Does swimming burn a lot of calories

Compared to running, which can be stressful, you get very little strain with swim. But does swimming burn a lot of calories compared to running?

Why is swimming good for weight loss?

Compared to running, which can be stressful, you get very little strain with swimming. Therefore, swimming is ideal for weightloss and those who have trained little or nothing before. In water, fat floats and muscles sink, which means that those who want to lose weight more easily float in the water.

Low load means that the risk of injury is minimal, so there is no excuse for not pushing yourself when you swim. By moving fast with the water as resistance, you will burn fat and build muscle, a crucial combination for losing weight. More muscles will again lead to you naturally wanting to burn more, even when not exercising.

What are the best swim strokes for weight loss?

Not all swim strokes burn the same amount of calories. Although it can be tempting to choose breaststroke at an easy pace, it is recommended to vary between other swims and increase the intensity.

Not all swim strokes are equal

Swimming crawl and backstroke is more like running with moderate to fast intensity, making it easier to lose weight and build muscle.

Swimming requires working on all the major muscle groups, from your arms through your core and legs. By including breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle, you can train all your muscles in different ways during a single workout.

How many calories do you burn swimming?

Swimming, in general, is an impressive way to burn calories. How much you burn depends on the type of swim you choose, your body weight, and the intensity with which you swim.

Harvard Medical School estimates that you can burn the following with 30 minutes of swimming in different types of swimming:

• a 125-pound woman can burn about 180 calories
• a 155-pound woman will burn roughly 223 calories
• a 185-pound woman will burn roughly 266 calories

But if you turn up the heat and increase the intensity during the 30 minutes, the calorie burn increases:

• a 125-pound woman can burn about 300 calories
• a 155-pound woman will burn roughly 372 calories
• a 185-pound woman will burn roughly 444 calories

As mentioned, the type of swimming you choose has a significant impact on how many calories you burn. While a 70 kg woman burns approximately 372 calories in 30 minutes of breaststroke, the same woman will burn close to 409 calories in 30 minutes of butterfly.

Do you burn more calories swimming or running?

You can burn more calories while swimming compared to running. If you run at a speed of 10 miles per hour, you will probably burn as many calories in 30 minutes as you would when swimming. If you run slower, you will probably burn more calories while swimming, depending on your choice of swim.

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