Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSwimming & Weight LossHow Much to SwimSwimming PlanSafety & Injury PreventionBalancing Food & Activity
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Swimming & Weight Loss
How Much to Swim
Swimming Plan
Safety & Injury Prevention
Balancing Food & Activity
Swimming workouts for weight loss can be effective. Swimming and other water exercises, such as aqua aerobics, are also good physical activities that provide many benefits beyond maintaining a healthy weight.
This article describes how swimming can be a part of your weight loss plan and how much weight you can expect to lose when you swim.
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Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?
Swimming is a physical activity that consumes calories and involves moderate to vigorous intensity muscular and cardiovascular exertion.Because swimming uses calories, it can help you lose weight.
Aside from burning calories, swimming also has the following benefits:
Swimming and Appetite
A key feature of weight loss is using more calories than you take in in your diet. Swimming, like other calorie-consuming physical activity, can make you feel hungry.
If you’re exercising to lose weight, it takes deliberate planning and control to consume fewer calories than you burn.For a healthy eating plan, you should specifically avoid high-calorie foods that don’t have a a lot of nutritional content.
Research suggests that swimming does not trigger any harmful changes in the hormones that control your appetite or metabolism.Swimming can be a good part of a weight loss plan if you are mindful of your diet.
Swimming is a great option for safe exercise. It can provide many health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, increasing strength and endurance, and helping to burn calories.—RAYNETTA SAMUELS, DPT, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Swimming is a great option for safe exercise. It can provide many health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, increasing strength and endurance, and helping to burn calories.
—RAYNETTA SAMUELS, DPT, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Benefits of Swimming
In addition to weight loss, you can gain many rewards from swimming as a physical activity.
Swimming and other water activities are often recommended for people who are recovering from physical injuries or who are participating incardiac rehabilitation. Additionally, swimming is one of the exercises that can help improve muscle control for people withParkinson’s diseaseand other movement disorders.
Advantages of swimming include:
You may notice that you are experiencing several of these benefits if you regularly participate in swimming and water activities. Swimming has also been shown to improve overall longevity.
Cold Water SwimmingCold water therapyand swimming in cool or cold water has received a significant amount of attention in recent years.Some research suggests that cool temperatures may enhance calorie consumption, potentially increasing the benefits of exercise. However, the results are not consistent regarding the benefits of swimming in cold water compared to swimming in moderate temperatures.For most healthy people, cold water swimming is not harmful.
Cold Water Swimming
Cold water therapyand swimming in cool or cold water has received a significant amount of attention in recent years.Some research suggests that cool temperatures may enhance calorie consumption, potentially increasing the benefits of exercise. However, the results are not consistent regarding the benefits of swimming in cold water compared to swimming in moderate temperatures.For most healthy people, cold water swimming is not harmful.
Cold water therapyand swimming in cool or cold water has received a significant amount of attention in recent years.
Some research suggests that cool temperatures may enhance calorie consumption, potentially increasing the benefits of exercise. However, the results are not consistent regarding the benefits of swimming in cold water compared to swimming in moderate temperatures.For most healthy people, cold water swimming is not harmful.
How Much Do You Need to Swim to Lose Weight?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as swimming laps.Additionally, the CDC recommends that adults get at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activity.
If you’re trying to budget your calorie intake and exercise, it could be helpful for you to track your swimming time to reach a target goal.
You can expect to burn more calories if you swim at a rapid pace, or you may burn fewer calories if you swim at a more leisurely pace.
Calorie Deficit and Weight Loss
A Swimming Plan for Weight Loss
People start swimming at different intensity levels and can comfortably swim for various amounts of time. It may take time and practice to build up your endurance so that you can swim faster or for longer.
Losing weight in a healthy way means that you follow a consistent and attainable plan with realistic goals and expectations.Having excess weightincreases your risk ofstroke,heart disease,spine disease,diabetes, and many more medical conditions. If you have excess weight, losing weight is beneficial for your overall health.
A Beginner’s Plan
Intermediate to Advanced Plan
If you have already been swimming for exercise, you could consider increasing your pace or swimming for a longer period of time. You might also consider varying your pace during your workout and trying different strokes.
Safety and Preventing Injury
If you’re going to start swimming as exercise, it’s important that you consider safety so that you can prevent injury or health problems. If you have underlying health problems, such as heart disease, make sure to discuss your new exercise plan with your healthcare provider before you start.
Some tips for safety include:
Balancing Physical Activity and Food
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to balance calories to create acalorie deficit(burning more calories per day than you consume). If you’re already getting the recommended physical activity, you may need to track the food you are eating to determine what adjustments are needed.
