Cause a splash! Have fun and get fit swimming this summer

Trying to exercise while looking after the kids, and holding down full or part time work, is a tricky old job!  Now that the summer holidays have hit, for those of you that are parents, it becomes even harder to focus on yourself for the next six weeks. That's why we've taken a look at three ways you can get fit swimming this summer. It's perfect for staying healthy, whilst entertaining the kids, leaving you to kill two birds with one stone.

Most people find swimming to be relaxing and therefore might not see the true benefit in it as a valuable workout. Here we give you three ways to get fit, and amp up your swimming workouts to get more from them.

1. Speed training

Similiary to how you would carry out interval training whilst running, why not play with speed in the pool too? Push yourself harder - swim so many laps, at a faster than normal speed, for a certain amount of time (whatever you are most comfortable with), and then cool down in between with either a 30 second rest or a slower swim.

2. Try a focused workout

Most people see swimming as a full body cardio workout, but you could always try focusing on certain muscle groups. For example, if you want to give your legs more of an intense workout, save your arms, use a float, and focus on intense kicking during your workout.

3. Aerobics in the pool

The swimming pool is a great place to tone up and try some aerobic workouts. Try the bicycle exercise in water to work your abs, flutterkicks while holding the sides of the pool to work your legs, and grab a pool noodle for a range of exercises including the plank.