- To slim down

The effort should be moderate and continuous so as to get the most out of the fat reserves. To swim without feeling out of breath , you take into account his heart rate, which is calculated with a heart rate monitor: 220 (maximum heart rate) - age x 0.7 (endurance frequency) . So at age 40, we should not exceed 126 beats per minute while swimming.

The good training : 30 to 40 minutes of lengths at the breaststroke. The good rhythm: 3 sessions per week to see after one month that we have melted everywhere.

Our advice: after each session, we calculate the distance traveled. After one month, you can easily reach the 2 km without getting tired.

Good shopping: this heart rate monitor warns us when we are improving our endurance (this is the "shape" zone); but also when one burns fat and one loses weight (zone "conso gras").
At the end of the exercise, we know the time spent in each of the 2 zones. Cardio FT7, Polar, 99,90 € .

- To have more breath

The principle: work in split mode. Fast lengths and slow lengths are followed by short recoveries between each of them. This way of swimming encourages us to make more effort, thus improving our lung, heart and muscle capacities.

The good training : we begin to warm up on 200 m with 2 medals to choose from. Then we alternate 1 length on a fast pace and 4 on a slower rhythm. We start again 5 to 7 times, more if we have the energy, ending with a quiet length.
The right rhythm: 2 sessions of one hour per week .

Our advice: we breathe by contracting well the abdominals to maximize the volume of oxygen to the inspiration. We gain in energy.

- To muscle buttocks and thighs

We put on swimming accessories like the board and minipalmes , which increase the resistance of the water.

The good training: we connect 6 lengths of pool of 50 m (or 12 of 25 m). Lying on her stomach, arms extended with a board, head in alignment with the body, we advance with rhythmic beatings of legs. We end up with 2 lengths without the board.
The good rhythm: 1 hour 3 times a week.

Our advice: to give a curve to buttocks a little flat, it makes great beats , even to reduce its speed.

Good shopping : A hydrodynamic board. In the shape of an arrow, it is equipped with multiple sockets to vary the effort easily. Board Kickboard Pro, Arena, 21 € .

Floating palms, to stay perfectly horizontal in the water. In foam, they weigh only 200 g. AlphaFins, Aqua Sphere, € 34.90 .

Thanks to Hervé Dourver, responsible for the physical and sports activities of the Thermes Marins de Saint-Malo.