Does Swimming Make You Lose Weight?
Doctors are split on the benefits of swimming for those trying to lose weight. Some see limited benefits. Others believe swimming is one of the best exercise options available for weight loss.
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Benefits
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Swimming burns calories, which leads to weight loss, and tones the whole body. Swimming is also a low-impact, inexpensive exercise, which means that pregnant women, the elderly and anyone recovering from a serious injury can use the sport as means of healthy exercise, which promotes weight loss.
Misconceptions
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Popular belief says swimming is a great weight loss exercise. A 1987 study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, though, found that swimmers tend to be hungrier after their workouts than most other athletes and compensate by eating more, sometimes too much.
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Considerations
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Swimming uses leg muscles less than most land-based exercises. The leg muscles are the largest in the human body, and exercising larger muscles maximizes the number of calories burned.
Doctors agree that any exercise is better for the body than no exercise. As such, swimming is a well-established weight loss option even if it's not as progressive as some more intense exercise.
Types
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Workout intensity has a direct correlation to a person's metabolic rate, which is the rate at which the body burns calories. Higher intensity workouts put more stress on the body, which uses its food supply to heal. Lower intensity workouts do not increase the metabolic rate as much. Long-distance swimming is a low-intensity exercise, but swimming short distances at top speed is a somewhat more intense workout.
Warning
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Swimming in lakes, rivers and oceans can be hazardous. Rough waters and swift currents can lead to drowning. Be sure to swim with others nearby and never swim after consuming alcohol.
Potential
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Swimming burns more than 300 calories for 30 minutes of exercise. Therefore, it has the potential to serve as the backbone of a good weight-loss plan. The key is to avoid overeating after a workout.
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References
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons/Robert A. Whitehead
