Bodybuilding Wizard

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • What is Plyometric Training: Definition and Exercises
    • In-Depth Review: Crazy Nutrition’s Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine Formula
    • 8 practical ways to enrich your meals with protein
    • The Benefits of Incorporating Boxing Into Your Workout Routine
    • Trap Bar Deadlift Vs. Barbell Deadlift — Differences and Similarities
    • Barbell vs. Dumbbell Shoulder Press For Shoulder Development
    • Comparison of squats and leg presses – which exercise to choose and why?
    • Barbell Seal Rows: Build a Thicker Back Faster
    RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest Instagram
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Training
      • Weight training basics
      • Advanced bodybuilding
      • Workout programs
      • Home weight training programs
      • Cardio workout
      • Bodybuilding glossary
      • Exercise equipment
      • Weight training accessories
      • Weight lifting injuries
    • Exercises
      • Chest exercises
        • Middle chest exercises
        • Upper chest exercises
        • Lower chest exercises
      • Back exercises
        • Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
        • Upper back (trapezius)
        • Lower back (erector spinae)
      • Bicep exercises
      • Tricep exercises
      • Shoulder exercises
        • Front deltoid
        • Side deltoid
        • Rear deltoid
        • Rotator Cuff
      • Neck strengthening exercises
      • Quadricep exercises
      • Hamstring exercises
      • Calf exercises
      • Tibialis anterior exercises
      • Abdominal exercises
        • Upper abdominal exercises
        • Lower abdominal exercise
        • Oblique exercises
      • Core exercises
      • Forearm exercises
      • Glute & Hip exercises
      • Kettlebell exercises
      • Foam rolling & Stretching
      • Explosive (dynamic) lifts
    • Motivation
      • Videos
        • Motivational videos
        • Funny workout videos
      • Pictures
      • Quotes
      • Funny Fitness
      • Transformations
    • Diet
    • Supplements
    • Anatomy
    • FAQ
    • Health
    Login
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    You are at:Home»Training»Cardio workout»Swimming – Best Low-Impact Cardio Exercise
    swimming for cardio

    Swimming – Best Low-Impact Cardio Exercise

    0
    By krunoslav on February 23, 2018 Cardio workout
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Tumblr WhatsApp

    Swimming – Best Low-Impact Cardio Exercise

    The treadmill, elliptical machine or the stationary bike are all good for cardio, but if you want to break the monotony and change things up, you should try swimming for cardio. If you have a pool or a swimming complex nearby, go for a half-hour swim. Swimming is a low-impact cardio activity that works many muscle groups at once, stretching and strengthening your muscles. In the water, try different strokes and kicks. Swimming is not only good for your heart and muscles, it can also relieve sore joints.

    Is swimming considered cardio or strength workout?

    So what kind of exercise is swimming? Swimming is mainly a cardio activity. Although swimming is easy on the joints, it is not easy on your heart and lungs. It builds your muscles less than other similar activities since the water limits how much your muscle can move, but it is great for people who want a healthy toned body instead of very muscular for aesthetic reasons. It also allows your whole body to exercise including back, arms and legs…and all at the same time!

    What are the main benefits of choosing swimming for cardiovascular training?

    Like rowing, swimming is a low-impact activity that can help you build and maintain aerobic endurance. Most weight-bearing exercises, such as running, exert high levels of stress on the spine. Swimming has practically no impact on spinal struc­tures, as the water is able to support the body relieving stresses on all joints. Swimming may also strengthen the neck, back and core muscles.

    Furthermore, swimming can help you not only develop aerobic capacity but also build muscular endurance in the shoulders, arms, and lower body. That’s due to the fact that the resistance of water is roughly 12 times the resistance of air. Swimming can also help with hip flexibility and strength, which will come in handy for crawling and climbing obstacles. Choosing swimming for cardio is also a great idea for those coming back from an injury and for overweight people who are unable to start running or walking to lose weight.

    What muscle groups do swimming develop?

    Almost every muscle in your body is used in swimming.  However, the primary muscles used are the gluteals, hamstrings, and quadriceps as a result of kicking through the water. The upper-body muscles used in swimming include the deltoids (shoulder muscles), latissimus dorsi (back muscles), trapezius, and rhomboids (mid-and upper-back muscles), as well as the biceps and triceps. In some strokes (e.g., the butterfly), the rotator muscles are involved, allowing the shoulders and arms to get a complete workout in all three planes of the body. The abdominal and back extensor muscles stabilize the trunk to maintain the efficiency of the stroke.

    swimming anatomy
    swimming anatomy

    How many calories do you burn swimming?

    Swimming is a great way to burn calories. It burns calories at a rate of three calories a mile per pound of body weight. If you weight 150 pounds (56 kilograms) and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1.6 kilometers), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour. That is a fairly quick pace, but it gives you an idea of how effective swimming is at burning calories. The efficiency of your stroke technique determines how many calories you are burning. The more effi­cient your stroke is, the fewer calories you’ll burn. When you are just learning to swim, you use a substantial amount of energy through the mechanics of the learning process. Once you have gained proficiency, however, your stroke will he more efficient. At that point you can increase your speed. Doing so will increase your calorie expenditure.

