Swimming is considered one of the best exercises for weight loss, given the fact that it burns calories, gives a full body workout, and is healthy for the joints, being a full body exercise.
The most important thing swimming does to the body is improving fitness. Swimming provides an aerobic workout which is similar to cycling or running, without being anywhere near as stressful, and can yield calorie burns of 475 to 750 calories an hour. If weight loss is your main reason for swimming, then you’ll need to know what the best strokes are to burn the most calories:
1. Side-stroke
This particular stroke is considered the most basic and kind of easy for beginners, so if you are not the best swimmer, this is a good choice for you to start with. A 150 pound person can lose 544 calories in one hour, using the sidestroke. Hopefully, as you practice, your swimming skills will improve, and you can move on to some more challenging styles such as the front crawl.
Here’s how to do the sidestroke:
2. Front crawl
Although the front crawl is technically more difficult to perform than the sidestroke, it actually burns slightly less calories so this should not be your go-to stroke for a swim workout session. However, for some variety and to activate more muscle groups simultaneously, mix up your training routine to include the front crawl. A 150 pound person can lose 475 calories in an hour of using the front crawl.
Here’s how to do the front crawl:
3. Breaststroke
This stroke is quite unique in its execution, and is fun to perform. The breast-stroke is a great way to tone your triceps and chest muscles, as well as your hamstrings and other surrounding muscles, giving you a great combination of calorie burns and muscle toning. A 150 pound person will burn approximately 500 calories in an hour of using the breast-stroke.
Here’s how to do the breast-stroke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l00tfMwHvMI
For a fun and effective swim workout session, use a combination of all three techniques and remember to avoid swimming at too leisurely a pace, which will not yield great calorie losses. As you progress, shorten the intervals between your rest periods and to add even more spice and intensity, you can incorporate other pool-friendly workouts such as aqua jogging into your swim workout sessions.
