Lifeguard Training near me and Swimming is not only relaxing and pleasant, but also healthy. You build up a better condition by swimming laps and thus also increase your muscle strength. Swimming has a number of important health benefits. Water provides sufficient resistance, so you really have to make an effort.

Swimming puts much less strain on your joints than jogging, for example. This ensures that an hour of swimming, several days a week, gives your body a very good and effective workout, with minimal risk of injury. Perhaps you would like to lose some excess kilos.

How effective is swimming as a weight loss method? How many calories do you burn swimming?

How many calories do you burn swimming? 

The influence of body weight

According to information from the Nutrition Center, it is responsible for men to consume 2500 kilocalories (kcal) daily. For women, an intake of 2000 kcal applies. These are average values ​​and can of course be different for everyone. The extent to which a person burns calories depends on a number of factors. Body weight is one of them. A person weighing 70 kg uses fewer calories by swimming for an hour than someone weighing 100 kg.

How does swimming compare to other activities?

Sports physiologists have different models to measure or calculate exercise and calorie consumption. One of the best known methods is working with the MET value. MET is an abbreviation for Metabolic Equivalent of Task. With the MET value of an activity, a physiologist calculates the energy consumption per minute or per hour and can compare different activities with each other. Each activity has its average MET value.

For example, the MET value of sleep is equal to 0.9 and the heaviest physical exertion has a MET value of 18.0. For lap swimming, you may use an average MET value of 4.8. Jogging has a MET value of 7.0. For cycling and walking, a MET value of 3.6 to 4.0 applies. Swimming laps, at a moderate and steady pace, is considered a physiologically moderately strenuous activity. The MET value of swimming depends on the swimming stroke and how intensively you swim.

Swimming laps in breaststroke

If you swim calmly in the breaststroke, your activity has a MET value of 4.8. This is the same as swimming leisurely laps in backstroke. If you are an experienced swimmer who also swims fast in breaststroke, you can take into account a MET value of 7.6.

How many calories do you burn swimming in breaststroke? We assume a person with a body weight of 75 kg. An hour of swimming in a normal breaststroke burns 417 kcal. If you do it extra fast, you will use almost 600 kilocalories.

Swim for one hour in front crawl

Front crawl is a more intensive stroke than the well-known breaststroke. The MET value of a gentle front crawl is 8.3. Fast swimming equates to a MET value of 9.8, which corresponds to vigorous jumping rope.

Assuming you swim in front crawl for an hour, you burn 650 kcal if you swim at a normal pace. Swimming laps at a high pace burns 772 kcal.

Also Read About: Online Lifeguard Recertification USA

Burn calories with the butterfly stroke

The butterfly stroke is known for its intensity. If you are able to swim for an hour in butterfly stroke, you are probably in very good shape. Physiologists have determined the MET value of the butterfly stroke to be 11.1. A person with an average body weight burns no less than 874 kcal in an hour.

How do you keep swimming laps for weight loss fun and interesting?

Swimming, training and losing weight are best if you also keep it fun for yourself. How about rousing music while swimming? Or you can make it a family activity. Swimming for an hour in the same stroke can get boring after a while. Using multiple strokes while swimming laps still burns plenty of calories and works other muscles at the same time.

Feel free to alternate swimming with an activity such as push-ups or jumping rope. If you start to feel a little hot after a good workout, take a refreshing dip in your own swimming pool.