swimming as cardio?

[JoBu]

Get yourself a real bike and cycle. It's far more interesting than swimming, great cardio and will increase your leg muscularity considerably.

Cycling CAN be good cardio as long as you don't let yourself cheat by coasting. I think cycling is good to add to the mix if you have the means, but for an entire body toning cardio workout with minimal impact on your joints and spine, you can't beat swimming. Sure, if you are lean you'll bust your ass just trying to stay above the surface, but as your technique improves, you'll become more efficient and find it much easier to put in 30-45min. And it doesn't always have to be freestyle...change it up with a couple laps of breast stroke to let your HR come down if you feel you're working too hard...it's a great interval type workout.

A 155lb person will burn about the following in an hour:

Bicycling, 10-11.9mph, light effort - 422 cal
Bicycling, 14-15.9mph, vigorous effort - 704
Bicycling, >20mph, racing - 1126 cal
Running, 10 mph (6 min mile) - 1126 cal
Running, 6.7 mph (9 min mile) - 774 cal
Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort - 563cal
Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort - 704 cal
Walking, 4.0 mph, very brisk pace - 281 cal
Rope jumping, moderate, general - 704 cal
Aerobics, high impact - 493 cal

Jobu

 

[witkowsd]

You can also add weights to your legs when you are doing laps.

 

[circusgirl]

thanks folks! I can manage an hour in the water as my technique is pretty good. I'd ehard it wasn't as good for cardio as the water meant you didn't use cals coling down but that's obviosuly bullshit from what you posted.

My legs get overtrained quickly if I treadmill/bike every day so looks like I'll be hitting the pool soon.

BTW breaststroke oughta be called no-breast stroke. As the better endowed you are in the chest dept the harder it gets to move forward instead of just up and down....

 

[JoBu]

thanks folks! I can manage an hour in the water as my technique is pretty good. I'd ehard it wasn't as good for cardio as the water meant you didn't use cals coling down but that's obviosuly bullshit from what you posted.

My legs get overtrained quickly if I treadmill/bike every day so looks like I'll be hitting the pool soon.

BTW breaststroke oughta be called no-breast stroke. As the better endowed you are in the chest dept the harder it gets to move forward instead of just up and down....

That's a funny thought...some large-breasted sweetie bobbing up and down in the pool struggling to do a couple laps Actually swimming is a good way to get rid of those things. Most girls I know that swim regularly (especially in competition) don't have a whole lot left in the rack department. An ex of mine used to have good sized breasts...but swam on the team in college

I don't think the the point about cooling down is valid. Your body still generates heat when swimming and you still sweat just as much...it's just not obvious 'cause you're already wet. it's just water removing the heat from your body's surface rather than air. Swimming is great cardio.

JoBu