Is swimming effective cardio?

[gduncanvt]

I'm getting tired of plain old running and looking to switch my cardio workout up. Is swimming a good replacement? Any pointers or swimming workouts you all do for your cardio?

[commi]

swimming is very good, especially on the abs, i dont know if you should replace running in total with it but swimming is a good workout.

[zolaash]

i'm a triathlete and swimming is an amazing way to burn calories and shed fat. if you haven't been swimming and start a regular routine you will see drastic changes in your body composition.

it's difficult to become a strong swimmer but be consistent with your workouts and you should be able to get in a great workout. try and do some HIIT with the swimming instead of just swimming slowly for 45min or so. here is a website with some intro swim workouts:
http://www.trinewbies.com/category.asp?catID=3

hope this helps.

[enieft]

swimming is the best cardio, no impact on joints, and basically injury free. The catch is if you want to get super duper cut you are always going to have a thin layer of fat because of the water temp. I SUCK AT SWIMMING, I can swim about 3 mi's if I need to, but it is incredibly mentally tasking, because it is so boring. I realize that it is about the best exercise you can do however.

If you want to get an awesome workout in do water polo.

As far as triathalons go, I think they are great, but training for them well... Idk. I did a half ironman, and I really didnt train and finished pretty well, but the wear and tear on your body isnt worth it. I basically just do events once in a while, 2 weeks ago I did a half marathon without training and finished 1:40, not bad for someone 220lbs. However I realize this is putting tremendous stress on my body, so I am going to stick with HIIT, and swimming, waterpolo. Basically what I am saying is yes triathalons are good if you are like 130lbs and lanky, but if your bulky, training for them can injure you more. Btw I was going to do ironman WI last year, but crashed my motorcycle and messed my shoulder up, and that put a damper on that, so maybe I am just pessimistic....

[Chad Ludwig]

Swimming is great cardio. And how I lost 15 lbs in two weeks, when I first started working out, I swam almost everyday.

You can also do intervals, or do some laps faster than others.

That's what I would do sometimes, to make it more interesting. I would do 40-60 laps, from one end of the pool to the other. I made the last 5 "speed laps", where I swam as hard and fast as I could. If somebody was there with me, I had them race walk and even jog at the pool's edge to 'race" me, just because it's hard to swim as fast as somebody is moving on land for very long. Just trying to keep up was hard work, left me breathless. My brother did this and he always made sure to go way too fast lol, my girlfriend would also do it but she ussually just walked kinda fast.

It's fun in a video-game-on-a-ridiculous-setting kinda way, or like playing tag as a kid. It's ****ing nerve-racking because you're trying to move very quickly to get away from something or catch something and it's pure adrenaline.

Also, for variety, you can use different strokes as well. Hell, even doggy peddling. And you can add weights for extra resistance.

I kinda miss those days now, well not really I did it for months but swimming does get boring. That, and the water temperature thing + the chlorine isn't really healthy for you at all but still swimming is great exercise.

Maybe if I ever get one of those fresh water pools, without the chlorine or if I ever have access to a lake I would swim again as a form of carido, for now I've done enough swimming for a lifetime.

Swimming can be better than running IMO 'cause there's less stress on joints and everything, like others mentioned. You can even do "waterjogging" where you basically run or jog in the water.