Now that I have a regular walking routine established, I am looking for ways to expand my exercise palette. Altho I have enjoyed swimming in the past, I have never found that extended work-out have resulted in weight loss. Upon my brother's recommendation to reposition it in my work-out schedule, I hopped in the pool today at the gym and was pleased to discover that all the walking and other exercise I have been doing has prepared me well for a swimming work-out. But, the question remains, can swimming help you lose weight?
I did some research and this is what I found:
There are some questions about how efficiently swimming burns calories. According to Tom Robergs, "Research done on swimming showed that weight loss seemed more difficult. The theory is that the water submersion initiates a complex [nerve pathway] to lower metabolic rate." And with a lower metabolic rate, the body uses fewer calories to maintain normal function. While Robergs says these explanations need further research, his associate Sarah Stratton says swimming can be a boon for weight loss -- if you follow the same principles as with any other exercise, and challenge yourself. For weight loss, Stratton recommends interval training, in which you push yourself hard for short spurts, and then drop back to a less-intense level of exercise. "If you don't do interval training, it's just as if you're doing a slow walk," Stratton says. Sue Nelson, aquatic program specialist for USA Swimming in Colorado Springs, Colo., has many success stories of obese clients who lost weight after they began working out in the water. One man was 500 pounds, had rheumatoid arthritis, and had to quit work because he couldn't get around.
"He went from a wheelchair to a walker to crutches to a cane to nothing by working out in the water," says Nelson. "He became one of my employees and lost over 250 pounds."
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