Consider whether you are eating calorie-dense foods or highly processed foods. Processed foods can quickly add up the calories without satisfying your hunger or giving you the balance of nutrients that your body needs.
Healthy foods you can add to your diet as you’re losing weight include:
Consider making soups and adding fresh or cooked vegetables and lean meat to round out the meal. Another option is to make smoothies rich in vegetables and fruit.
If you are having a hard time losing weight, consider keeping a food diary and sharing it with your healthcare provider or a dietitian so you can get personalized advice.
Summary
Swimming is a healthy activity that can help you lose weight. Water exercises require effort, and they consume calories. If you add swimming to your exercise routine, you can lose weight—particularly if you also adjust your diet. Eating healthy foods and avoiding excessive calorie consumption is a key factor in weight loss.
When you balance water exercise and diet control, you can experience weight loss. Swimming also has many other health benefits, including improving heart health, balance and coordination, and mental health.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fico BG, Alkatan M, Tanaka H.No changes in appetite-related hormones following swimming and cycling exercise interventions in adults with obesity.Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13(2):1819-1825.Jakše B, Gilić B, Đurović M, Šajber D.The effects of an eight-week swimming program on body composition and assessment of dietary intake in post-COVID-19 patients.J Nutr Metab. 2024;2024:3037784. doi:10.1155/2024/3037784Cugusi L, Manca A, Bergamin M, Di Blasio A, Monticone M, Deriu F, Mercuro G.Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review.J Physiother.2019;65(2):65-74. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2019.02.003Oja P, Memon AR, Titze S, et al.Health benefits of different sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal and intervention studies including 2.6 million adult participants.Sports Med Open.2024;10(1):46. doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00692-xKnechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT.Cold water swimming-benefits and risks: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020;17(23):8984. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for your weight and health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Steps for losing weight.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fico BG, Alkatan M, Tanaka H.No changes in appetite-related hormones following swimming and cycling exercise interventions in adults with obesity.Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13(2):1819-1825.Jakše B, Gilić B, Đurović M, Šajber D.The effects of an eight-week swimming program on body composition and assessment of dietary intake in post-COVID-19 patients.J Nutr Metab. 2024;2024:3037784. doi:10.1155/2024/3037784Cugusi L, Manca A, Bergamin M, Di Blasio A, Monticone M, Deriu F, Mercuro G.Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review.J Physiother.2019;65(2):65-74. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2019.02.003Oja P, Memon AR, Titze S, et al.Health benefits of different sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal and intervention studies including 2.6 million adult participants.Sports Med Open.2024;10(1):46. doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00692-xKnechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT.Cold water swimming-benefits and risks: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020;17(23):8984. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for your weight and health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Steps for losing weight.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Fico BG, Alkatan M, Tanaka H.No changes in appetite-related hormones following swimming and cycling exercise interventions in adults with obesity.Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13(2):1819-1825.Jakše B, Gilić B, Đurović M, Šajber D.The effects of an eight-week swimming program on body composition and assessment of dietary intake in post-COVID-19 patients.J Nutr Metab. 2024;2024:3037784. doi:10.1155/2024/3037784Cugusi L, Manca A, Bergamin M, Di Blasio A, Monticone M, Deriu F, Mercuro G.Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review.J Physiother.2019;65(2):65-74. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2019.02.003Oja P, Memon AR, Titze S, et al.Health benefits of different sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal and intervention studies including 2.6 million adult participants.Sports Med Open.2024;10(1):46. doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00692-xKnechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT.Cold water swimming-benefits and risks: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020;17(23):8984. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for your weight and health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Steps for losing weight.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.
Fico BG, Alkatan M, Tanaka H.No changes in appetite-related hormones following swimming and cycling exercise interventions in adults with obesity.Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13(2):1819-1825.
Jakše B, Gilić B, Đurović M, Šajber D.The effects of an eight-week swimming program on body composition and assessment of dietary intake in post-COVID-19 patients.J Nutr Metab. 2024;2024:3037784. doi:10.1155/2024/3037784
Cugusi L, Manca A, Bergamin M, Di Blasio A, Monticone M, Deriu F, Mercuro G.Aquatic exercise improves motor impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease, with similar or greater benefits than land-based exercise: a systematic review.J Physiother.2019;65(2):65-74. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2019.02.003
Oja P, Memon AR, Titze S, et al.Health benefits of different sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal and intervention studies including 2.6 million adult participants.Sports Med Open.2024;10(1):46. doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00692-x
Knechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT.Cold water swimming-benefits and risks: a narrative review.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020;17(23):8984. doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for your weight and health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Steps for losing weight.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for maintaining healthy weight.
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