Did you know that swimming burns more calories than walking? The practice brings many benefits to have a healthier life, keep the body healthy and, above all,to lose weightin a pleasant and healthy way.
It is no wonder that it is one of the most popular sports in the world, being practiced by all age groups, from children to the elderly, with no contraindication for the practice.
Exercising in the water works better than some other low-impact activities. It is suitable for those who are in a hurry to lose weight, but cannot stand the physical wear and tear of very intense activities. As well as people who are at risk of injury, as there is no direct impact on the joints, causing only the impact of muscle understanding.
The pool routine improves physical conditioning, and many other skills, such as motor coordination, respiratory control, balance and others, are suitable for everyone, especially for those who have respiratory problems.
Swimming can help you lose weight and also gain muscle mass. And, of course, it collaborates with the practitioner’s good form as it is a complete physical activity.
benefits of swimming
- Weight loss with regular practice
- Improvement of respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis
- Muscle gain (legs, arms, abdomen)
- fitness gain
- Low impact on joints (suitable for the elderly and in the treatment of fibromyalgia)
- Improves heart health
- Longevity
But remember, swimming and its benefits will only be indicated for people who perform the swimming technique correctly and a good training model. Check out some freestyle swimming techniques here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqgjMa2YJTs). Remembering that each swim collaborates with a different type of musculature, being essential to practice regularly the 4 strokes, Crawl (freestyle), Back, Chest and Butterfly. In this article, we mention the Crawl (freestyle) swimming because it is the most practiced.
Is it possible to calculate how many calories swimming consumes?
Yes, it is possible to have a general basis to find out how many calories swimming consumes, but there are tests carried out by physical education professionals that give us more reliable parameters.
Check out:
Here is a table for the “APPROXIMATE” calculation of your water activity:
Freestyle, fast and vigorous effort
9.9 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
Freestyle, slow and moderate effort
8 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
General back
8 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
General Chest
9.9 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
Dolphin (Butterfly)
11 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
Fast Crawl (~70m/min)
11 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
Slow Crawl (~50m/min)
8 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
leisure swimming
6 x Practitioner’s weight (kg) x Activity time in min. /60min
Table:www.cdof.com.br
Ex. A 70 kg person who swims Crawl at a slow intensity for 50 minutes will have an approximate expenditure of 466 kcal. (8 x 70kg x 50min / 60min) = 466.66 kcal.
Benefits of water aerobics
water aerobics isa physical modality where the “absence” of gravity reduces the risk of injuries, providing the practitioner with well-being and that he will not feel the sweat in his body because of the water that is constantly hydrating. Hydrogymnastics is a modality suitable for everyone, precisely because there are no contraindications. It is usually a modality practiced mainly by elderly people, who already have their joints or muscles weakened. Water aerobics abruptly reduces joint impact, achieving muscle strengthening.
There are different types of water aerobics, conventional water aerobics, which is performed to gain motor skills and fitness water aerobics, capable of achieving up tomuscle hypertrophy (hypertrophy link).
Check out some benefits of practicing water aerobics
1. Weight loss
Performing water aerobics on a regular basis, at least 2 times a week, favors weight loss, since during the exercise it is possible to burn up to 500 kcal per hour, but remember, this depends on the intensity and duration of the class. .Check out a diet to lose weight quickly and in a healthy way (link to recipe tips).
2. Improved circulation
Water aerobics helps to improve circulation due to the muscle compression factor and aerobic exercise, which results in an improvement in the functioning of the heart and, consequently, improves blood circulation.
3. Improved breathing
The exercises performed in the water aerobics class make the person have to take deeper and more controlled inspirations.
4. Muscle strengthening
Water aerobics helps to strengthen the muscles due to the muscle contraction and overload that the water generates, which also helps to improve flexibility and strength as the activity is performed frequently.
7. Increased motor coordination
The exercises performed in the water aerobics class should be done in a coordinated way involving the opposite arms and legs, which increases the ability of motor coordination.
8. Preservation of the joints
Water aerobics is an ideal activity for people who cannot overload their joints with direct impact, being ideal for those who suffer from arthritis or osteoarthritis, for example.
10. Promotion of well-being and socialization
As this activity causes little or no muscle soreness after classes and still allows for socialization, it’s great for feeling good and healthy.