Swimming For Weight Loss
Cardio exercise is a crucial element of weight loss. Cardiovascular exercises have been shown to help reduce blood pressure and clean up your arteries by increasing HDL (good high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol while lowering LDL (lousy low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood.
We have many cardio types, including cycling, jump rope, power walking, and jumping jacks, to name a few.
One aerobic exercise that is effective in helping an individual lose weight is swimming. While it is never at the top of the list of many, swimming is among the best exercises you can do to obtain a toned and slimed body.
But it is just splashing around. Is it an effective fat burner? When you swim, you use your legs and arms to balance yourself on water and back muscles to push you forward or backward, and this is how you burn calories.
How many calories can you burn swimming?
The rate of burning calories for fuel in the body is call metabolism. This rate increases when you exercise, but its effect depends on different factors such as body composition, gender, and the intensity of the activity.
For instance, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn around 400 calories in one hour of swimming at a moderate pace and up to 700 calories at a vigorous rate.
A person weighing 130 pounds can burn up to 413 calories when swimming moderately and 590 calories when swimming vigorously.
However, those numbers vary from one person to another and depend on several factors, including:
- Swim stroke
- Duration
- Weight
- Intensity
- Swim efficiency
Your burn high numbers of calories when you increase your swimming intensity and cover a longer distance. The freestyle stroke, which is considered the fastest stroke, is more efficient in burning calories, but the butterfly burns the most calories. The butterfly stroke is the hardest swimming stroke and will work your full body. In terms of difficulty levels, the butterfly is the most difficult, followed by breaststroke and then backstroke.
You can blend different stroke styles for maximum results as long as you maintain a specific amount of duration and frequency.
Losing weight swimming
Numerous studies have shown that swimming can help you lose weight. So instead of getting or renewing a gym membership, you can plan for swimming classes at your local swimming pool. Swimming can be an effective way of losing weight because it is an activity you like, and it is less likely that your motivation will wane.
If you are looking to lose weight by swimming, here are some tips to get you started.
Morning is the best time.
Though it doesn’t seem feasible, swimming in the morning turns your body to a fasted state, thus using stored fat for energy. Rather than an early morning run, plunge in the pool and get the same results without muscle soreness.
Swimming is not just a great cardio exercise; it is also an efficient full-body workout that will deliver excellent results quickly.
Enroll in a swimming class
If you don’t know the different swimming styles, it is better to enroll in a swimming class where you will learn from experts. Learning new strokes can allow you to swim at the average pace required to lose weight.
Swim five days per week
For maximum results, consider swimming up to five days per week. For someone to lose weight, they need to be more active, and swimming for four or five days a week will help you get great results.
When it comes to swimming for weight loss, the frequency is the same as with other cardio exercises; therefore, try to swim at least four days per week for tangible results.
Swim faster and harder
During your first days of swimming, you will burn many calories, but as you progress and get used to it, your heart rate will not escalate as before. The solution for this is to start swimming harder and faster to increase the heart rate.
Consider using a fitness tracker to observe your heart rate underwater. A moderate exercise should increase your heart rate by up to 70 per cent.
Start slow
Just as with any other workout, start slow with your swimming exercises. Consider 15 or 20 minutes per day and increase gradually to 30 minutes as you become used to it. If you begin vigorously, then you will suffer from fatigue and muscle soreness, making you stop.
Watch what you eat
Any exercise’s result is determined by what you eat. It would be best if you burned more calories than you consume to lose weight, which applies to swimming.
Even if your goal is to lose just a few pounds, you should make some changes in your diet. Swimming takes a lot of energy, and therefore be careful when adjusting your diet. Make sure you have enough power to fuel your exercise. Additionally, cold water is known for increasing appetite substantially.
To deal with the increase in appetite, add more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet and avoid snacking.
Incorporate water weights
Since you are swimming for weight loss, consider doing some bicep curls using dumbbells between laps. Because water generates sufficient resistance, you can build endurance and strength.
Mix up your routine
Avoid swimming simultaneously and using the same methods every week as your body will eventually get used to it and will not have any effect.
So, switch things up and step out of your comfort zone. Modifying your swimming routine to target and use different muscle groups to gain maximum results.
Swimming vs. cycling vs. running
Swimming, running, and cycling are all forms of cardiovascular exercise, but how do they compare?
Cycling at a speed of 15 miles an hour for one hour can help you burn between 590 and 931 calories, but it will depend on other unique factors. Running on the other hand, at 9 miles an hour for one hour, can help you burn between 649 calories to 1,024 calories, depending on your weight.
In Conclusion
If you are looking to shed some weight but don’t want to go to the gym, swimming is an ideal alternative exercise for weight loss. It is one of the most efficient cardio workouts for weight loss, increase muscle tone, and enhance the health of your heart.
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