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How to use swimming to burn body fat? Although swimming has existed for centuries; however, still for burning body fat, many people ignore it. Instead, people go with options like running or strength training to lose weight. But to the world’s surprise, swimming is a proven exercise for muscle toning and fitness.
Swimming is an aerobic exercise that burns body fat when done daily. Most people splash in the pool just for fun. However, swimming tones your body and reduces your waistline when done as an exercise. During swimming, you use your arms, legs, and back muscle to swim. Thus, it is a sensational way to tone your overall body.
Besides, if you are burned out on other cardio exercises like walking or jogging, swimming is the best alternative for you. Also, swimming is comfortable on your joints and a great way to rehab when you have injuries. This article focuses on making swimming a proven exercise to burn calories and adding swimming to your workouts to burn body fat.
How to Use Swimming to Burn Body Fat?
Swimming is a cardiovascular exercise; therefore, like other cardiovascular exercises, it burns calories. However, the significant difference when you swim is you must overcome water resistance. Thus, it challenges your muscles more than other cardiovascular exercises. In addition, when you swim, it tones your upper body, lower body, and core simultaneously. In short, swimming is a full-body workout.
Studies show that swimming the breaststroke for 30 minutes burns 367 calories, whereas swimming freestyle burns almost 404 calories. The factor that determines the number of calories burned for an exercise is the intensity, frequency, and duration of an activity. Swimming burns fat faster by incorporating more muscles with water resistance at a faster pace.
Swimming includes factors like the buoyancy effect and lower temperature of the water that boost weight loss. So, from that, we can see how swimming burns body fat quickly.
Calories Swimming Burns
Swimming is a full-body workout. However, swimming exercises specifically target your core, including butterfly kicks (oblique) and flutter kicks (lower abs). Research shows that women who swim three times a week burn more fat than those who don’t swim.
Besides, the amount of fat you burn depends on factors like the intensity of your workout. For example, swimming burns 800 calories in one hour. Therefore, it is advised to swim at least three times a week for an hour to shed three or four pounds. On the other hand, if you swim with less intensity for half an hour, you still burn 250 calories.
Therefore, when you want to lose stomach fat, swim regularly. It is recommended to swim for at least 2.5 hours every week to reach your target. Following a suggested swimming workout guarantees you reach your target goals fast. But you must keep in mind that the number of calories you burn through swimming depends on your weight and swimming skills.
Swimming Workout
For many people, swimming is not one of the best exercises to lose belly fat. But you cannot ignore its powerful result for weight loss. Although you burn fat by swimming, however, you need to use the proper technique to get results fast. Let’s have a look at the steps included in swimming to burn body fat:
● Current Level of Activity
When you swim to lose weight, the first step is to analyze your activity and ability level. The good news is, even a mediocre swimmer can burn stomach fat quickly. However, the one thing to keep in mind is to stay safe. To increase the efficiency of your swimming, work out with a partner. Finally, know your limits before diving into the water.
● Warm-Up
Because you are not swimming to play, but as an exercise, you need to warm up before you get started. It helps to stretch your muscles to increase blood circulation and get your body ready for strenuous activity. There are different ways to warm up as a beginner; you can walk through shallow water for 15 minutes. If you are an advanced swimmer, you can try water yoga to warm up.
● Swimming
Once you are done with your warm-up, swim for at least 30 minutes or up to your limit. In case you are a beginner and feel exhausted after 10 minutes, don’t worry. Start slowly and then increase your exercise session over time to maximize your fat-burning potential. You can also do butterfly strokes, freestyle strokes, breaststrokes, or even doggie paddle around the pool for better results. It’s not the type of exercise, but your constant movement and water resistance burn body fat.
● Cool Down
After your swimming session is completed, it’s time to cool down. Never ignore a cool-down period, as it helps your muscles recover and decrease the level of lactic acid buildup in your muscles. Use warm-up exercises to reduce your heart rate to its regular rhythm for a cool-down.
Finally, it is advised to pair your swimming with a healthy diet to restrict calorie intake for better results. Thus, it is guaranteed to boost the fat-burning process. The food you eat is measured in calories. The exercise you do is measured in calories. The fat on your body is measured in calories. Therefore, burning body fat is about reducing and limiting calories by any healthy means necessary. Your body needs calories to store fat and build muscle. The last place your body wants to burn calories is from your stomach, but it will burn stomach fat for calories when it has no other choice.
