Be more aggressive the second half of your workout, when you can focus on strokes as well as speed. Water provides a good resistance workout and an environment that is gentle on joints. However, while a swimming pool helps reduce the risk of impact, it does not completely eliminate the possibility of injury. Overuse or repetitive motion injuries are also fairly common. Swimmers must warm up properly, stretching the quadriceps, calves, and hamstrings, as well as the upper body.
Shoulders are especially important because swimmers do a lot of arm rotations in the pool.
Women tend to have weaker upper back muscles than men, she says, so they may require some general upper body conditioning to complement their swimming routine and help avoid injury. Adding a few light stomach crunches can help stabilize trunk muscles and round out a session of aquatic aerobics. Alternating a variety of strokes uses different muscle groups during laps and may also protect an existing injury from stress and strain. Introducing a kick board into the second half of a water workout is another good way to keep things interesting, yet safe. In the water, sometimes you can't tell how hard you're working, so make sure your monitor yourself.