Swimming- is it cardio/ resistance or both?

CactusCat58
CactusCat58 Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Due to fibromyalgia & osteoporosis most exercise other than swimming is difficult and/or painful for me. I love to swim however, and 5 days a week I take a 30-45 minute "aqua fit" class and swim 90 minutes of laps afterward. I have a little over 100 lbs to lose and even though I am faithfully logging my meals and keeping in a calorie deficit my weight loss has averaged about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. I have Hashimoto's thyroid and a metabolic disorder so I suppose that's to be expected, but it's frustrating.

Anyway, I've been told by someone who is a certified personal trainer that I really need to add weight training b/c swimming is ALL cardio....and that nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio. Everything I read about swimming says that it is the ideal exercise for someone with my medical issues because it works all the different muscle groups and offers steady resistance while allowing for longer workouts.....and also burns crazy calories (avg 500/hr) compared to cycling, treadmill, elliptical, etc. Now I'm totally confused. I truly don't want to cut back on the only exercise that I can comfortably do for any length of time considering the amount of weight I need to lose, but if cutting back on the swimming and adding in some weight training would have a bigger effect maybe I should give it a try?

Anyone care to weigh in?


Replies

  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    ....and that nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio.

    It's different if you genuinely love it. If you do it for enjoyment and it's not wearing you down, I don't see any reason to limit yourself. However, if you're doing it for 2+ hrs, its unlikely that its of sufficient intensity to be burning 500cals/hr. 1-1.5 lbs a week sounds great though! Congrats on your progress so far.

    For osteoporosis, its usually recommended to do some sort weight-bearing exercise to improve/maintain bone density. It doesn't strictly have to be weight training, but swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise. Maybe you could ask your doc for recommendations or a referral to someone who can help design a plan for your specific medical issues.
  • Gimsteinn
    Gimsteinn Posts: 7,678 Member
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    Due to fibromyalgia & osteoporosis most exercise other than swimming is difficult and/or painful for me. I love to swim however, and 5 days a week I take a 30-45 minute "aqua fit" class and swim 90 minutes of laps afterward. I have a little over 100 lbs to lose and even though I am faithfully logging my meals and keeping in a calorie deficit my weight loss has averaged about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. I have Hashimoto's thyroid and a metabolic disorder so I suppose that's to be expected, but it's frustrating.

    Anyway, I've been told by someone who is a certified personal trainer that I really need to add weight training b/c swimming is ALL cardio....and that nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio. Everything I read about swimming says that it is the ideal exercise for someone with my medical issues because it works all the different muscle groups and offers steady resistance while allowing for longer workouts.....and also burns crazy calories (avg 500/hr) compared to cycling, treadmill, elliptical, etc. Now I'm totally confused. I truly don't want to cut back on the only exercise that I can comfortably do for any length of time considering the amount of weight I need to lose, but if cutting back on the swimming and adding in some weight training would have a bigger effect maybe I should give it a try?

    Anyone care to weigh in?


    Yeah yeah.. swimming is good.. I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was told to swim to lose weight..
    Well I didn't like what the doc said about swimming being my only option and that my body could never handle extreme workout so I signed up for Pole fitness.. It hurt like a *kitten* for the first 2 months and 10 months later I added weights and now I'm doing Crossfit and Pole fitness and I run, and I swim...

    I found out that the pain isn't really harming you, it's holding you back. So I pushed through it. Now all my symptoms are gone (except for the restless nights but I have fibro medicine for that).

    Add weights, build muscles, get fit.. It's gonna lower your symptoms and it's gonna be totally worth it. Do not let the sickness hinder your quality of life. Go out there, swim when you want but seriously add weights. It's gonna strengthen your muscles and the pain (all the pain, not just from the workouts) is gonna disappear as soon as you get fit.
  • Andrea2316
    Andrea2316 Posts: 6 Member

    Yeah yeah.. swimming is good.. I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was told to swim to lose weight..
    Well I didn't like what the doc said about swimming being my only option and that my body could never handle extreme workout so I signed up for Pole fitness.. It hurt like a *kitten* for the first 2 months and 10 months later I added weights and now I'm doing Crossfit and Pole fitness and I run, and I swim...

    I found out that the pain isn't really harming you, it's holding you back. So I pushed through it. Now all my symptoms are gone (except for the restless nights but I have fibro medicine for that).

    Add weights, build muscles, get fit.. It's gonna lower your symptoms and it's gonna be totally worth it. Do not let the sickness hinder your quality of life. Go out there, swim when you want but seriously add weights. It's gonna strengthen your muscles and the pain (all the pain, not just from the workouts) is gonna disappear as soon as you get fit. [/quote]


    ^^this! my sister has fibromyalgia and is a pole fitness and arial acrobatics instructor! she is in incredible shape. dont let the pain stop you, find a workout you love (with weights or bodyweight) and go with it!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited December 2016
    You should keep doing what works for you. Swimming does keep your muscles active even if it's not heavy weight training. Look for swimming drills to do during lap swims that will keep developing your muscles. Congrats on the weight loss. 1-1.5 lb per week is great!
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    Sorry I don't have any advice myself but I jut wanted to say way to go on being able to swim for so long! I'm so out of breath after a few laps I can barely breath! I had chalked it up to how much weight I need to lose (50+ lbs) but your story has me motivated to keep at it. Thanks !
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,914 Member
    Depends on the intensity and the duration. If the intensity is low, then it's not resistance training. If you swim hard for 2 laps and done, it's not cardio endurance training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    edited December 2016
    First of all 1 to 1.5 lbs a week is great. You really don't want to be losing much more than that for a host of reasons. So well done.

