Cardio

[keelyj]

I used to go to the gym for cardio, i.e. I used to do 10 minutes on the cross trainer, 10 minutes walking on a running machine at 6mph on its steepist incline and 10 minutes on the stepper and then I would start on weights. However, recently I have put on weight which I think is due to the amount of wine I have been drinking! Now I'm cutting that out and trying to eat sensibly but I want to know, is 50 minutes of swimming as good as the cardio I was doing above because I much prefer swimming? I do breaststroke and do 50 lengths of a 25 metre pool. I don't swim really fast, but I'd say I swim at a medium pace. I swim in the slow lane and am usually one of the fastest.

 

[Gymgurl]

I have heard that swiming is not a good form of cardio becasue most of us can't swim as well as we wouldn need to to make it qualify...BUT I'm not positive. I read this in Womens Muscle and fitness i think

 

[badgergrl]

It's probably better than nothing, but I don't think your heartrate gets nearly as high as say running on the treadmill.

 

[Sassy69]

In college I used to do 30 laps every nite and it definitely helped me drop some weight, however it was probably more helpful in stress relief. I found it to be very relaxing w/ the controlled breathing, being in the water, etc. Even at my best pace, I never found it to be as aerobically productive as a good HIIT session. It isn't weight bearing, but that can also make it a non-impact form of exercise which is nice if you do have issues.

Here's a little excerpt from bodybuilding.com about swimming as a form of cardio:

But, swimming does have a few disadvantages, though. First, it is not particularly convenient if you don't own a pool or live near water. It's not like walking where you can walk out of your house and just do it. For maximum effectiveness you have to know how to swim, which can take a long time to learn properly. It is also a non-weight bearing activity and will not contribute to bone density, as other weight-bearing exercises such as running will.

Also, swimmers tend to carry more of their bodyfat subcutaneously (under the skin). This is the body's reaction to training in water. Because you are constantly losing heat to the water, the body will try to protect against this by increasing the insulation near the skin (fat). If you are trying to get very lean, regular swimming is not the way to go, though it is okay for occasional use.

 

[Tomer]

I agree with Sassy... I used to be a competitive swimmer in high school and a bit of university. While its great for fitness... I tent to think of my swimming as my 'relaxation' phase... its a great form of cardio for those that are injured as there is no pounding pressure , like in running.

A lot of really good swimmers can get away with more fat, this is true... take a look at the top level swimmers... and then take a look at the top level 200 m runners... VERY big difference in body shapes and fat %.

When I was swimming, I certainly got my heart rate up, but I agree, unless you are doing some serious swimming training, its hard to get that interval training like you do in running.

i don't think breastroke is going to cut it for fat loss. if you have to do 10 x 100 m butterfly on a certain interval with sprints in between, breathing every 3, 5, 7, 9... and thats only a fraction of the workout... then yes, I think its a good workout... but if all you can manage is medium paced breastroke then no I don't think its a good from of cardio.

For me, and I've just added swimming back in, I find it as a way to stretch out my muscles and a break from the impact exercises , I still try and do the odd interval set. but in no way am I including the swimming as part of my cardio workout