Pregnancy and Fitness
Body Shape
Stretching/Flexibility
Injuries/Rehab
Sports & Activities
Strengthening and Toning
Cardiovascular
Get a personal diet plan
Is swimming a big calorie burner?
I do water aerobics three times a week and swim 60 laps a day. But my personal trainer has told me that to lose weight more quickly, I should do aerobic workouts on the treadmill or in a class instead of exercising in the water. My water aerobics teacher has said my personal trainer is wrong, and that water workouts are great for weight reduction and toning. Who is right?
For example, the majority of studies that have focused on calorie burning and weight loss have indicated that recreational swimmers tend to lose less weight through swimming rather than through other forms of aerobic exercise. However, an American study done in 1993 for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ, looked at the calorie-burning potential of swimming and found that, in a given amount of time, champion swimmers burn about 25% more calories swimming all-out than champion runners do when running all-out.
The message seems to be that elite swimmers burn a good amount of calories but the rest of us don’t use as much muscle power and don’t have efficient form. So what can you do to increase the calorie burn of swimming workouts short of qualifying for the Olympics? Push yourself to improve technique and mechanical efficiency. By doing this, you are likely to go further, faster, swim for longer periods of time and burn more calories while you're at it.
You should also do whatever kind of exercise you like. If you enjoy your water workouts, why give them up? You're definitely going to burn more calories getting to the pool three times a week than if you make up excuses for missing a land-based workout you find boring. However, if you're not seeing the results you hope for, try mixing up a variety of activities and exercise intensities. For example, one day you can do your usual water routine and the next day, try a brisk, hilly, challenging walk on the treadmill.
Why not chat to other iVillagers about swimming on the Shaping Up message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:
Delicious
Digg
reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Horoscopes| Message Boards | Quizzes | Newsletters | Join
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB
