Why is swimming great for fat loss?

[desiUK]

Hi ALL

Im really confused.

I have always read for gread cardio, you should do Interval training, rather than steady state...is this true?

Therefore why is swimming seen as a great way to lose fat, when if i ever go swimming i could never interval train the way I could on a bike or cross-trainer etc

Thanks

DesiUK

[AnxietyCoachJoh]

Swimming is often touted as one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss. And when you think about it, it seems to make sense.

After all, swimming uses almost all of your major muscle groups. It places a vigorous demand on your heart and lungs. When you swim breaststroke or backstroke, you're burning about the same number of calories as a fast walk or a slow jog. However, swimming does have a reputation for being less effective than other forms of exercise when it comes to losing weight.

[desiUK]

Swimming is often touted as one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss. And when you think about it, it seems to make sense.

After all, swimming uses almost all of your major muscle groups. It places a vigorous demand on your heart and lungs. When you swim breaststroke or backstroke, you're burning about the same number of calories as a fast walk or a slow jog. However, swimming does have a reputation for being less effective than other forms of exercise when it comes to losing weight.

Thanks for the reply, but youve confused me, you say its both effective and less effective?

Also for effective cardio would i have to swim at steady state for over an hour to get results?

thanks

[PeterGibbons316]

Hi ALL

Im really confused.

I have always read for gread cardio, you should do Interval training, rather than steady state...is this true?

Therefore why is swimming seen as a great way to lose fat, when if i ever go swimming i could never interval train the way I could on a bike or cross-trainer etc

Thanks

DesiUK

Swimming burns a lot of calories = a lot of fat loss. It's a full body workout. And you absolutely can do interval type training with it. If you swim balls to the wall every other lap or every 3rd/4th/whatever lap I can promise you that you will feel it just as much as you would on a bike.

Swimming also has the whole "not drowning" thing as additional motivation to really keep you working.

[Tunes]

Yeah swimming is great, the added resistance from the water makes a lot of different muscles work hard and like Peter said you can certainly add intervals of different sorts into the mix.

[cuttnback]

i think for me its my only wise choice due to some disc problems in the back.

just about to start soon.

i think brststroke for me as my shoulders use to hurt doing freestyle.

[rdferguson]

I suppose having your whole body in an environment that rapidly drains heat out of your body would tend to force increased caloric expenditure (that is, unless your body likes to freeze and die). Moving through water is also hard work in and of itself, and being in water has some interesting cardiovascular effects, such as increased max heart rate potential (at least so I was taught back in the day of learning to instruct aqua aerobics) and improved venus return. What impact these effects have on performance/work load/calorie consumption, I'm not sure. But at the very minimum, I think the cold environment rapidly draining heat from your body (as mentioned earlier) would be enough to enhance the fat-burning potential of swimming.

[johnferrignon]

when you do swimming, you move almost all parts of your body.

[ediesto]

i also reckon its good as you dont really notice the discomfort of sweating like running..

[hristostoyanov]

Swimming is a really great way to lose fat BUT if you are trying to get really low percentage of body fat, than swimming is not appropriate for this purpose because there is a thermal way with which the water affects your body and make the last amount of fat really hard to get rid of. So if your looking for good shape - swimming is great way to do it but if you want to get very ripped, you should avoid swimming at the final stage of your weight loss program.

[Ziggy CS]

A Weak Swimmer: Swimming is great for fat loss becuase the weaker the swimmer you are the more resistance you will have to fight in the water.

A Strong Swimmer: Swimming for a strong swimmer is not good for fat lose/exercise because you know how to be streamlined in the water to get the best laps, time, distance , etc.


Bottom Line: The weaker the swimer the more they will benefit using swimming as an exercise. The stronger you are the longer you have to swim to burn the same caolories as a weaker swimer. The better you become the longer you will have to swim.

[jgetbigj]

A Weak Swimmer: Swimming is great for fat loss becuase the weaker the swimmer you are the more resistance you will have to fight in the water.

A Strong Swimmer: Swimming for a strong swimmer is not good for fat lose/exercise because you know how to be streamlined in the water to get the best laps, time, distance , etc.


Bottom Line: The weaker the swimer the more they will benefit using swimming as an exercise. The stronger you are the longer you have to swim to burn the same caolories as a weaker swimer. The better you become the longer you will have to swim.

solution: swim sprints, not some lazy 45 minute boring lap cycle.

[bartwaldon]

Swimming is a really great way to lose fat BUT if you are trying to get really low percentage of body fat, than swimming is not appropriate for this purpose because there is a thermal way with which the water affects your body and make the last amount of fat really hard to get rid of. So if your looking for good shape - swimming is great way to do it but if you want to get very ripped, you should avoid swimming at the final stage of your weight loss program.

Well said :)

[southcoastmedsp]

When you swim breaststroke and backstroke,you are burning about 500 number of calories as a fast walk or slow jog.so, it leads to weight loss.That's why celebrities and professional models use to keep their body in such "photo ready" condition.

[xDocx]

The problem with calculating cal/h is that body weight, intensity and activity must be taken into concideration. You find approximations For activities everywhere and swimming is indeed very time effective. If you tend to slack use a pulse watch.

[proteinman9]

its the best and easy on the joints

[MobiusHeartbreak]

It also really relaxing. I used to do it alot and it helped in both areas

[Iechine]

Hi ALL

Im really confused.

I have always read for gread cardio, you should do Interval training, rather than steady state...is this true?

Therefore why is swimming seen as a great way to lose fat, when if i ever go swimming i could never interval train the way I could on a bike or cross-trainer etc

Thanks

DesiUK


I like to think Im a decent swimmer, and while interval training in the pool is certainly taxing and a killer workout, it can never approach interval training in running or, say, rowing.

The goal of interval training is intense periods of increased heart rates and all of the effects that follow. Doing this in the pool is relatively safe. I'd imagine it could be limiting to someone who doesnt have a lot of hypoxic training because with the higher heart comes the higher need of air and if you're breathing technique sucks its not so good...so forgive the long winded reply, I'd suggest sticking with the cycle for fat loss oriented interval workouts. :)