Swimming is a good way to work your heart and muscles, as well as promote weight-loss. The amount of weight you will lose by swimming will depend on several factors, such as your current weight, diet and the amount and intensity of your exercise routines. Slow, steady weight-loss is best, and swimming can help you reach your health and fitness goals. Ask your doctor before you begin a swimming routine.
Aerobic Workout
The recommended amount of aerobic activity for healthy adults is 2.5 hours each week, and swimming is one form of this type of exercise. It raises your heart rate and works your major muscle groups, and a 200-lb. adult can burn up to 637 calories in 1 hour of swimming laps. If you do not have time to swim for an hour, you can break your workout up into 10-minute segments and still receive the benefits from the exercise.
Strengthening and Resistance
Strength-training is another important component of losing weight, and swimming can build and tone your muscles as well. Rather than lifting weights, moving your body through water provides its own resistance, which can help strengthen your muscles. Try to push or pull the water away from you with your hands as you propel your body forward. Additionally, healthy adults should do two to three strength-training sessions a week, and a personal trainer can give you suggestions for exercises that complement your swimming routine.
Additional Benefits
Swimming can be a good workout for you if you are obese, have injuries or joint problems or suffer from other kinds of pain that make exercising on land difficult. Being in water takes the pressure off of your joints, bones and muscles, and it is unlikely that you will cause an injury to your body while swimming or doing other aquatic workouts. Since swimming burns calories without causing you pain, it can provide you with the motivation to stick with your workout and keep losing weight.
Considerations
You will need to burn off 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. of fat, and this can be done with a combination of diet and/or exercise. Ideally, you should aim to lose 1 lb. a week by working out and eating healthy foods, though it is possible to lose weight more quickly than this. Discuss your weight-loss goals and plans with a health care provider and ask for advice on how quickly you should be losing weight.
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