YOUR SWIM DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BORING

We love swimming.

But we’ll admit it. Swimming up and down the same lane for 30, 40 or 60 minutes can sometimes get a little repetitive.

That’s where a few simple pieces of swim gear can completely change your workout.

You don’t have to be training for the Olympics. You don’t need a coach standing on deck with a stopwatch. Paddles, pull buoys, kickboards and snorkels can make a regular swim more interesting, while helping you work on different parts of your stroke.

Here’s why we use them.

1. PADDLES

Put on a pair of paddles and you’ll immediately feel more resistance against the water.

That makes your upper body work harder and helps you get a better feel for how your hands and arms are catching the water.

They’re also a simple way to change the intensity of a set without necessarily swimming faster.

Try alternating a few laps with paddles and a few without. You’ll notice the difference immediately.

2. PULL BUOY

Sometimes it’s nice to give the legs a rest.

A pull buoy sits between your thighs and helps keep your hips and legs higher in the water, allowing you to concentrate on your upper body and stroke.

It changes the feel of your swim and lets you focus on your arms, catch and body position without worrying as much about your kick.

And yes, after a hard bike ride, run or leg day, giving your legs a break can feel pretty good too.

3. KICKBOARD

Then do the opposite.

Grab a kickboard, take your arms out of the equation and make your legs do the work.

Kick sets are great for building leg strength and adding variety to a swim. They’re also an easy way to break up longer stretches of freestyle.

Four laps swimming. Two laps kicking. Repeat.

Suddenly you’re doing a workout rather than simply counting laps.

4. SWIM SNORKEL

This might be the piece of equipment recreational swimmers overlook the most.

A swim snorkel lets you breathe without turning your head, so you can concentrate on what your body is doing in the water.

Head position. Body alignment. Stroke. Catch.

It can also create a completely different rhythm to your swimming and help you focus on technique rather than when you’re going to take your next breath.

It might feel strange for the first few laps. Give it a chance.

5. MIX IT UP

You don’t need to use everything every time you swim.

That’s the point.

Swim a few hundred yards normally. Grab the paddles. Do some pulling. Grab the kickboard. Put on the snorkel. Finish with some regular swimming.

Equipment gives you another way to play with your workout and keeps every trip to the pool from feeling exactly like the last one.

Swimming should be something you look forward to.

Sometimes all it takes is changing things up.

WANT TO MIX UP YOUR NEXT SWIM?

We’re going to help five swimmers do exactly that.

We’re giving away 5 THEMAGIC5 gear bags, each packed with the gear we talked about above: paddles, pull buoy, kickboard and swim snorkel.

Want one? Send us a dm on Instagram @themagic5: What’s your favorite way to break up a swim workout?

We’ll pick five swimmers and send them everything they need to mix things up at the pool.

Good luck. And happy swimming!!