    A lower heart rate – the effect of temperature

    Your heart rates will be significantly slower while swimming than while running or doing any other cardiovascular activity. Don’t be fooled by the lower heart rate response in swimming. Your heart rate is lower in the water because water helps cool the body. Also, the physiological response to working out in a horizontal position in buoyant water decreases the heart rate because the body doesn’t have to fight against gravity. Because of this, you can exercise your body harder but with less fatigue. The lower heart rate during swimming doesn’t mean you are working any less.

    Possible risks

    Swimming is considered a sport with a low risk of injury. Nevertheless, it carries some risks, including the following:

    • Exposure to chemicals (chlorine in the eyes or chlorine inhalation).
    • Overuse injuries. Competitive butterfly stroke swimmers can develop some back pain and shoulder pain from long bouts of training. Breaststroke swimmers can develop knee pain. Freestyle crawl swimmers may develop swimmer’s shoulder—a form of tendinitis.
    • Diving into a submerged object or the bottom of a pool.
    • Exhaustion or unconsciousness.
    • Drowning, arising from adverse conditions overwhelming the swimmer or causing water inhalation.

    Taking the proper precautions can help avoid many, it not all, of the preceding situations.

    benefits of swimming

    Basic guidelines for swimming

    • Maintain a horizontal position using as little energy as possible to displace the most water to the rear. If your feet are dangling, you are effectively trying to shove a body twice the thickness of yours through the water.
    • Keep your stroke or kick narrow. You want to push the least surface of yourself forward by occupying the smallest amount of space. Think: horizontal body, shallow pull, narrow kick.
    • Keep your elbow high at the start so you can pull with your whole arm and not just your upper arm. Closed fingers are more efficient than wide open fingers, which make a larger surface than closed fingers.
    • Take your time. The best swimmers tend to take fewer strokes. Content rate on maintaining a steady pull without losing your attention and letting the water slip by.
    • Relax. Remember the phrase, If you don’t need it, don’t use it. You don’t need neck muscles to swim, so keep your neck relaxed.
    • Think. Keep your attention in the moment.

    Most popular swimming strokes and techniques

    There are a number of swimming strokes and techniques. All are effective styles of swimming for cardio, with the freestyle crawl being the most popular.

    • Backstroke. Minimizes spinal stress and is ideal for patients with weak abdominal muscles.
    • Freestyle. May increase neck and back pain, especially during breathing.
    • Breaststroke. A favored stroke for patients with spine problems.

    Swimming for cardio – closing thoughts

    There is no question, swimming is great exercise. Choose swimming for cardio training. It is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person. In addition to increasing your cardiovascular endurance, you also gain muscular strength as you pull your body through the resistance of the water. This resistance allows you to build strength in your limbs and core with every stroke. Swimming offers a non-impact way to burn a relatively high number of calories in a short amount of time.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
    krunoslav
    • Twitter

    Hey! My name is Petar, and I'm the owner and author of Bodybuilding Wizard. I started this website back in late 2014, and it has been my pet project ever since. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams!

    Related Posts

    The Benefits of Incorporating Boxing Into Your Workout Routine

    Meet the air bike – cardio equipment we love to hate

    Unbreakable Connection Between Sleep and Weight Loss

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    WE ARE SOCIAL
    • Facebook 181
    • Twitter 472
    • YouTube 101
    • Instagram
    RECENT POSTS
    January 31, 2023

    What is Plyometric Training: Definition and Exercises

    9.0
    January 28, 2023

    In-Depth Review: Crazy Nutrition’s Ultimate CRN-5 Creatine Formula

    January 22, 2023

    8 practical ways to enrich your meals with protein

    January 17, 2023

    The Benefits of Incorporating Boxing Into Your Workout Routine

    January 15, 2023

    Trap Bar Deadlift Vs. Barbell Deadlift — Differences and Similarities

    RECENT COMMENTS
    • Justin Dew on Designing your own home gym
    • krunoslav on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • Christina on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • jack on Types Of Whey Protein
    • igtropin on Stiff-Leg Deadlift Technique
    LATEST GALLERIES

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    ABOUT
    ABOUT

    We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiasts and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding on a single website. We strive to educate and inform our visitors so that they can make the correct training, nutrition, and supplement decisions on their own. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality and take you to a whole new level!

    POPULAR POSTS
    April 2, 2014

    Lying Leg Curl Exercise Guide

    February 18, 2019

    Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?

    March 30, 2014

    Workout Frequency

    BODYBUILDING WIZARD
    Bodybuilding Wizard Footer Logo
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    • About
    • Write for us
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Friends
    • Advertising
    Copyright © 2014-2022 BodybuildingWizard. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress. Made with love and lots of caffeine.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?