Kick Board and Flippers

EvDianne
EvDianne Posts: 23 Member
edited April 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
How do you figure calories for swimming laps using a kick board and flippers?

I swam 10 lengths or 5 laps in the YMCA swimming pool. I kicked both ways, but I don't know how to enter it for exercise.

Also I was in a Water Workout for Seniors. The class was 1 hour. I don't know how to enter that into My Fitness Pal.

Please advise.

Thank you!!

Replies

  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
    I lap swim and have figured I burn 500 calories for swimming a mile. I really exert myself, do sprints, etc. So depending on how hard you are working, you can adjust from there.
  • EvDianne
    EvDianne Posts: 23 Member
    Thank you. I wonder how many laps you have to do to get a mile?
  • draco706
    draco706 Posts: 174 Member
    I have found (w/ waterproof heart monitor) that I burn about 100 calories for every 5 minutes of lap swim. I asked an aqua fitness instructor at my Y and she said that an older adult class like silver sneakers will be about 100 calories for every 15 minutes. If you are doing a regular aqua fitness class you will burn about 100 calories every 6 minutes if you are consistently at moderate high to high effort giving 100% 80% of the class.

    Also a mile is1650 yards. A pool is usually 25 yards.
  • Jburlen2007
    Jburlen2007 Posts: 59 Member
    draco706 wrote: »
    I have found (w/ waterproof heart monitor) that I burn about 100 calories for every 5 minutes of lap swim. I asked an aqua fitness instructor at my Y and she said that an older adult class like silver sneakers will be about 100 calories for every 15 minutes. If you are doing a regular aqua fitness class you will burn about 100 calories every 6 minutes if you are consistently at moderate high to high effort giving 100% 80% of the class.

    Also a mile is1650 yards. A pool is usually 25 yards.

    100 calories per 5 minutes? I'd burn an insane amount doing my hour swims of 3,000+ yards.
  • EvDianne
    EvDianne Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks to all who have responded! Appreciate the input!!!
  • thereshegoesagain
    thereshegoesagain Posts: 1,056 Member
    EvDianne wrote: »
    Thank you. I wonder how many laps you have to do to get a mile?

    An Olympic sized pool is 66 lengths per mile.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    If I were you I would be wary of some of the above calorie burn estimations. Obviously it's all down to your own personal size and fitness but for me I only burn 100 calories for 15mins swimming, and that's in a structured >2km, 1hr triathlon training swim session with drills, sprints, tough main set etc. To give you an idea I'm 5ft5, 124lb and I am one of the faster ones in our club with a typical 400m (16lengths of 25m pool) time of 7mins.
  • EvDianne
    EvDianne Posts: 23 Member
    Thanks - I realize it will be hard to be accurate on my figuring of calories burned. I would at least like to have an estimation. Currently -- I am 5'3", 225, 64 years old. I am trying to get in better physical shape. Today I attended a Water Workout and I swam 8 laps. I am a beginner in regard to exercise. I am filing in my food dairy and my exercise as much as I can.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    You have a couple years on me, but I've been losing weight with swimming as my workout. I am an inch shorter. I am a very slow swimmer, and Fitbit gives me about 250 calories/hr, MFP gives me 450 calories/hr. To be honest, I am happy to take the Fitbit estimate and consider the extra as bonus calories. If you overestimate the cal burn, and eat them all back, you can easily wipe out your cal deficit and stall weight loss. If you eat back about half of the MFP estimate, that's a good start. Then as the weeks pass, evaluate if you are losing at the rate you expect. Losing too fast, eat a bit more, etc.
  • rldeclercq4
    rldeclercq4 Posts: 269 Member
    EvDianne wrote: »
    Thank you. I wonder how many laps you have to do to get a mile?

    An Olympic sized pool is 66 lengths per mile.

    No it's not. Olympic sized is 50 meters. 66 laps is a mile at 25 yard pools, which is your most common sized pool.