Tuesday, 30 August 2011
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Swimming for Weight Loss
Ever been curious about the weight-loss benefits of swimming? Besides being a great low-impact aerobic exercise, different swimming strokes vary in intensity and calorie burn.
To burn the most calories, go with the butterfly. It burns 150 cals every 10 minutes. But if you're like myself, and can't manage the butterfly, freestyle is next with burning 100 cals every 10 minutes. This is followed by the backstroke, burning 80 cal per 10 minutes, and then the breaststroke, burning 60 calories per 10 minutes.
This comes as a relief to me, since, unlike other activities, you don't have sweat as a measure to help determine how hard you're working.
You can also up the calorie burn by doing interval training--sustaining a higher intensity stroke and speed for a few laps--and then slowing the pace and using a less-demanding stroke.
Overall, swimming seems to be the magical exercise. It doesn't strain your joints like running and other cardio endeavors do. It is also a total body workout; exercising every muscle you have as you make your way from one end to the other.
And, personally, I always feel that it's a meditative experience. I usually feel like I do after a yoga class when I swim, peaceful and calm.
Do you like to swim to exercise? Has it been helpful to you in your weight-loss goals?
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About the Author
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- From: funnygirlblues
- About Me: I am a 6'1" girl trying to put my life together in New York City. I love to write, read, cafe hop, and swim when I have the chance. I believe good health has its foundations in good mental health, and do my best to keep that in order as well. Everything's a work in progress.
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Comments (23)
I love swimming! When I was little I was on a swim team. I don't swim much now though, because until recently I lived in the middle of nowhere and the nearest inside pool was nearly half an hour away. But this winter I'm gonna try to find a good pool.
I like to swim for fun mostly..nothing more than that.
"Overall, swimming seems to be the magical exercise. It doesn't strain your joints like running and other cardio endeavors do." - not so magical when your joints give out because they're not used to stress. However, I will agree that swimming is a great workout.
I've been a competitivie swimmer since 2nd grade, and it is an amazing workout. Not only does it work out pretty much every muscle you can think of, but it is very calming. I love doing long distance races and just letting my my mind wonder or "listening" to music in my head. Your body gets in this rhythm, and you just feel so powerful and graceful. I love swimming!
When I swam competitively, I was in such good shape. It is cardio and toning all in one! I have a treadmill at home and a small gym at work, so I have a hard time paying for a gym membership just for the pool. (Maybe when I pay off my car....=P
i love love love absolutely love swimming, especially butterfly! but... i've been swimming for more than 10 years.... and i haven't lost weight - guess we need the diet as well =3= but swimming does maintain your shape in a good way. if you don't keep on swimming, you get flabby (like i do now)
I totally want to go swimming as a workout but I never actually get up and go. I know it'd be great, though, because I wouldn't have to deal with sweating and because the change in my workout routine would definitely benefit me.
By the way, I think jump-roping is a better workout from what I've read. Not sure how swimming and jump-roping compare though.
@StatelessPilot@revelife - same with my husband! i didn't believe him at first, but he literally just sinks and can't stay afloat. i've tried teaching him, no method works lol.
@woundedrhymes@xanga - Haha! Good to know I ain't the only one! Reminds me of one of my favorite songs to play at like open mic night and gigs. It goes "this summer I went swimming, this summer I might have drowned. But I held my breath and I kicked my feet and I moved my arms around." LOL!
unfortunately, i can't swim. haha..
I love swimming. It's just expensive to join a gym to get access to a pool, and most often the pool is whored out to kiddie programs.
I love swimming. One of my favorite ways to workout and have some fun also. Swimming is great for your health and simply one of the best
exercises out there.
Swimming uses almost all the major muscle groups, and places a
vigorous demand on your heart and lungs. Develops muscle strength and endurance, and improves
posture and flexibility. Swimming is especially useful for people who are overweight,
pregnant, or with leg or lower back problems. Its a great sport for people of all ages and all
proficiency levels. Swimming provides most of the aerobic benefits that running does,
with many of the benefits of resistance training thrown in. Plus it does not put the strain on connective tissues that
running, aerobics and some weight-training regimens do.
Oh, yes. I love swimming.
i did swim team for a little while and now that i can't (i'm too old for swim team! haha) i like to swim at the gym at my university. it is SUCH a stress reliever...
Swimming is a great exercise! Most gyms have aerobic water classes that everyone should seriously take! And it's a great way to be involved in a community! I always feel great after taking a water class <3 and also another way to relax after class is to go into the sauna.. But even if you don't go to a gym and have your own pool its great to do laps in! God bless!
Swimming is a great workout!! Tones your body and you don't sweat, but you do sweat chlorine.
You can also up the intensity by wearing a drag suit or weights. I like the no sweat factor too
@smiley_surveys@xanga - you're never too old to be on a swim team you should find a good master swim team in your area. Try googling master swimmers and see what you come up with. Master swimmer doesn't mean that they're super pro it just means that they passed the 18 year old cut off for typical swim teams
@npr32486@xanga - well you can still run and do other stuff, you don't have to always swim. I know that whenever I have to do indoor work outs, the treadmills and ellipticals really hurt my knees so a pool workout would help me.
True that.
I'm so glad you posted this!
I broke my foot when I was younger, and running has been so painful for me since. I lost so much weight when I swam on the 8th grade team, my family was actually worried about my health, but I was totally fine. I had abs of steel and beautiful collar bones.
I've started swimming again (just last week!) at my university and I swim about an hour a day 5 times a week. I love it! The only downside is I smell like chlorine all the time now, lol. But other than that, it's great. I can tell it's working because I am so hungry by the time I'm done with my workout.