Swimming is a form of exercise that provides many benefits. If you are wanting to find an overall healthy way to lose weight and become more fit, you need to find a pool and get wet! Swimming laps several times a week is a great way to burn off some serious calories. But just how many calories burn swimming laps? Well, it really boils down to 4 factors.
Stroke. Freestyle is the most common swim stroke and it is not the hardest but typically allows you to accelerate faster through the water. At your top speed you can easily burn over 700 calories per hour. The butterfly stroke will be much slower but is difficult and requires more energy thus more calories burned in a shorter distance. Hard to sustain but you can again burn over 700 calories per hour. If you like taking it more easy with a long backstroke or a more leisurely freestyle or crawl stroke you might burn close to 500 calories per hour. Dog paddle anyone? Hey even this will burn you about 400 calories per hour.
Speed and efficiency. A faster, more efficient swimmer will burn more calories than a slower or average swimmer. That is more calories per minute or hour, not per lap. Why make that distinction? Well, a somewhat out of control swimmer like myself will definitely spend more energy and calories fighting through the water towards that first lap but how many laps will actually happen? The faster swimmer will do a whole lot more laps and in the end burn more calories.
Effort. You will burn calories just goofing off in the pool. About 400 calories per hour if you are 150 pounds and not taking it too seriously. You can burn over 700 calories per hour when you are pushing it with fast freestyle laps or harder butterfly strokes.
Your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories will be burned because more weight automatically means more effort required as you move through the water.
So it varies quite a bit on the number of calories burned, but does it matter? Swimming is fun fitness for all, and did you know that you continue to burn calories after you get out of the pool? Yes, because there are types of exercise that will increase your metabolism and keep it elevated after you are done exercising. Very cool. Metabolism is the key word here.
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