Calories Burned While Doing Freestyle Stroke

The freestyle stroke was one of the only swimming events in the rebirth of the modern Olympics, which was held in Athens, Greece in 1896. The freestyle, sometimes called the front crawl stroke, is the fastest stroke in swimming and can either be an aerobic exercise, as in long distance swimming, or an anaerobic exercise, as in short sprints. The freestyle stroke is a very good calorie burner because it requires a total body movement, which includes head, arm, shoulder, trunk, leg and foot movement. The freestyle stroke is used in most swimming competition, but there is no regulation for how to swim the stroke.

Swimmer Body Weight

In terms of the amount of calories burned during exercise, your size matters. A larger swimmer will burn more calories than a smaller swimmer. For example, a 130-lb. person swimming the freestyle stroke for 60 minutes will burn approximately 413 calories, while a 180-lb. person swimming the freestyle for 60 minutes will burn approximately 572 calories.

Swimming Speed

Once you become accustomed to your freestyle-swimming program, you should see improvements in your cardiorespiratory system, which will enable you to swim at a faster pace. For example, a 155-lb. person swimming at a slow pace for 60 minutes will burn approximately 493 calories. The same person swimming for 60 minutes at a fast pace will burn approximately 704 calories, which is about a 43 percent increase in burned calories.

Factors that Affect Freestyle Calorie Burn

The basic human body types are the ectomorph, which is thin, the mesomorph, with heavy musculature, and the endomorph, which is associated with more body fat. Because of dense and heavy musculature, male swimmers with a mesomorphic body type typically have more difficulty floating and often burn more calories when swimming the freestyle stroke. An ectomorphic body type is often good for distance swimming and burning calories. A certified swimming instructor can help you swim the freestyle more efficiently, which will enable you to swim longer and burn significantly more calories.

Swimming Safety

You should receive a medical examination before beginning an exercise program. Swimming is a very enjoyable and rewarding form of exercise, but it can be dangerous if you do not follow important safety rules, including: never swim alone; always swim with a lifeguard present; never dive into unknown water; and never swim when there is lightning or thunder. To design and monitor your progress, a certified swimming instructor should always be present during your swimming session. Your swimming instructor can also help you prevent swimming injuries and encourage you in your freestyle-swimming progress.