|
Category Sitemaps
Diet
Food
Calories
Exercise
Losing weight
Weight loss help |
Swimming to lose weight
My friend does a lot of swimming and she believes it’s a
great exercise to lose weight, is this true?
Well yes and no!
Like any other exercise, swimming will suit some people while others may
benefit more from a different exercise. The reason for this is our
energy
system works a little like the gears in a car. When beginning any movement,
the cells are in a gear that does NOT favour
fat burning. The muscle
cells
go through a process of using up minor stores of
ATP and then move to carbs
before any real fat is burned. Only after a low effort
exercise becomes constant will
the cells switch into the last fat burning gear.
Generally the fitter a person, the quicker they can reach the last gear.
Also
a fit person can exercise at a slightly higher level of effort and still
burn mostly fat. An experienced swimmer has had many years to
develop
fitness. It means that the energy system can easily cruise at a level where
muscle cells can take full advantage of
fat stores for fuel. If all people
had equal abilities then swimming would be ideal to lose weight, the
trouble
is we all have different levels of fitness.
Another difference comes with swimming experience, some can swim well and
others can only just get by. This can make a big difference because poor
swimmers will expend more
energy, thus pushing the exercise
towards the anaerobic end of the
exercise spectrum. A good swimmer will be able to
sustain an effective rhythm to help fat burning. You only need to watch a
professional swimmer to see the perfect exercise technique. As they
gracefully glide through the water, every movement is gentle and consistent,
yet strong enough to pull the body through the water without effort. That’s
where the difference lies; more practice and greater fitness gives the
energy system a chance to switch into that important gear.
For the best swimmers who can glide through the water without
becoming out of breath, swimming may be a very good exercise to
burn the
fat. If you tend to create big splashes and clumsily drive through the water
while struggling to complete a full length of the pool, then it may be best
to try a different exercise to lose weight.
<
*
Always seek the approval of a qualified
doctor before starting any new exercise, all exercises should be performed under the supervision of a qualified
instructor.
Please read our
Terms of use!!
|
|
