Whatever you current fitness level, you can adapt a swimming routine to work with your particular strengths.

Lose Fat

It doesn’t matter how much you strengthen and tone your muscles if you have an inner tube of extra weight around your middle. To maximize your weight loss, combine your swimming routine with a healthy diet. If you increase your caloric consumption along with your new fitness routine, you won’t see any fat loss.

You may weigh the same as your muscle mass expands and your fat reserves shrink.

Improve Definition

Lifting weights or doing calisthenics before you get in the pool is an ideal arrangement for muscle toning and fat burning. While you’re less likely to beat any speed records, allowing for some fatigue, your body will already be primed to burn fat following the preliminary workout. Even if your primary goal is to improve your abs, swimming will automatically work your major muscle groups in a balanced way. Doing the crawl stroke, for example, you engage the neck, shoulders, chest, back, triceps, biceps, abs, lower back, obliques, glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves.

Unless you’re living in the UK and still waiting for the clouds to disappear, the sun must already be out in your City. But don’t panic if you’re not beach body ready yet! Take a deep breath, then dive into this total-body sculpting series. Do it six times a week, pairing the exercises with 30 minutes of cardio, for a trimmer, firmer you.

Do all moves on one side first, then the other.

Tuck-and-Roll Kick

Sit face up with feet flat on the floor. Tuck knees into chest and roll onto back. Roll back down, bringing left hip and hand to the floor. Place left knee on the floor, rotating hips to lift up as you extend right leg out to the side. Rotate hips back down to return to roll: repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Make sure you are not rolling on your neck.

Single-Arm Bend and Kick

Kneel on left knee with left hand on the floor, right arm resting on hip and right leg lifted (knee bent) so that inner thigh is parallel to the floor. Pull right knee in toward shoulder and then extend leg back and up. Return to “A” and repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Extend all the way through your toes.

Push-up and Side Sweep

Start in the bottom of a push-up. Push into the floor to rise to the up part of a push-up, then lower back down. Lift back up to plank as right leg sweeps up and out to side. Bring leg back in and lower it to the floor. Repeat 30 times.

Pro tip: Keep your hips down.

 Rowing Machine

One of the most efficient workouts around. When you row, you’re using your whole body – upper, lower, core – simultaneously. Plus your heart rate stays elevated throughout the entire session, so think of it as a spin class complete with leg-presses and pull-downs.

Pro tip: Personally, I could spend around 30 minutes. But start of around 12 – 15 minutes.

Leg Press

Surprisingly the leg press is excellent for working on your glutes as well as giving your legs that desirable look. Load up a leg press machine and keep your legs straight. Powerfully contract your calves and press the platform up as far as possible. Hold for 5 seconds and release back as far as possible.

Pro tip: Lower the weights and push the machine with one leg 10 times, then both legs 10 times, then other leg 10 times. Repeat this rep 4 times.

Wondering how working out as a couple might work in the real world, especially when you’re both at different fitness levels? 

Sign up for a class together.

While a class like salsa dancing is perfect for couples, other classes will work just as well. Consider trying something new that interests you both: martial arts, an indoor climbing clinic, yoga, adult swim lessons, attend the gym together or other sports of your choosing.

Take part in cardio activities.

Do cardio that allows you both to work at your own intensity level. Group classes like Spinning allow each participant to cater the workout to their fitness level, meaning that you both get the workout you want easy, challenging, or somewhere in the middle.

Gym together.

Do cardio side-by-side. At the gym, simply pick two cardio machines next to each other and work towards your individual goals. You’ll be together but can each work at your own speed, intensity, incline and resistance level.

Bonding outdoors.

When walking or jogging outside, try intervals. If you are a slow jogger and your significant other is faster, intervals will be perfect for both of you. Work at one partner’s faster pace for a few minutes, and then recover at the other person’s slower pace. Intervals are also a great way to improve your fitness level and speed over time.

Strength Training.

When strength training at the gym, “work in” with one another between sets. About 60 seconds of rest between sets is beneficial anyway. So while you rest, your partner can complete one set of the exercise. Switching the weights to your own level is quick and easy to do on most machines.

The great outdoors.

Create a more active lifestyle together by picking up new hobbies. Consider hiking, canoeing, tossing a football, recreational cycling, rafting, camping, and just enjoying a nice, leisurely walk at the end of the day, all of these beat an evening in front of the TV.