Swimming better for fitness than weight loss
While swimming is great for fitness and muscle tone, it’s probably not the best choice if weight loss is the main aim, exercise physiologist, Andrew Cate, has told the ABC Health program.
“If you want to lose weight, you’re better off walking around a pool than swimming in it,” Mr Cate says.
“From a fat loss perspective, swimming has some real negatives compared to other forms of exercise.”
One of the problems is buoyancy. Someone with more body fat will actually burn fewer kilojoules swimming than someone who is slimmer (all other things being equal).
Temperature is another possible issue. It’s usually easier to maintain normal body temperature during and after a swim, compared to exercising on land, he says.
Finally, it is quite likely you will eat more after a swim. All this doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight swimming, just that it will be more difficult to do so than with most other land-based exercise (except cycling, which like swimming, is not weight-bearing).
But, swimming is still great exercise and certainly better for fat loss than sitting on the couch. And it’s ideal for people with injuries or for those who carry so much weight that they find walking painful.
If you’re watching your weight and love swimming, “incorporate it into your program, just don’t rely on it exclusively,” Mr Cate says.
“Do a walk and then finish off in the pool or do it on alternate days [to your land-based exercise] because it will use different muscles.”
