Calories Burned at pool

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rainbowbuggy
rainbowbuggy Posts: 320
in Fitness and Exercise
So I've been at the pool with the kids for 2 hours just playing and stuff with them. When I went to log the exercise, I put in how long I was there and chose leisurely swimming but it said I burned 540 cals per hour! Just doesnt seem right. Seems like alot for just leisurely playing at the pool. Could this be right? I eat my exercise cals so I don't want to overeat. Thanks!
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Replies

  • mikesnwgirl
    mikesnwgirl Posts: 112
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    I would probably say that is really high. Seems like you would burn that much if you were actually swimming. Let me know when you find out. I was wondering the same thing.
  • momof3babes
    momof3babes Posts: 103
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    Seems really high to me too...do you have an HRM?
  • SelenaSparrow
    SelenaSparrow Posts: 1
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    Swimming is the most efficient way in burning calories- it burns cals fast. I'm not sure how fast and how much but I think that 600 cals for two hours of leisurely swimming is maybe right. But I'm not sure...
  • jonbobfrog
    jonbobfrog Posts: 294
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    I say that I was doing "water aerobics" . . . it burns far fewer calories and is probably closer to what you were doing anyway . . . moving around through water is harder than moving through air, but only SERIOUS swimming burns that many calories.
  • hottamolly00
    hottamolly00 Posts: 334 Member
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    It doesn't sound that much to me. I mean, you were out there for 2 hours. Sitting still, doing nothing, you'd burn at least 50 calories per hour. You're being more active. I'd say, go with half... just to be safe.
  • Arizona_JR
    Arizona_JR Posts: 275
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    I don't think the number is high for real "swimming" (constantly moving all 4 limbs while maintaining a horizontal position and elevated heart rate).

    The grey area is based on how close to that definition your actual exercise was. Swimming is a fairly high calorie burner when performed as true "exercise". If what you did was "play and stuff" then I'd cut the number in half. It's just guesswork, but there isn't a real classification for what you did in the database, and even the database can be off even for specific exercises.
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
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    I also just got back from the pool. At first I put my time in as swimming leisurely. But since I was doing more walking and playing than swimming I decided to change it to water aerobics. Then I logged my laps as swimming moderate effort. Not sure if that is correct or not, but seems pretty close.
  • rainbowbuggy
    rainbowbuggy Posts: 320
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    Well I never truly swam from one end if the pool to the other. I have a 6yr old and a 3yr old and just played with them. Never try swam. And I thought to myself when I saw 500 cals burned per hour? That means 1000 cals burned? No way! I run 20 and don't even come close to 500! So I was shocked! Again, I eat my exercise cals and just didn't want to overeat. So I should say 500 burned then?
  • cbjpl31
    cbjpl31 Posts: 5
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    I am glad you posted this because I was just looking for information about this.

    I spend time playing in the pool with my toddler about 3-4 times a week and notice that afterwards I'm pretty tired and sometimes even my leg muscles hurt so I know I'm burning calories! I decided I should start adding it to my journal but the numbers for exercises on this site are always high. I chose the leisurely swimming option and was shocked that for 60 minutes it suggests I burned 589 calories! I spend 30 minutes on an elliptical at a pace of 3 to 3.5 mph and only burn 300-310 so 589 for an hour at the pool doesn't seem reasonable. I am pretty active the whole time, walking/bouncing around carrying my son, paddling around with a noodle while he's floating around in his little boat, lifting him in and out, etc. but I just can't believe it's so high. So to be on the conservative side I plan to just cut the calories they suggest in half. So for 60 minutes today I'm going to enter 294. I think that's reasonable.
  • jreed1920
    jreed1920 Posts: 123
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    I wear my HRM in the pool and when I am swimming continuous laps I burn 480-500 Cal per hour. When I am just hanging out playing with my daughter I burn about 1/2 that.
  • stebben
    stebben Posts: 35 Member
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    Exercising in the water uses more energy than on land. 20 minutes of walking in water is equal to 40 minutes on land. Add running, weight training in water, core work and you can burn alot of calories. there is so much more resistance in the water than on land. Add weights, gloves etc and boy can you get a workout. Also do interval training. The water aerobics program at my gym burns a lot more calories than MFP gives. Then add Aqua Zumba to that. Its great exercise.
  • cloveraz
    cloveraz Posts: 332 Member
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    yeah, i use that number for non-stop lap swimming...
  • appi1981
    appi1981 Posts: 45
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    I did exactly 2 hours the other day with my two kids wearing hrm and burned 644 that was going under water and general play but that's about average obviously everyone s going to be different due to weight
  • fluffysexyme
    fluffysexyme Posts: 104 Member
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    The pool burns double calories because your body is fighting to stay warm while you're moving. I wear an hrm and burn mega calories on it, but then I add about 200/hr for the "keeping warm" aspect.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Things like that are tricky to log - I usually try to compare it to something where I'm more confident about the calories.
    So, I would think about - did it feel as though I was using about the same amount of energy as if I was walking slowly around the shops... or walking steadily around the park, or nearly as much as running?
    At a guess I'd compare it to a slow/moderate walk and that's about 3 cals/minute for me. That would make it 360 cals for 2 hours.

    I think it might also depend on your general activity level - as a mum with little ones you should probably be set to at least lightly active (I'm sure you aren't sedentary!) Did it feel as though you were burning more than you would on a regular day running around with them at home?
  • annarouni
    annarouni Posts: 127 Member
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    I wore my Polar Ft4 in the pool. Fifty two minutes on non-stop full effort movement was 560 kcals.
    If you think you were putting that kind of work into keeping up with the kids, I guess you could go
    with the value on the chart. If you think you were doing somewhat less than all out exertion, I would
    cut the calculation down to a more realistic level.
  • LFiestan
    LFiestan Posts: 176 Member
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    i love swimmin, treading/walking will burm calories and depending on how much you weigh.
    I swim for 30-45 minutes and get to burn 700+ doing breaststroke and freestyle.

    Heres where i do my calculations:
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned.asp?exercise=37
  • Genem30
    Genem30 Posts: 431 Member
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    i love swimmin, treading/walking will burm calories and depending on how much you weigh.
    I swim for 30-45 minutes and get to burn 700+ doing breaststroke and freestyle.

    Heres where i do my calculations:
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned.asp?exercise=37

    That site tells me based on my weight that I burn 1400cals/hour just treading water. That seems like a lot, MFP tells me around 1000cals/hour for "leisurely swimming".

    I should wear my HRM in the pool, but scared I'll fry it even tho it's supposed to be waterproof.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,663 Member
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    Swimming is the most efficient way in burning calories- it burns cals fast. I'm not sure how fast and how much but I think that 600 cals for two hours of leisurely swimming is maybe right. But I'm not sure...
    Not if you can't swim.:laugh:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,663 Member
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    My honest opinion is unless you swam, you probably "waded" alot in the water which really doesn't burn a lot of calories. So I say 350 calories burned TOTAL.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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