At-home swim workouts are perfect for those who love swimming—or at least the idea of it—but want to incorporate a swimming-friendly fitness routine at home. In this article, you’ll find a list of the most effective at home swimming workouts. These home workouts are designed to build strength, endurance, and flexibility, making them suitable for all ages and fitness levels. You don’t even need an indoor pool to dive in. We’ve included powerful dryland exercises that deliver the same benefits as swimming. Ready to get started? Let’s go!
Types of at Home Swim Workouts
There are two main categories of at home swimming workouts that you’ll want to perform as a swimmer. First, there are dryland swim workouts, which are essentially exercises for swimmers executed outside of the water. They help you improve your strength and flexibility. On the other hand, in-water swim workouts improve your swimming technique. Together, both types of at home swimming workouts enhance your swimming performance.
But why do you need to engage in strength training on dryland too? After all, aren’t you supposed to spend more time in the water to boost your swimming endurance? Both swim-specific and dryland resistance training are necessary to enhance swimming performance, according to research. A review of studies on swimming training methods revealed that while both types of swim training routines yielded substantial benefits, they each had their own merits and disadvantages. Combining both types enables you to offset the demerits of one with the benefits of the other.
Top At-home Swim Workouts Dryland Exercises
Have you been wondering how to swim faster while maintaining your balance in the water? Dryland at home swimming workouts are the answer. In 2022, a group of researchers published a review of 19 scientific articles on the impacts of non-swimming exercises on swimming ability.
These articles revealed that conventional plyometric exercises, core exercises, and strength exercises helped participants achieve better results in competitive swimming. After dropping these exercises, the participants, who were mostly advanced swimmers, suffered a decline in their performance.
Ready to improve as a swimmer? These are six of the at home swimming workouts that you can carry out during your swim training sessions.
1) Plank
If you’re looking to strengthen your core, the plank is one of the at home swimming workouts that can help. The stronger your core gets, the greater your ability to properly align your body while swimming. Your arms and legs will distribute energy evenly throughout your body, making your swimming strokes more efficient.
Steps
- Get into a forearm plank position, with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
- Engage your core and hold the position for 20 to 60 seconds.
- Repeat this swim workout for 3 sets, with 10 to 60 seconds of rest between sets.
2) Squat
This lower-body exercise helps to build leg strength in at home swimming workouts. With stronger legs, you can push off more forcefully and kick propulsively, thus covering a larger distance within a shorter period with less effort.
Steps
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your chest upright and back straight.
- Lower yourself as if sitting into a chair, stopping when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions per set.
3) Pull-up
Do you need at home swimming workouts that’ll target the muscles frequently used in strokes? Undertake a pull-up, or ten. It’s an excellent way to improve your pull, stabilize your shoulders, and empower your upper body muscles to better withstand the rigors of swim workouts. It also reduces the risk of injury for swimmers of all ages, especially while doing high-risk strokes like the breaststroke.
Steps
- Grip a pull-up bar with your hands placed shoulder-width apart, palms facing away from your body.
- Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Focus on engaging both your upper and lower back and arms.
- Lower yourself with control and repeat for 5 to 10 reps.
4) Lunge
Lunges contribute to leg strength in at home swimming workouts by activating your lower-body muscles that improve propulsion and kicks, such as your quads and glutes. They also engage stabilizing muscles, so as you do more lunges, you’ll be able to better control your body position in water, maintain proper form, and minimize the resistance that your body has to deal with when you’re swimming.
Steps
- Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are at a 90-degree bend. Keep your torso upright.
- Push through your front heel to return to standing. Alternate legs. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg.
5) Russian Twist
The major targets of the Russian twist are the oblique muscles on the side of your abdomen. These are the muscles that work when you rotate your torso. To amp up your rotational core strength when executing strokes like freestyle and backstroke, add the Russian twist to your at home swimming workouts.
Steps
- Sit with your knees bent, feet off the ground, and your torso slightly leaned back.
- Rotate your torso side to side. Touch the floor on each side with your hands or a weight. Do 3 sets of 20 twists (10 per side).
6) Superman
This dryland swim workout strengthens your erector spinae, a group of muscles that run along your spine. Toughening these muscles promotes better posture. This is why the superman is is a perfect addition to at home swimming workouts for anyone who wants to have better body alignment in water.
Steps
- Lie face down, arms extended forward.
- Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously. Hold for 2 seconds and lower these body parts back to the floor.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 reps.
