You don’t have to actually compete in a triathlon- but following the swim, bike, run routine in your own workouts is a great way to exercise all your muscles and improve your fitness, working towards getting the trim, toned body you want. There’s a reason why the combination of those three exercises has been used as the ‘Ironman’ routine, so if you’re looking for a way to vary your fitness plan and get great results fast, taking a few cues from triathlon training could be just the thing…
Swimming
Swimming is a great workout- it’s one of the few exercises that uses all your muscles, focusing especially on your shoulders, abs and leg muscles, so it’s perfect for full-body toning. Because it uses so many muscles, it burns lots of calories fast. In an hour of swimming laps, you could burn 500 to 600 calories, depending on your weight and the speed you are swimming.
Of course, an hour of swimming is quite intense if you haven’t done it for a while, so start small. Aiming for 20 minutes to start with is a good challenge, then gradually increase by 5 minutes at a time as your strength and fitness improves. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do fancy strokes like the butterfly- you probably remember how to do a basic freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke, so start with those and you’ll soon get into a comfortable rhythm.
You can swim at whatever pace you like- obviously, the more vigorous, the more calories you’ll burn, but either way you’ll get a good cardio workout. The good thing about swimming is that it’s low impact, so it’s a great way to get started with exercise and build up your strength and fitness.
Most gyms now offer a separate, cheaper membership just for the use of the pool- so this could be a good option if you can’t afford a full gym membership. You should also be able to get casual passes fairly cheaply, or you can look at your local community centres for other options. Then all you need is some goggles and bathers and you’re good to go!
Biking
Biking works your thighs, quads, hamstrings and forearms, burning up to 650 calories an hour- and if you ride outside, it can be a really enjoyable activity that hardly feels like exercise. Because it helps to build up your leg muscles, you’ll have so much more strength and energy to get through all your regular daily activities, including your swimming.
One of the great things about biking is that it doesn’t require any special skills, and it can be done by almost anyone. Don’t worry if you haven’t ridden for a long time- that saying about being ‘like riding a bike’ is true, so you’ll pick it up again quickly! And because you can ride places you would normally drive or catch public transport, it’s easy to fit into your daily routine- as well as being better for the environment and saving you money. It’s also a good family-friendly activity, so you can go for a weekend ride with your partner or the kids and combine exercise with social interaction.
Start out by aiming to for 20 to 30 minutes, twice a week. When the initial soreness wears off and your strength and fitness starts to improve, you can start riding for longer and more often.
Running
Running is a great way to burn calories fast, at the same time as working your calves, hamstrings and abs and building up your cardio fitness. A half hour jog burns around 300 calories, you can increase that by going faster or running on an incline. It might be seem hard at first- but after the first few times, you’ll fall into a comfortable rhythm that can actually be a great stress release.
You can run anywhere, at any time, so it’s a good exercise to get into when you don’t have a lot of money to spare on gym memberships and fancy equipment. All you need is a good pair of runners, and, for women, a good sports bra, and off you go! Find a nice route that gives you plenty of interesting things to look at to stop from getting bored- around a park, by the river, around a lake, or along the beach are some popular running locations.
To get started, gradually work your way up from walking to small bursts of jogging. Over time, you’ll be able to run faster and for longer, and you’ll develop your own pattern that you are comfortable. Work at your own pace and you’ll start to see results fast.
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