A Swim Workout For The Chic Girl

Do you want the benefits of swimming without compromising the health of your hair, skin, and nails?

Do you love being in a pool or lake but are worried about your gorgeous highlights or nails chipping?

No sweat. I got you covered! Follow my guidelines on how to protect your hair, skin, and nails while at the same time staying chic in the water.

In This Article

The Benefits of Swimming
Protecting Your Hair
Protecting Your Nails
Protecting Your Skin
The Swim Workout
5 Tips Swimmers Stay Chic
Bottom Line

The Benefits of Swimming

Swimming is a low-impact full body workout that combines strength training with cardiovascular endurance and helps with everything from better sleep to weight loss to mental health improvement. A swim workout will sculpt abs, legs and arms sooner than you think. Swimming is also gentle on your muscle joints, great if you have back issues, and gives you an all-body physical and mental workout.

The timeline for achieving a visibly toned body depends on your starting body fat percentage. You want to aim to lose 1 to 2 percent of body fat per month. A rule of thumb is that if you start with a body fat of 10%, it takes about 2 months for abs, arms, and legs to become visibly toned if you stay consistent.

Water provides fantastic resistance whether you’re moving your arms, legs, or any other body part since you’re working against the water pressure. You can read more about the overall benefits of a swim workout here.

Protecting Your Hair

The chemical properties of chlorine can strip the natural oils from your hair leaving it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage. Exposure to frequent chlorinated pools also leads to discoloration or a greenish tint in lighter hair colors. This is because chlorine reacts with metals present in the water, such as copper, forming a compound that adheres to the hair strands. Damaging chemicals weaken the hair shaft and disrupt the protein structure of the hair.

Make sure to wet your hair in clean water before swimming which makes it less likely to absorb chlorine, other harsh pool chemicals or salt. Use coconut oil as a thin layer over your hair before putting on a swim cap. Compared to conditioner, coconut oil will stay on and not dissolve in the water.

Use hydrating shampoo/conditioner rich in plant oils, keratin, glycerine, and silicone. Check out some of my favorite hair care products on my online store here. Avoid over-washing your hair after swimming as this just strips away natural oils. Use a weekly deep conditioner instead.

If you want to avoid going under water with your hair altogether, like I mostly do, just wear a swim cap. I wear loose swim caps like these so my hair is minimally messed up after a swim. I just brush out and my hair stays nice and styled during and after swimming

Protecting Your Nails

Your nails may also suffer from regular swimming. They may become weak, brittle, or discolored from pool chemicals.

Apply thick hand cream or coconut oil before and after swimming to keep your nails hydrated and protected. You can also wear swim gloves or shoes to protect further.

To stay looking chic I love these peel-off/glue-on nails. They stay glossy and last about two weeks even when swimming daily.

Protecting Your Skin

By following simple skincare tips, you can enjoy swim workouts without worrying about your skin. Hydrate Your body and face by using a good quality moisturizer to create a barrier between your skin and the pool, lake, or ocean water. I use coconut oil on my body and this moisturizer on my face. You will find more skin care products here.

Shower immediately after your swim to rinse off chemicals, salt, and bacteria to prevent skin irritation and infections. I also make sure I scrub my body with either a washcloth or a scrub brush. After swimming replenish your skin’s moisture again by applying a hydrating lotion, oil or cream immediately after showering.

Finally, keep your body hydrated from the inside by drinking plenty of water. This also helps prevent your skin from absorbing too much chlorinated water.

The Swim Workout

The swim workouts that minimize hair exposure to chlorine are ones where you do not submerge your head under water. Focus on breaststroke as it keeps your head above water. By using a kick board you focus on leg and abs engaging your body in freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly kicks.

Water aerobics or pool-based exercises using a noodle also don’t require full submersion. This article shows an in-depth swim workout for the chic swimmer as well as those who do not know how to swim at all but want to exercise in the water.

5 Tips Swimmers Stay Chic

1.Do NOT submerge under water wetting your face and hair

2. Use a loose swim cap to protect hair

3. Use peel and glue on nails for hands and toes

4. Scrub chlorine water off immediately after swimming

5. Use coconut oil on the whole body before and after swim

Bottom Line

Swimming is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy. It is a fantastic workout that offers numerous health benefits, but it’s also important to protect your skin and hair while enjoying the pool and beach.

And of course you also want to look stylish while working out in the water. Stay chic!