Swimming: the Best ‘non-weight bearing’ Calorie Burner
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Fitness swimming offers the best aerobic workout with the least amount of joint stress or impact. Pool rats admit to having trouble some days getting up for a workout—but once they jump in the water and get a rush by pushing off the wall and gliding underwater they remember what it is they love about swimming. Depending on your pace, the freestyle and breast strokes will burn up about 570 calories per hour, while a strenuous workout can zap up to 790 calories per hour.
A word of warning though: appetite is partially regulated by body temperature control and since water cools the body much faster than air, studies show that fitness swimming in cold water tends to trigger appetite. So if you feel famished after swimming, consider eating a small protein snack rather than a big meal. You don’t want to wolf down the calories you just spent an hour burning off in the pool.
If you are a non-swimmer, or love the water but aren’t into doing laps, consider joining a water aerobics class where the resistance of the water provides a gentle but effective cardio workout. An aquacise class has great music that everyone enjoys—and you don’t even have to get your hair wet!