How Much to Swim to Lose Weight

Swimming might seem the ideal exercise to shed unwanted pounds, so it may be surprising to learn what often-cited research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows. Is swimming really an effective exercise for losing weight, and how does swimming compare to other forms of exercise as part of a weight loss regimen?

A Great Exercise

Swimming is touted as one of the best exercises to build and tone the body because it involves major muscle groups, as well as having an aerobic and resistance component. Swimming as a means of weight loss, however, involves a closer examination of technique and the effects of exertion, just as in any other sport. Running fast burns more calories than sauntering along, and swimming with a purpose burns more calories than lollygagging in the pool. A thirty-minute moderate workout in the pool would be a realistic ideal.

Calories Burned

Unlike terrestrial sports, swimming engages both the upper body, arm and chest muscles, as well as lower body, trunk and leg muscles to propel the body through the water. Certain strokes, such as the sidestroke, breaststroke or backstroke, burn approximately the same number of calories as a fast walk or a slow jog. A 130-pound person doing one of these strokes burns approximately 240 calories for every thirty minutes of effort. Other strokes such as the butterfly or crawl, because they require more effort and produce a greater speed through the water, certainly burn more calories. That same swimmer, doing the front crawl for thirty minutes burns about 350 calories. But to do the crawl stroke for a half hour is very difficult, even for conditioned swimmers. A good compromise to maintain a realistic intensity level is to alternate between sprints, using the crawl stroke, and a longer, but more moderately paced, interval using one of the less strenuous strokes.

Swimming Can Promote Weight Loss

The total calories expended during a swimming workout, coupled with the effects of resistance for most major muscle groups, promote a reduction in overall body fat and an increase in muscle mass. In an ongoing swimming program the calories burned from the workout and the displacement of fat with muscle can indeed lead to significant weight loss.

Surprisingly, the aforementioned study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that, in their tests, swimmers fared much poorer in weight loss than those engaged in other types of exercise, given the same intensity level. A likely reason for this is the belief that immersion in cold water cools the core temperature and leads to an increase in appetite. This in turn leads to the consumption of more calories after the workout, thereby mitigating the effects of the exercise. By contrast, terrestrial exercisers experience an increase in core temperature during exertion, which may serve to suppress appetite.

Low Impact

Not to be overlooked is the low-impact component of swimming as a means of weight loss. For many people, the stresses on their joints from running, tennis, and many other types of sports may inhibit the amount of time or the intensity they can sustain while exercising. Swimming, as a low-impact sport, imposes no such stress on the joints and permits a more sustained and more vigorous degree of activity. This allows swimmers to more easily reach, and to continue performing at, their calorie-burning potential. Weight loss is a process of burning more calories than you take in, and swimming is an excellent calorie burner.

Comparison to Other Forms of Exercise

Swimming is, unquestionably, a very good exercise. It's aerobic, it's resistance and it's not punishing on the joints. As a weight loss alternative it's likely one of the best forms of exercise, and it can be performed year round, with access to a pool. It does not, however, work the leg muscles as much as land-based exercises do. And, because it's low impact, it's not the best for maintaining bone density.

The best regimen for weight loss is a combination of swimming with walking, jogging, weight lifting or cycling. Be persistent, but patient. If the pounds don't start to disappear, it may be the diet, and not the sport, that's to blame.