On the surface, water polo and swimming seem only to share water in common. Swimmers travel in a straight line and water polo players switch directions continuously. Seven players team up against the opposition in water polo, but except for relays, swimmers go it alone during races. Despite the obvious differences, the two sports do have similarities.
Aerobic Exercise
Both swimming and water polo are excellent forms of aerobic exercise, forcing your to use every major muscle group. Swimming can involve long slow laps or short fast sprints and water polo requires treading water continuously mixed with short bursts of fast swimming. Water polo is like a long aerobic workout with short sprints worked in at random. Water polo games last 40 minutes with 32 minutes of active play, but workouts can last longer. Swimming races can be finished in as little as 40 seconds, but fitness swimmers typically spend one to two hours during a workout. You burn 817 calories swimming fast freestyle for one hour if you weigh 180 lbs. Playing water polo for one hour also burns 817 calories.
Swimming Technique
Most lap swimmer use freestyle or the front crawl, and water polo players use a variation of the same stroke. Players might take a few strokes with their heads under the water when they start a group surge against the opposition, but usually swim "Tarzan style," with their heads over the water. The high-head style allows players to keep track of the action and to cradle the ball with their arms and chest while moving forward.
Low Impact/High Contact
Both water polo and swimming take place in water's buoyant atmosphere. Your ankles and knees propel you without feeling the weight of your own body on them. Swimming is a low-impact exercise suitable for people of all ages and abilities. Water polo might free you from gravity from the waist down, but you raise your hands above the water every time you catch, pass or throw the ball. Low-impact does not equate to no-contact in water polo. Shoving, pulling and occasional grabbing underwater is part of the game in water polo, but the result of poor navigation or manners in swimming. Water polo players have suits specifically designed to prevent competitors from pulling or grabbing hold of them. Swim caps cover the heads of swimmers and polo players alike and protect the ears of polo players with specialized ear inserts.
Team Spirit
Water polo is a team sport whereas swimming is an individual sport, even though most competitive swimmers belong to a team. Water polo is a game as well as a sport, but in swimming, the only game is speed.
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