The great thing about swimming is that you can do it all year round. When the sky turns grey, the days feel shorter, and the nights become icy, outdoor workouts like running can quickly start to feel like a chore.

Swimming offers an effective, low-impact cardio workout that helps burn calories and support weight loss, without putting stress on your joints. You can work at your own pace in a warm, ambient pool while still boosting your metabolism and building endurance.

Even better, finishing your swim with a replenishing session in the sauna or steam room makes the experience both motivating and rewarding.

Quick Summary

• Swimming provides a full-body, cardiovascular workout that is gentle on the joints.

• Aquatic exercise burns significant calories (comparable to running), builds muscle, boosts metabolism, and supports fat loss.

• Different strokes target different muscles: butterfly is most intense, front crawl tones core and glutes, backstroke improves posture and flexibility, and breaststroke strengthens cardiovascular health and key muscle groups.

• Swimming can improve sleep quality, help with insomnia, and offers a more appealing alternative to land exercises.

• Indoor heated pools, combined with post-swim relaxation in saunas or steam rooms, make swimming a motivating, year-round activity for fitness, endurance, and mental well-being.

Benefits of Swimming 

Swimming is not only an excellent way to work out your entire body and cardiovascular system, but also is a fun way to switch up your workout routine from repeatedly going to the gym or jogging round the same mapped out routes. 

There are endless reasons why swimming is so popular amongst children, adults and elderly. As it is impossible to name them all we have merely listed a few below: 

• Swim workouts work your whole body, inside and out. Even though it doesn’t contribute to the added stress on your body which ‘normal’ gym workouts do, swimming still successfully increases your heart rate, tones your muscles, and builds strength and endurance.
  
  
• Swimming allows you to burn calories with minimal impact on your bones and joints, making it a great choice for those suffering with arthritis and joint pain who still want to keep fit. 
  
  
• Studies also show that swimming actually helps you sleep better at night, and can help with insomnia. Although “land” exercises can also benefit this, swimming is much more appealing to the likes of running for older persons with sleeping problems.
   
• Swimming is also a great exercise option for pregnant women. Although it’s always worth talking to your doctor beforehand, swimming is typically safe to do throughout all three trimesters, not only for the mother-to-be but also for the baby. 

→ How Often Should You Work Out to Lose Weight?

Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?

Yes, swimming is excellent for weight loss. It’s a full-body, low-impact workout that burns calories, builds muscle, and improves cardiovascular fitness - all of which support fat loss.

Of course, cardio exercises are highly effective when it comes to losing weight. However, you might not realise that an hour of swimming can burn almost the same number of calories as running.

A 160-pound person can burn approximately 423–715 calories per hour while swimming, depending on intensity, while a 240-pound person may burn up to 1,068 calories per hour. In comparison, a 160-pound person running at 5 mph burns an average of 606 calories per hour, compared to around 292 calories cycling and 365 calories using an elliptical trainer.

That said, as with any form of exercise, the amount of fat you burn ultimately depends on how hard you push yourself and how consistently you train.

→ The Best Fitness Classes For Weight Loss

Best Swimming Strokes for Weight Loss 

Depending on the muscles being worked, different swim strokes can result in a greater calorie burn.

We’ve listed the best swimming strokes to lose weight and tone up your body below.

1. Butterfly is the best swim stroke to tone and build muscles as it’s the most demanding. It successfully targets your chest, stomach, arms and back muscles, as well as improving your flexibility. However, the stroke itself is quite hard to get right, so maybe try something a little easier if you’re just starting out in the swimming game. 

The average calorie burn is around 450 calories for 30 minutes.

2. Front stroke comes in second place, and is the fastest of all competitive swimming strokes. The rigorous flutter kicking and constant alternating movements makes it a great option for toning your stomach, glutes and shoulders. Learning to do this stroke is moderately difficult to learn, however if you attend adult swimming lessons it’s one of the first strokes you will master. 

