Swimming for Exercise: Optimize Your Technique, Fitness and Enjoyment (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781554078226)

A practical guide to swimming for fitness and for enjoyment.

Swimming offers a low-impact cardio workout as well as great resistance training. Swimming for Exercise is a practical and fully illustrated handbook that deals with all aspects of swimming as a fitness discipline. Former Olympian Greg Whyte helps non-swimmers, novice swimmers and experienced swimmers maximize the fitness benefits of their time in the water, improving their health and well-being.

The book covers the four major swimming strokes -- front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly -- explaining how proper form helps swimmers exercise more efficiently. Whyte describes how to structure a workout to keep it varied and exciting, and he provides complete training programs for beginner, intermediate and advanced swimmers.

Topics covered include:

• The benefits of swimming and how to get started
• Guidance on stroke technique and breathing
• Structuring and monitoring swimming sessions
• Diving and flip turns
• Open-water swimming
• Land training for strength and endurance
• The importance of diet and hydration
• Staying motivated and having fun

Swimming for Exercise provides expert instruction and offers new challenges and inspiration for those who want to improve their swimming skills, those who want to take up the sport for exercise and those who already swim regularly.