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Good reasons to add swimming to your exercise habit
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Swimming is effective for weight loss as it works your whole body, including the muscles in the lower body, upper, core and back. (Shutterstock/File)
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wimming is a cardiovascular exercise that can help lower body fat as a result of its ability to burn a high number of calories, which will help those seeking to lose weight.
Depending on your eating habits, however, the amount of body fat you burn will be affected by how much calories you are consuming in comparison to the amount of workouts you are doing.
Below are some of the health benefits of swimming:
Most effective calorie-burning
As one of the most effective ways to burn calories, an hour of swimming can burn an average of 500 to 700 calories, according to kompas.com.
Swimming stroke style and body weight will also impact on how much calories are burned, as the more you weigh, the more calories you burn.
Read also: Motivate yourself to get back in shape fast, here’s how
Fly like a butterfly
One of the most efficient strokes is the butterfly, burning an average of 150 calories in 10 minutes for an adult weighing 72.5 kilograms. The breaststroke and freestyle stroke are also among the highest calorie-burning styles.
Efficient weight-loss program
For weight loss, it is recommended to swim for at least 30 minutes a day, since the body will burn carbohydrates before getting into fat burning mode after 20 minutes into the exercise.
According to the American Heart Association, swimming for 30 to 60 minutes for four to six days a week will help with weight loss and reduce the risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Swimming is effective for weight loss as it works your whole body, including the muscles in the lower body, upper, core and back. In addition, swimming also makes the heart and lungs work harder to provide the oxygen the body needs.
Read also: 5 things you should know before exercising
Good for the muscles
Swimming also makes muscles stronger and increases muscle mass. This can then increase the metabolic rate so the body can burn more calories.
Low-risk exercise
The aquatic exercise is also a sport with very low risk of injury compared to others, making it a preferable choice for some who are seeking to regularly work out for weight loss.
Do note that it is recommended that you do not eat too much after swimming, which would make losing weight difficult despite regularly exercising.
Your appetite can increase after swimming, especially with the exposure to cold water and you could end up gaining weight because of eating more. This will cause a caloric surplus, where you are eating more calories than you are burning, instead of the deficit that is necessary for weight loss.
It is advised to monitor food and drink intake to ensure you are not consuming more calories after swimming sessions. (liz/kes)
