Swimming: The Ultimate Calorie Burner

Swimming is an aquatic sport that burns an incredible amount of calories. In addition to a full-body workout, swimming also sheds fat, builds strength and increases endurance. The best part about swimming is that it’s safe for almost everyone. Pregnant women enjoy this activity, as well as older adults. 

Let’s learn more about why swimming is such a huge calorie burner and how many calories you can expect to burn in a single swim session. 

What Makes Swimming a Great Calorie Burner? 

Swimming is one of the best workouts. Period. It helps burn fat, shed weight, improve strength and promote overall health. It’s also low impact, making it a great option for people who are recovering from injury.

The reason why swimming is so beneficial is because you are constantly working against the water. Every move you make, you’re pulling against the resistance of the water and burning more calories in the process. What’s great is that you don’t even realize you’re doing all this extra work because swimming is fun and engaging. And, as you swim, you build muscle that will help you burn more calories throughout the day. 

How Many Calories Does Swimming Burn?

Every person is different, but we’ll look at general numbers. On average, swimming for just one hour a day can burn 500-550 calories. This is around the same amount that you’ll burn when biking for an hour and more than skating, playing frisbee, surfing, kayaking or hiking. 

There are a few things that determine how many calories you can burn when swimming, such as:

• Your body. People who are larger tend to burn more calories because they expend more energy.
• How fast you swim. You need more energy to swim fast, so you end up burning more calories. 
• Your swim stroke. Using a technical stroke like the butterfly requires a lot of output, burning more fat. 

Incorporate More Swimming Into Your Life 

It’s clear that swimming is beneficial to your overall health and wellness. In your community, you may have options for public swimming pools, such as at a local gym, health club or park district. However, we understand if you’re not too keen on dealing with public facilities, strict rules, limited hours and lots of other people. It may be time to invest in a swimming pool of your own. 

Paradise Pools is happy to meet with you and explain the benefits of owning your own pool. We have solutions for all budgets, ranging from economical vinyl liner pools to the customizable gunite swimming pools. With long-term physical and mental health benefits, this is one investment that will improve every aspect of your life. Contact us today for a free quote.