Swimming for Weight Loss: Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?

Swimming for Weight Loss: Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?

In my 12 years as a personal trainer, I have been asked many times about the impact of different forms of exercise on weight loss.

Today I am answering the question is swimming good for weight loss?

Swimming is a fantastic way to burn calories. Swimming works your whole body and cardiovascular system whilst also carrying a low injury risk. However, relying just on swimming is not a magic solution as weight loss requires a calorie deficit (calories in vs calories out).

That being said, swimming has a bunch of other health benefits, like making you feel happier, improving your heart health, and making you more flexible.

Without further ado let’s take a look at the health benefits of swimming and how it can potentially help with weight loss.

Does Swimming Help You Lose Weight?

In a study comparing swimming and walking at the same intensity and frequency (3 times per week), the swimming group lost an extra 2 pounds and 0.7 inches from their waistline compared to the walking group.

So, if you’re trying to lose weight and haven’t found joy in running, lifting weights, or hitting the gym, swimming could be a great option.

Just like any other workout, swimming burns calories because the water provides resistance.

What’s more, swimming engages every part of your body simultaneously—from your upper body to your lower body and core.

In fact, a study from 2015 discovered that women who swam for 1 hour, 3 times a week, experienced significant reductions in belly fat.

They also saw improvements in flexibility, strength, and even a decrease in cholesterol levels.

So, if you’re looking for a fun and effective way to lose weight, diving into the pool might be the right choice for you!

How Does Swimming Contribute to Weight Loss?

Swimming is a comprehensive workout that engages various muscles throughout your body.

Different strokes, like the butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke, focus on specific body areas.

The butterfly and breaststroke, for instance, work on your chest, arms, and shoulders, while the backstroke targets your abs, back, and quads.

Additionally, since swimming takes place in water, the water’s resistance challenges your body’s strength, requiring you to exert effort.

An added advantage is that swimming is gentler on your joints compared to activities like running or walking.

This reduces the risk of injuries, making it more likely for you to maintain a consistent exercise routine, which is an important under looked factor for weight loss.

How Many Calories Does Swimming Burn?

How many calories you burn while swimming depends on how intense your workout is.

Intense swimming sessions can torch around 800 calories per hour, meanwhile a moderate-intensity swim burns about 400-500 calories per hour.

Keep in mind that individual calorie burn varies and if you’re consuming too many calories this will hinder any potential weight loss from swimming.

Harvard Health state that the number of calories you burn swimming is influenced by your current weight and the intensity of your swim.

Here’s a breakdown:

For a moderate-paced, 30-minute swim, someone weighing 125 pounds might burn 180 calories, while someone weighing 154 pounds might burn 216 calories, and someone weighing 182 pounds might burn 252 calories.
In vigorous 30-minute swimming sessions, those weighing 125 pounds could burn 300 calories, individuals at 154 pounds might burn 360 calories, and those weighing 182 pounds might burn 420 calories.

Getting Started on Your Swimming Journey

Before diving into the world of swimming, your first step is to locate a nearby pool.

Many gyms and community centres provide dedicated times for lap swimming, along with classes like water aerobics and aqua-jogging.

Create a list of facilities in your area with pools, and pay a visit to see which one aligns with your lifestyle and budget.

Prepping Your Muscles for Action

As you embark on this aquatic adventure, begin at a steady pace.

Consider initiating your fitness journey at the gym with muscle-strengthening exercises before hitting the water.

Engage in moves like pull-ups, both assisted and unassisted. Squats, deadlifts and overhead presses are also helpful exercises that transfer well to swimming.

If you find these challenging, seek guidance from a personal trainer to perfect your form.

Dive into Swim Lessons

If you’re a complete beginner, diving into swimming lessons can be highly beneficial.

These lessons, available in private or group settings, cover various strokes, breathing techniques, and valuable tips to maximize your workout.

Navigating Pool Etiquette

Once in the water, it’s important to follow correct pool etiquette.

Different lanes cater to various speeds—slow, medium, and fast. Consult the lifeguard to identify each lane’s pace, ensuring you find the right fit.

When passing someone in front of you, always do so on the correct side.

Practice entering and exiting the pool without creating disruptive waves or interfering with fellow swimmers, avoiding actions like jumping.

Keep your nails trimmed to prevent accidental scratches, demonstrating courtesy to others sharing the swimming space.

What’s the Ideal Swimming Routine for Weight Loss?

Lets take a look at some factors to bare in mind when considering your swimming routine.

If you’re new to using swimming for weight loss, consider beginning with moderate intensity.

