do more than a couple of laps.  Hey, that is a great start.  You are out there doing it!  Good job.  Now you need to think about WHAT you are doing out there.  It might be good to have a coach or someone who knows a lot about the sport look at your stroke.  They may be able to find some techincal areas to work on.  Efficiency is a key factor.  If you can swim more efficiently you will swim faster and most likely longer!  Other than that, the only way to build up endurance is to just get out there and swim.

Ok, it's not as easy as just swimming.  Work on intervals.  Don't just get in and swim until you can't swim any longer.  All spee sports (swimming, running, spee-skating) use interval training.  Do one or two laps (if you can) to warm up.  Then do one lap.  Take ten seconds rest.  Then do another lap.  Repeat this.  Or you may want to use a clock and start each lap every 50 seconds or 60 seconds, etc.  Try to do smaller distances and take rest in between.

Here is the science behind that.  By doing shorter distances and taking rest, your body is able to recover slightly while taking those rests.  You will be ultimately able to swim longer.  Don't level off at this though.  Ask a coach (or me later on) what you should increase to after you get comfortable with this.  You may want to eventually increase to two laps and then rest.  Just make sure you build from this.  Also, after you do these laps...warm down before you get out.

Let me recap what I wrote here.  I think it might be a bit confusing.....
1.  There is no calorie-burning stroke king.
2.  Get in the water and get your heart rate up to burn calories.
3.  Try interval training to increase your endurance.
4.  Interval Training = shorter distances with short rest in between (repeated)

I hope that this email makes sense.  PLEASE let me know if you are not satisfied with my help or if I am unclear.

Keep up the swimming and swim hard!
Eric