Swimming is an absolutely awesome sport to lose weight because it requires a great expenditure of energy. One hour of breaststroke at a moderate pace makes you burn 500 kcal! It is a complete sport on all levels: it spares your joints, strengthens your muscles and maintains your cardiovascular system. Swimming to lose weight: simple and effective!
It is not swimming in itself that will allow you to lose fat and refine your body, but above all the energy that you will expend in the water. Swimming is one of the most energy intensive sports ! This can range from 400 calories burned for an hour of “cushy” swimming to 900 calories for a high intensity session.
A gentle sport with a relaxing effect
Unlike other types of sports, swimming is gentler because it does not cause shocks (like running for example), the body being relieved of its own weight by water. The risks of injuries due to the practice of swimming are therefore extremely reduced.
Swimming is necessarily advantageous for people of fragile physical condition who wish to practice a sporting activity. For example, people in obesity status sometimes have difficulties or contraindications to running when swimming is strongly recommended to them.
In addition, themassaging effect of water helps fight cellulite, a major concern for many women. It also contributes to fight against the heavy legs effect what some individuals may feel because of excessive sedentary activity, heat, overweight, age, hormonal imbalances…
After a good swimming session, you feel as relaxed as after a relaxation session. What’s more, we don’t feel heat or sweating as during a usual physical exercise. It also contributes to the interest of this practice.
Endurance and strengthened muscles
The body is solicited as a whole : arms, belly, buttocks and legs are put to the test. Swimming also improves cardiovascular fitness (like any physical activity) and, in apnea, develops respiratory capacity.
Swimming helps to harmonize the silhouette since most of the muscles are solicited during the effort. That said, the most stressed muscles depend on the type of swimming practiced:
- The breaststroke thus focuses on the calves, knees, abs, shoulders, arms and pecs.
- The backstroke is recommended for people with back pain because it gently builds muscle and rehabilitates this painful area.
- the crawlon the other hand, more intense, allows you to burn more calories and to put more strain on the respiratory system and kicking your legs.
Swimming to lose weight, yes but not only!
In sculpting the figureswimming thus represents a pleasant sporting activity but also an ally for slim down gently. If you decide to swim to lose weight, you will burn about 500 calories per hour at a moderate pace. If you change the pace and type of swimming (crawl, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly…), you can even consume 700 to 900 calories in one hour of practice.
Aquatic physical activity is not just about swimming: aquabike or aquagym are very effective alternatives if you want to spend yourself in the waterwithout necessarily swimming to lose weight.
The benefits of swimming on morale
Practicing a sporting activity exerts a beneficial action on morale, if only by the endorphins secreted during exercise. Swimming allows you to let off steam. And you will necessarily rejoice in the personal effort you have made: guaranteed satisfaction and justified feeling of pride.
Swimming even has other virtues on morale: its relaxing effect reduces stress and puts you in a good mood. If you swim outdoors, you enjoy nature (in the sea, a lake or even an outdoor swimming pool), which is also very pleasant. And when it’s hot, what better activity for you than swimming? refresh ?
