Contents
Find out how many calories you can burn by swimming and what type of swimming is the most effective for burning calories.
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Introduction
Swimming is an excellent way to stay in shape and is often used as a form of cross-training by athletes. But how many calories does swimming actually burn?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including the intensity of your swim, your weight, and the type of stroke you are using.
Generally speaking, you can expect to burn anywhere from 50 to 500 calories per hour when swimming.
How Many Calories Does Swimming Burn?
Swimming is a great workout because it’s low-impact and easy on your joints, but it’s also an excellent way to burn calories. In fact, swimming can burn more calories than running. Here’s a look at how many calories swimming can burn, based on your weight and swimming intensity.
Breaststroke
Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the arms are moved in a sweeping motion along with the legs. It is considered one of the slower swimming styles, but it is also one of the most efficient. Breaststroke is often used in long-distance swimming events because it uses less energy than other strokes.
How many calories does breaststroke burn?
Breaststroke burns more calories than any other stroke, making it a great choice for those looking to lose weight or tone their muscles. A 155-pound person can burn 266 calories in 30 minutes of swimming breaststroke.
Backstroke
Swimming is a great exercise for people of all fitness levels. It’s a non-weight bearing activity that is easy on the joints, and it provides a great cardio workout. Swimming also has the added benefit of working all of the muscles in the body, making it a great total body workout.
But how many calories does swimming actually burn? That depends on a few factors, including intensity level, stroke type, and body weight.
At a moderate intensity level, swimming backstroke can burn anywhere from 210 to 311 calories per half hour for a person weighing 125 pounds. For someone who weighs 155 pounds, that number increases to 262 to 394 calories burned. And for someone who weighs 185 pounds, moderate intensity backstroke burns 313 to 477 calories in 30 minutes.
Butterfly
Swimming is a great way to burn calories and get in shape, and butterfly is one of the most effective strokes for doing so. According to Shape, swimming butterfly burns around 450 calories in 30 minutes for a person weighing 155 pounds.
Freestyle
Swimming is a great way to get your heart rate up and to burn calories. According to HealthStatus, a 125-pound person burns approximately 200 calories in 30 minutes of freestyle swimming. If you weigh 155 pounds, you’ll burn around 244 calories in the same amount of time, and a 185-pounder will burn around 288.
Conclusion
In general, swimming burns more calories than walking or running because it works your entire body. However, the number of calories burned depends on several factors, including your weight, swimming stroke, and intensity. You can burn anywhere from 200 to 400 calories per hour when swimming.