In-water Swimming Workouts: Boost Endurance, Build Strength, and Master Cardio
Although training for swimmers done on dryland prepares you for better swimming, each swim session in the pool gives you the chance to exercise your limbs uniformly.
Based on our years of coaching experience, we’ve assembled structured at home swimming workouts for every swimmer who’s interested in building a strong core, shoulders, back, and legs.
Workout 1
The focus of this workout is basic endurance and streamlined form. During this session, aim to keep your body in a straight line. Don’t flatten your lower back but keep your spine neutral, maintaining an elongated body position to reduce drag as you move through the water.
Warm-up (5 minutes)
Do a 2 Ă— 50 swim, alternating freestyle and backstroke, focusing on keeping your body in a straight line. Follow through with a 2 Ă— 25 swim. Kick with a kickboard, working on a steady, controlled rhythm.
Drill Set
Complete a 4 Ă— 25 freestyle swim with one arm drills. Use a pull buoy for balance during these drills to refine your stroke. This way, you can pay more attention to perfecting the stroke mechanics.
Main Set
Complete a 6 Ă— 25 freestyle swim at a steady pace with 10 seconds of rest between each. Gradually increase speed while focusing on technique.
Cool-Down
Finish a 2 Ă— 50 swim, relaxed freestyle or backstroke, to reduce heart rate and stretch out.
Workout 2
When engaging in the at home swimming workouts in this routine, try to slip through the water as fast as possible while keeping your body streamlined.
Warm-up (5 minutes)
Complete 3 Ă— 50 swims at a relaxed pace with alternating strokes.
Drill Set
Do 4 Ă— 25 freestyle with a focus on streamline technique after each push-off. Add fins for the last two sets to enhance propulsion and leg strength.
Main Set
Do an 8 Ă— 25 freestyle swim, pushing off the bottom of the pool with power and aiming for consistent speed. Rest for 10 seconds between each.
Cool-Down
Finish off with 100 meters of freestyle or backstroke. Take long, relaxed strokes to bring your heart and lungs back to rest.
Workout 3
At home swimming workouts like this one will help you develop your endurance and refine your form. If you’ve been trying to work on breathing underwater, this is your chance. Limit your breaths to about one breath every seven strokes while keeping your breathing rhythmic and relaxed to ensure a steady supply of oxygen to your system.
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Finish a 200-meter freestyle swim at a slow pace. After that, complete 50 meters, kicking with a kickboard, alternating between rapid and slow paces.
Drill Set
Do 3 Ă— 25 freestyle with one-arm drills, focusing on body rotation. Next, take 2 Ă— 50 swim with a pull buoy, working on balance and arm strength.
Main Set
Finish a 4 Ă— 50 swim at a steady pace with 30 seconds of rest between sets. Aim for consistency and even splits.
Cool-Down
Complete a 150-meter freestyle or stroke of choice, swimming as smoothly as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you need to swim to get a good workout?
It depends on your goals and intensity. A solid 30-minute swim can be a great starting point. If you’re aiming for more intense at home swimming workouts, you might want to bump that up to 45 minutes or an hour, incorporating intervals and different strokes.
Is 30 minutes of swimming a day enough to lose weight?
It definitely can be. Swimming is a calorie burner. Thirty minutes of moderate at home swimming workouts can torch 200 to 500 calories. Combine that with a healthy diet, and you’ll be well on your way to weight loss.
What happens to your body when you swim every day?
Swimming daily does wonders. You’ll build endurance, tone muscles, and strengthen your cardiovascular system. It’s a low-impact activity, so it’s gentle on your joints. Plus, it can improve your mood and sleep.
How long before I see results from swimming?
You might start feeling the positive effects of at home swimming workouts within a few weeks. Visible results, like weight loss or muscle definition, often take a bit longer, maybe 6-8 weeks, depending on your consistency and intensity.
Is swimming better than running?
It’s not really about “better” – both are excellent exercises. Swimming is gentler on your joints, making it a good choice if you have impact-related issues. Running can be more accessible since you don’t need a pool.
Final Thoughts on at Home Swimming Workouts
Please remember to be consistent with your at home swimming workouts. These workouts to improve endurance and technique will pay off over time. Each workout takes focus, consistency, and effort to be effective.
When conducting the water-based at home swimming workouts, work on breathing in a smooth, controlled way. Match your breathing with the rhythm of your strokes. Remember to wear your swim goggles to prevent distractions and enhance your focus during your pool session. Finally, feel free to take breaks or rest longer between sets if you need to do so.