    In my experience swimming is more cardio. I think the "no one should do more than 45 minutes of cardio" idea is nonsense but that's beside the point. There is some resistance but nothing near what you get with weight training or even yoga or pilates. I was a swim teacher for years and had many friends who were competitive swimmers. I spent hours in the pool swimming around at least several days a week and didn't have much muscle gain to show for it. My friends who swam competitively did weight lifting nearly every day to build muscle and strength because even at the racing level they needed extra training.

    I'm not sure what to suggest in lieu of your medical condition but I would talk to your doctor and or a trainer who is familiar with your limitations to maybe come up with a plan.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    Due to fibromyalgia & osteoporosis most exercise other than swimming is difficult and/or painful for me. I love to swim however, and 5 days a week I take a 30-45 minute "aqua fit" class and swim 90 minutes of laps afterward. I have a little over 100 lbs to lose and even though I am faithfully logging my meals and keeping in a calorie deficit my weight loss has averaged about 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. I have Hashimoto's thyroid and a metabolic disorder so I suppose that's to be expected, but it's frustrating.

    Anyway, I've been told by someone who is a certified personal trainer that I really need to add weight training b/c swimming is ALL cardio....and that nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio. Everything I read about swimming says that it is the ideal exercise for someone with my medical issues because it works all the different muscle groups and offers steady resistance while allowing for longer workouts.....and also burns crazy calories (avg 500/hr) compared to cycling, treadmill, elliptical, etc. Now I'm totally confused. I truly don't want to cut back on the only exercise that I can comfortably do for any length of time considering the amount of weight I need to lose, but if cutting back on the swimming and adding in some weight training would have a bigger effect maybe I should give it a try?

    Anyone care to weigh in?


    Unfortunately the only "education" that many trainers have is to memorize a pile of index cards. Someone with a more complicated medical history has completely different expectations and guidelines. First of all, the idea that "nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio" is complete horsesh!t, so let's just dismiss that out of hand.

    While the resistance involved in swimming does not equivalent to land-based weight training, for someone who is dealing w/musculoskeletal issues, and finds the exercise comfortable, the resistance that comes with swimming might be completely adequate, and, if that's what you can do, might be the best option available.

    Bottom line: continue with your swimming/aquatic routine and don't be derailed by blahblahblahblah.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Swimming is wonderful, especially if you enjoy it. You should add some weight bearing exercises also. If you did water exercises 4 days, 2 days strength training, you could still have one day off for rest. Weight bearing strength exercises are good to keep up your bone density and muscle mass, so you don't lose it while you lose weight.
  • CactusCat58
    CactusCat58 Posts: 19 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Depends on the intensity and the duration. If the intensity is low, then it's not resistance training. If you swim hard for 2 laps and done, it's not cardio endurance training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I guess I should have clarified that I'm a strong swimmer and I do 60-90 min of laps at what my Misfit calls "intense activity". I have also begun weight training with a trainer 2 days a week..... so now I do weight training 2 days, water aerobics 3 days and minimum of 60 minutes of "intense" lap swimming 5 days.
  • CactusCat58
    CactusCat58 Posts: 19 Member
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    Swimming is wonderful, especially if you enjoy it. You should add some weight bearing exercises also. If you did water exercises 4 days, 2 days strength training, you could still have one day off for rest. Weight bearing strength exercises are good to keep up your bone density and muscle mass, so you don't lose it while you lose weight.

    Yes, I've started working on strength training with a personal trainer 2 days a week, still doing water aerobics 3 days and 60-90 min of lap swimming on all 5. I also bought an aerobic step that I keep in the living room and when I'm watching tv I'll get up and do 20 or 30 step ups periodically. By the weekends I'm completely worn out and basically a slug :) but I need those 2 days to recuperate.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Depends on the intensity and the duration. If the intensity is low, then it's not resistance training. If you swim hard for 2 laps and done, it's not cardio endurance training.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I guess I should have clarified that I'm a strong swimmer and I do 60-90 min of laps at what my Misfit calls "intense activity". I have also begun weight training with a trainer 2 days a week..... so now I do weight training 2 days, water aerobics 3 days and minimum of 60 minutes of "intense" lap swimming 5 days.

    Keep on doing what you're doing......the admonition about a maximum of 45 minutes of cardio is pure broscience....
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    Anyway, I've been told by someone who is a certified personal trainer that I really need to add weight training b/c swimming is ALL cardio....and that nobody should do more than 45 min a day of cardio.

    The guys who do Le Tour de France do a lot more than 45 minutes a day of cardio. So do the people who run marathons. I don't think it's made them unhealthy. Do you?
    CactusCat58 wrote: »
    I love to swim

    Then swim! And be happy! :smile:

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