Swimming - is it effective?

9inelives

I've recently moved to a nice area that has a leisure centre within walking distance. I've found it hard to find the confidence to run/jog/exercise outside because of image issues, but I think I could be happy under the disguise of a swimming cap and some unflattering goggles.

Have any of you found swimming an effective weight loss technique? I know how silly I sound but I have never seen a success story on here that was accelerated by swimming. I heard all sorts of myths that it works every muscle in your body, burns the same amount of calories as running in half the time, I'm just not seeing results from anyone!

BrianSharpe

Swimming is excellent exercise but like every other exercise the calories burned are entirely dependent on time and intensity, in terms of actual calories burned the best estimates I've seen (and it's hard to compare apples to oranges) is that you would burn approximately the same number of calories swimming freestyle laps (fast) in an hour as you would running for an hour at 6mph (10 min miles).

Exercise should not be thought of in terms of "weight loss technique". By all means exercise can help create or increase your caloric deficit but exercise is for fitness and the benefits of fitness transcend just weight loss.

"Unflattering goggles".........no such thing!:laugh: