Swimming is something a lot of us enjoy on holiday – a splash in the pool to cool down or a quick dip in the gorgeous blue sea. But when it’s taken seriously, swimming is a fantastic way to blast through calories and potentially help with weight loss. Add in the fact that it can be a lot more fun than pounding away on a treadmill for hours and it could be that swimming is the new exercise for you. So, let’s get into the numbers and see how many calories a speedy swim could burn off.
Which stroke burns the most calories?
The champion at blasting calories is the difficult-to-master butterfly stroke, with its forceful propelling method torching around 770 calories per hour (for an average person of around 11 stone/70kgs). However, it’s unlikely anyone would manage an hour of the demanding stroke, because you’d need excellent fitness, flexibility and technique to keep up the speed required.
How does it measure up to other exercise?
Swimming isn’t always thought of as the best way to work off excess food, but it’s more effective at burning calories in an hour than many traditional workouts. The good old jog lags behind at around 400 calories and even a torturous spin class only burns around 480 calories. Kick-boxing gets through roughly 580 calories and a really intense rowing session can use up 680 calories. Only running up flights of stairs beats swimming, getting through a remarkable 852 calories per hour (we’re not sure anyone would be mad enough to try that, though).
What other benefits are there to swimming?
Even if you’re not worried about burning calories, swimming has loads of health benefits. Virtually anyone can do it, even if you have joint, mobility or weight problems that make traditional exercise difficult. It’s a fantastic way to improve fitness and your vital heart and lung health, while also reducing your risk of chronic, dangerous illnesses like heart disease, type two diabetes and a stroke.
Doing laps not your thing? There are lots of classes such as aqua fit or aqua Zumba available, so you can still get fit in the water. If you’re not a confident swimmer, there are lessons available across the country for all abilities including total beginners. Being a strong swimmer could even save your life one day if you ever find yourself in an unexpected emergency in the water.