Best Swimming Styles for Fat Burning
Most people, especially beginners, do not know about the calories of different swimming styles. Each swimming style provides additional benefits and works many muscles. However, the number of calories burned depends on the muscles used while swimming. Therefore, the best technique is to alternate your swimming styles to avoid boredom and burnout.
The top four best swimming styles for fat burning are:
1. Freestyle
Freestyle can work for your core. Therefore, it can tone your shoulders and back muscles. Also, freestyle swimming burns a considerable amount of stomach fat and defines your abs quickly. Consequently, it is the best style when performed correctly to burn body fat.
2. Butterfly
The butterfly is one of the most influential and demanding swimming styles to burn body fat. It can work the entire body. In this style, swim with your chest. It is the most challenging technique, but it can help to build stronger muscles.
3. Breaststroke
Another premium swimming style to burn belly fat is breaststroke. It is a popular recreational style where you can also swim at slow speed and comfortably. In swimming class, the first method beginners learn is freestyle or breaststroke. It is also referred to as frog stroke.
4. Backstroke
Backstroke is the last style in the list of four swimming styles used in competitions. It is the only style where swimmers have to swim on their backs. It comes with the benefit of comfortable swimming. The more comfortable the body feels, the less body fat it burns, and the less muscle it builds. The purpose of any exercise is to solicit a response from your body. The best thing about the backstroke is that it allows you to swim longer.
Tips for Swimming to Burn Body Fat
No matter your swimming goal, whether you want to burn fat or build muscles. Swimming can help you attain both of these goals. There are various best strategies for fat loss. Below are some great tips for swimming to lose weight:
- To increase the fat-burning process, swim before eating breakfast in the morning.
- Swim with a higher intensity and duration as it can speed up fat burning. In addition, it will burn more calories.
- For burning fat, the swimming technique is essential. Therefore, it is recommended to join a swimming class to learn the technique and weight loss swimming workouts.
- Instead of using the same swimming routine, change up your swimming routine and style. It can prevent your body from hitting a plateau.
- Consistency matters the most for burning fat and toning muscle through swimming. Therefore, swim at least four to five times a week.
- It is better to start slow and swim for 15 to 20 minutes if you are a beginner. Then, once you are comfortable, increase your time and your swimming intensity.
- On your off day, try to go with water aerobics to keep pace and let your body recover at the same time.
- Also, do some abs exercises, including resistance training, kickboard exercises, treading water, bicycle abs, water crunches, etc.
- And finally, adjust your diet to eat healthy foods that help you burn fat and tone muscle.
Benefits of Swimming
In case you still have some doubts about how to burn fat by swimming, then to clear your doubts, have a look at the benefits of swimming:
- It is a whole-body workout; thus, it helps to tone your muscles and burn fat.
- Because swimming is a cardiovascular exercise, it helps build cardiovascular strength.
- Swimming is one of those exercises that is suitable for all ages and people of all fitness levels.
- It is excellent for people with injuries or conditions like arthritis.
- Swimming burns a lot of calories fast because of the muscles it works.
- It helps to cure insomnia and improve quality sleep.
Final Words
Swimming plays a critical role in helping you to get closer to your weight loss goal. This is because it burns more calories than running. However, learn the proper technique to get maximum benefit. Also, eat a healthy diet in combination with swimming to burn even more fat.
Question and Answer
What is the fastest way to burn body fat?
The fastest way to burn body fat is to restrict your diet. The best way to limit your diet is to eat foods with fewer calories, are nutrient-dense, and rank higher on the satiety index.
Foods with fewer calories, nutrient-dense, and rank higher on the satiety index burn more body fat, make you healthier, and keep you full longer.
When burning body fat, calories are king. Food, exercise, energy, biological activities, body fat, and muscle are measured by calories. So when you eat fewer calories, you force your body to burn body fat for energy.
What role does exercise play in burning body fat?
Exercise plays two roles in burning body fat. The first role exercise plays in burning body fat is to restrict calories. By burning calories the body needs for life functions, exercise forces your body to burn body fat to make up the difference.
The second role exercise plays in burning body fat is to act as a catalyst for muscle growth and metabolic changes. Exercise puts stress on the body, which forces the body to change and meet training demands.
Active, more massive, stronger muscles burn more body fat than passive, more minor, weaker muscles – the Rock needs more calories than Kevin Hart.
What are the best exercises to burn body fat?
Exercises that increase intensity, duration, and muscle activity frequency are best for burning body fat.
Therefore, exercises that involve the whole body moving quicker, longer, and under more pressure burn more body fat. For example, walking for two miles burns fewer calories than jogging for three miles with a weighted vest.
