Question for the swimmers out there....

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daisymae850
daisymae850 Posts: 127 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Good morning everyone! So I am curious, at my gym we have 3 pools, an outdoor and 2 indoor. The one indoor pool is a lap pool and is much much colder than the other one, I usually swim in the other one.

My question is this, is it beneficial to swim in the really cold lap pool? Does it burn more calories to freeze your butt off while swimming your laps? Or is just there for the convience of not having to worry about those just playing around in the water being in your way while swimming laps?

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  • crystalreaves2
    crystalreaves2 Posts: 37 Member
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    http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/swimming-good-weight-loss

    Found this link for you daisy hope it helps answer your question!
  • juliegrey1
    juliegrey1 Posts: 202 Member
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    OOh I think you are so lucky to have such a choice of pools! I think Ive read somewhere that swimming in cold water can make you hungry so its beneficial to have a warm drink if you do.I love swimming such a great exercise if you have a HRM thats waterproof wear it while swimming and see what you get,I havnt been able to get to the pool in awhile but I found a 40 min swim I would do 90 lengths (18m pool) and would burn 240 cals!!!!
  • sugaree1202
    sugaree1202 Posts: 184 Member
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    When I swam laps (1 mile daily), I preferred the days that the heat was off. I swam at my university pool and sometimes they held kids s wim lessons so they used the heat on those days and during kids' camp weeks. Otherwise they kept the pool cooler for lap swimmers. If the water was too warm, it became uncomfortable and made me lethargic once I got moving - similar to working out in a hot room. It felt like I was swimming in jello. It takes a minute to get used to colder water but it got me moving much quicker and I could sustain a quicker pace longer.

    Cold water is more dense than warm water but I don't know if there's any science behind warm vs cold water being better for laps. I do remember a lot of the regulars at the pool I used complained or did their laps elsewhere when the heat was on. It does make sense that your body would work harder to keep your body temperature up and burn more calories in the process. If you can swim in a designated lap pool, I would take advantage of it unless no one is in the other pools. Kids tend to swim in the lap lanes and even some adults. I get in a zone while doing laps and don't like having to stop if someone is in my lane.

    Whatever you decide, have fun! Swimming is one of the best exercises, uses every muscle in your body and the water provides natural resistance. My back, arms and legs were incredibly toned after a summer of swimming a mile everyday and I lost 25 pounds!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,991 Member
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    ugh, the warm water is not nearly as conducive to lap swimming in my opinion. Just like it's tough to run on a hot day, it's not that fun to work hard in the pool if the temp is high. You're super lucky to have a choice. I swam on the swim teams for-what-seemed-like-forever, and the cooler pools are better for actual lap swimming. It's not so much that you use more or les calories, it's about comfort level when trying to work hard.
  • SwimBikeRunMama
    SwimBikeRunMama Posts: 32
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    I would say to choose the one that feels good in the thick of your workout. The cold one may feel cold when you first get in, but once you get moving, it may feel great. The pool where I do my laps is that way, and within the first couple of laps I'm usually good to go. Every once in awhile I'm still chilly later.
    If I'm too cold, I tend to stiffen up, and my form suffers.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
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    i only swim every now & then, but i find cold water makes me hungrier; saw research somewhere suggesting that might be supported by some biological process or other (can't remember which)

    preference is for slightly cooler than whatever the air's like. i probably don't swim hard enough to heat up, as i just do a steady recreational breaststroke.
  • justwanderful
    justwanderful Posts: 142 Member
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    As others have said, it all comes down to comfort. Right now, my pool is around 84 degrees. It's very comfortable to swim in. By late August when the water is around 90 degrees, it becomes uncomfortable to swim in it.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    Your body is really very efficient at maintain its desired internal body temperature. You won't have any noticeable increase in caloric burn by getting into a slightly cooler pool.
  • CrystalDreams
    CrystalDreams Posts: 418 Member
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    Yes you burn more calories but you run the risk of injury and it can run down your immune system. But that being said I would still rather swim laps in a cold pool.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    I would think it would hardly be worth the difference.

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