When you first dive into swimming, you’ll notice it torches calories like a fitness bonfire.

However, as your swimming skills soar and efficiency improves, your heart rate might not climb as high.

At this point you should try and up the intensity by swimming harder and faster to maintain that heart-pumping action.

You can also consider introducing high intensity interval training (HIIT) into your swimming routine. This is when you have periods of maximum intensity followed by a low intensity rest period (for example thirty second sprint followed by a two minute low intensity recovery swim).

To stay on top of your swimming game, consider donning a waterproof fitness tracker. This nifty device monitors your heart rate while you navigate the water.

Aim for a target heart rate ranging from 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate during a moderately intense workout.

Calculating your maximum heart rate is a breeze—just subtract your age from 220.

With this knowledge, you can fine-tune your swim sessions to ensure you’re hitting that sweet spot for optimal calorie burn and cardiovascular fitness.

You can check out a beginner swimming workout here.

Best Strokes for Maximum Impact

For an effective total body workout, incorporate different strokes into your routine. Each stroke targets the body differently, providing benefits for posture, muscle toning, and strength building.

Butterfly Stroke: This challenging stroke burns approximately 450 calories in a 30-minute session, enhancing flexibility and building upper body strength.
Freestyle: The fastest stroke burns around 300 calories in 30 minutes, toning the stomach, bum, and shoulders.
Backstroke: While burning around 250 calories in 30 minutes, it improves posture and tones various body parts.
Breaststroke: Burning 200 calories in 30 minutes, it’s great for cardiovascular health, strengthening the heart and lungs.

Vary Your Strokes

To keep things interesting and maximise calorie burn, switch up your swimming strokes.

Engage every muscle group by incorporating different swim strokes, such as kicking, pulling, and stroke work.

Use Training Aids and Weights

Incorporate training aids like kickboards and pull buoys to target specific areas of the body.

Introduce resistance training with aqua dumbbells to increase calorie burn and build muscle, making your swimming sessions more diverse and effective.

How Much Swimming to Lose Weight?

The essential factors for weight loss, no matter the workout, are staying consistent and maintaining a calorie deficit.

It’s important to note that diet plays a more significant role in weight loss than physical activity alone.

If your eating habits are unhealthy and you’re relying solely on swimming for weight loss, it might not make a significant impact.

The key is a combination of a well-balanced diet and regular exercise to effectively lose weight.

When it comes to burning calories through swimming, both the duration and intensity of your swim sessions matter. Approximately 500 calories can be burned in an hour of moderate-intensity swimming.

To enhance calorie burn, varying your swimming strokes can be beneficial.

Another helpful tip for maximising calorie burn during swimming is to minimise rest periods.

Swimming for longer durations with shorter breaks keeps your heart rate up, aiding in burning more calories.

List of Swimming Benefits

In addition to swimming for weight loss, swimming has a whole host of other benefits.

1. Swimming is Great Exercise for Your Whole Body

Swimming works your entire body and makes your heart beat faster without being too tough on your body. Win win if you ask me.

Plus, it helps strengthen your muscles, giving them a good tone, and builds up your strength and endurance.

Each different swimming stroke works slightly different muscles, and the water helps by giving a gentle push back.

So, no matter which stroke you do, you’re using almost all your muscles to swim in the water.

2. Swimming is Healthy Inside and Out

When you swim, not only are your muscles getting stronger, but your heart and lungs become stronger too!

Swimmers have roughly half the risk of death compared to inactive people.

Studies also suggest people who swim have less chance of getting sick or having high blood pressure or sugar problems.

3. Pain Relief and Rehabilitation

If you have arthritis, got hurt, or find it hard to do tough exercises, swimming could be perfect for you.

It might even help with the pain or getting better after an injury.

People with stiff joints said they felt better after swimming and doing other water based exercises.

One study showed a reduction in joint pain and stiffness for people who have osteoarthritis.

4. Swimming Could Help With Asthma

If you have asthma, swimming can be a big relief!

The air in indoor pools is a bit wet, which can be great for people like myself who suffer with asthma.

Doing swimming tricks, like holding your breath, could make your lungs stronger.

That being said, talk to your doctor first.

Some studies say swimming might make asthma worse because of pool chemicals.

Whether swimming helps or hinders your asthma seems to vary on the individual.

If you can, find a pool with saltwater instead of the usual chlorinated pools.

5. Swimming for Multiple Sclerosis

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) can also benefit from swimming.

Water allows for the arms and legs to float, thus making exercises easier.

In one study, people with MS felt less pain and felt happier after taking up regular swimming.

6. Swimming Can Burn a Significant Amount of Calories

It’s no secret swimming burns lots of calories.

If you weigh 160 pounds, swimming slowly for an hour burns about 423 calories.

If you swim faster, it’s even more! Imagine, if you weigh 200 pounds, swimming can burn up to 892 calories in an hour!

That’s significantly more calories burnt than activities such as walking or doing yoga.

7. Swimming Improves Your Sleep

Swimming can actually make your nights better.

In a study of older adults who have trouble sleeping, they found that doing regular exercises, like swimming, made people sleep way better.

Almost half of older people have sleep problems, so swimming can be a big help!

So, if you’re wanting to sleep like a baby, swimming might be the perfect choice.

8. Swimming Improves Your Mood

Scientists checked a small group of people with memory problems, and guess what they found?

After swimming for 12 weeks, their mood got better!

It’s not just for people with memory problems; swimming and exercise in general has been proven to boost mood in other people too.

9. Safe for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women and their babies can experience positive outcomes from swimming.

According to a study involving animals, a mother rat’s swimming was found to influence the brain development of her offspring.

This activity might even shield babies from a neurological issue known as hypoxia-ischemia, although further research is necessary to confirm this.

Apart from potential benefits for the child, swimming is an activity suitable for all three trimesters.

Another study indicates that swimming in chlorinated pools during pregnancy does not have any harmful effects.

In fact, pregnant women who engaged in swimming during the early to mid-pregnancy stages had a reduced risk of preterm labour and congenital defects.

It’s important to note that although swimming is generally considered safe for pregnant women, some people may face activity restrictions due to pregnancy complications.

It is advisable to consult with a doctor before initiating any new exercise programs during pregnancy. For those with complications, inquire about activities that are deemed safe.

10. Swimming Without Breaking the Piggy Bank

Good news for your bank account—swimming is an affordable exercise!

Lots of pools have reasonable prices, and many health clubs and leisure centres include swimming pool access as part of their memberships.

Swimming Risks to Keep in Mind

Swimming is generally a safe activity, but like any exercise, it comes with its own set of risks.

If you have injuries or specific health conditions, it’s crucial to consult your doctor before diving into lap swimming.

Before starting any new exercise routine, it’s wise to have a chat with your doctor.

If you have skin issues such as psoriasis, the chlorine in pool water might cause irritation. Your doctor can give you personalised advice based on your health, making them your go-to source for guidance.

Staying Safe While Swimming

Here are some tips to reduce risks and stay safe while swimming:

Choose Designated Swimming Areas: Stick to areas meant for swimming, like pools or sections of lakes marked off with ropes. Whenever possible, opt for spots with lifeguards on duty.
Buddy Up for Safety: If there’s no lifeguard around, bring a friend along when you swim. Having someone with you can make a big difference in case of any unexpected situations.
Consider Swimming Lessons: If you’re new to swimming, consider taking lessons. Organisations like the Red Cross and local programmes offer age-appropriate classes to help you become a confident swimmer.
Sun Protection Matters: If you’re swimming outdoors, make friends with sunscreen. Use at least SPF 15 or higher to shield your skin from the sun. Also, try to avoid swimming during peak sun hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more about selecting the right sunscreen for you.
Stay Hydrated: Even if you don’t feel thirsty, remember to drink water while swimming. Despite the cool sensation in the water, dehydration can still sneak up on you.
Supervise Children Always: Where water is concerned, an extra pair of eyes is important. Children should never be left alone near water. Always supervise them to minimise the risk of accidents, especially drowning.

Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?: Summary

Swimming can indeed be an effective weight loss method if done correctly.

If you’re open to trying swimming, start with low intensity and gradually increase to a high-intensity routine.

Swimming undeniably burns a considerable amount of calories whilst also aiding in building strength, both important elements for weight and body fat loss.

However, relying just on swimming by itself is not a magic solution.

For effective results, combine your swimming efforts with a healthy diet alongside regular strength exercises.

If the gym isn’t your thing, or joint pain keeps you from certain activities, swimming is a fantastic route to fitness.

It offers a superb workout, perfect for shedding pounds, sculpting muscles, and giving your heart a robust workout.

Thanks for checking out Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?

That’s all for today.

Keep pushing.

Speak soon.

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Danny Barrett is a personal trainer and body transformation specialist, but most of his clients come for his terrible jokes. Here’s how he’s spent twelve years helping people to burn fat without crazy workouts or restrictive diets.