Swimming for getting fit

[SuperBeagle]

Hi all,

I have been considering taking up swimming to get fit. I did squad training etc. when I was younger, but haven't properly swum since I was about 12. I am not overweight (around 56kg at 5'7"), but am feeling thoroughly unfit and could certainly do with toning up.

Will swimming be useful for this? Running isn't an option as I trashed my knees at the gym when I was younger.

How much swimming per week should I aim for to get the most out of it?

Any other advice?

Thanks in advance.

[MissWitch]

Swimming is an amazing all round exercise for toning and to just improve cardio vascular fitness. Try to alternate your strokes to get all your muscle groups working. Backstroke is my personal favourite and I've really noticed an improvement in posture and muscle tone around my shoulders from this, also if you're not massively fit yet then backstroke lets you huff and puff without having to stop too much to get your breath back/focus on breathing techniques. I'd aim for at least 3 times a week, at least to begin with.