Mia Lane
Lose weight with swimming? No problem! This is how you swim effectively and the pounds tumble.
Hardly any sport is as effective and yet so underestimated as swimming. It is among the 10 healthiest sports, especially for the heart. With swimming, you can lose weight and at the same time, your condition can be improved in a very short time. It is less important which swimming style you choose – the main thing is that you regularly swim longer laps. But why are water sports so healthy and for whom is jumping into cool water particularly good?
Lose weight with swimming: Calorie consumption at a glance
Since significantly more muscles work when moving in the water than in many sports on solid ground, the body’s energy consumption is correspondingly higher. This means that swimming can be a particularly effective way of training. This is the average number of calories burned by different swimming styles:
- Butterfly Swim: 660 calories per hour
- Breaststroke: 600 calories per hour
- fast crawl: 900 calories per hour
- Backstroke: 520 calories per hour
This information is of course only a rough guide – the number of calories burned depends largely on weight, height, and intensity of training, but also your condition and gender. If you exercise regularly, you will not only feel fitter, but your muscles will also build up. This ensures that the basal metabolic rate of your body increases and more calories can be burned even when you are resting.
These body regions are trained while swimming
Depending on which swimming style you choose, different body regions are activated to different degrees. However, the following applies legs, arms, shoulders, back, and abdomen work well together when swimming and are trained through the movements in the water. And it’s not just the movement itself that leads to good training success – the water resistance means that the body has to expend more force to move forward. This in turn is noticeable when building muscle. It is therefore registered that regular swimming generally makes you stronger.
The temperature of the water also helps with weight loss: since the body has to work to maintain its temperature of 36 to 37 degrees Celsius, additional energy is required. This means that you burn more calories when swimming in cooler water than in very warm water – the effort at the beginning of the training is doubly worthwhile, so to speak. Here, however, it is important to find the right balance: after all, it is not possible to train for so long in cold water. However, the temperature in many swimming pools is ideal for swimming laps.
Another great advantage of water sports: is increased endurance
Is it not easy to jog or cycle longer distances because you lack stamina? Then you can work on your condition while swimming. After an hour in the water, you will feel the exertion, but compared to other sports, the stress is significantly lower. In addition, you sweat significantly less, which for many is a not inconsiderable plus point in water sports.
Positive side effects
- protects the joints during sport
- strengthens the cardiovascular system
- relieves back pain
- strengthens the immune system
- promotes blood circulation
- strengthens the connective tissue
- reduces visible cellulite
- provides a gentle massage effect on the skin