The average calorie burn is around 300 calories for 30 minutes.

3. Backstroke is a great option for those that haven’t perfected breathing under water. Through propelling your arms behind you and kicking your legs profusely, the backstroke will benefit your core muscles and work the major muscles in your arms and legs, as well as improving the flexibility of your hips. The swimming stroke is great for office workers as it successfully strengthens your spine and improves your posture.

The average calorie burn is around 250 calories for 30 minutes.

4. Breaststroke is actually the optimum cardiovascular workout compared to other strokes. Although on average it burns less calories, it helps strengthen your heart and lungs, whilst also toning your thighs, upper back, triceps, hamstrings and lower legs. Don’t be fooled though, breaststroke is the easiest to become complacent in so you must first master the proper movement before you start seeing the pounds shred off.

The average calorie burn is around 200 calories for 30 minutes.

Tip: select your swimming stroke preference and find out how many calories you’re crunching here.

→ Personal Training For Weight Loss

Swim Workout for Beginners 

By now you will probably know that swimming is a spectacular option to lose weight, and you’ll just want to dive head first into the deep end and instantly see results. However, for your own safety you should take part in our adult swimming lessons until your instructor says you are ready to swim by yourself.

Once you are ready to tackle the inviting waters of our pools yourself, we have detailed a recommended workout below to get you started on your weight loss journey. Although some strokes are better for losing weight, we would recommend keeping your routine varied to keep your body and mind entertained.

Warm-up

• 2 x 50m freestyle swim (whatever stroke you are most comfortable with) 
• 30 second rest each round
  
  
• 2 x 50m kick freestyle (hold one of our complimentary kickboards out in front of you and only use your legs)
• 30 second rest each round
  
  
• 2 x 50m breaststroke (at a relevantly slow pace)
• 30 seconds rest each round
• Rest 1-2 minutes

Main workout

• 1 x 50m front stroke at a steady pace
• 30 second rest
  
  
• 1 x 25m front stroke at a fast pace
• 45 second rest
• Repeat 3 times
• Rest for 1 minute

• 1 x 75m breaststroke at a steady pace
• 30 second rest
• 1 x 25m breaststroke at a fast pace
• 45 second rest
• Repeat 3 times
• Rest for 1 minute
• 1 x 50m backstroke at a steady pace
• 30 second rest
  
  
• 1 x 25m backstroke at a fast pace
• 45 second rest
• Repeat 3 times
• Rest for 1 minute
  
  
• 1 x 75m butterfly at a steady pace
• 30 second rest
  
• 1 x 25m butterfly at a fast pace
• 45 second rest

Cool down

• 1 x 100m slow swimming

Hint: typically one length of a training pool is 25m.

→ How Many Calories Does Each Les Mills Fitness Class Burn?

FAQs About Swimming for Weight Loss 

What is the best swimming stroke to lose belly fat?

The butterfly stroke is identified as the most demanding stroke and the best for burning calories and building muscle, as it successfully targets a number of muscles including the chest, stomach, arms, and back muscles.

The front stroke (freestyle) is the second-best option for burning calories and toning the stomach, alongside the glutes and shoulders, due to its rigorous flutter kicking and constant alternating movements.

How far should I swim to lose weight?

The most effective way to lose weight through swimming is by focusing on the duration and intensity of your workout rather than a fixed distance. Aim for consistent sessions of 30 to 60 minutes, as an hour of swimming can burn anywhere between 420 to 715 calories (depending on your weight and effort), which is comparable to running. 

Is swimming cardio?

Yes, swimming is one of the best cardio exercises and an excellent way to work out your entire body and cardiovascular system, as it requires the continuous movement of large muscle groups and forces your lungs to work efficiently against the resistance of the water.

It significantly raises your heart rate while building strength and endurance and is often recommended as a low-impact alternative to running or cycling, making it suitable for almost all fitness levels and ages.

How many calories do you burn swimming for 1 hour?

A 160-pound person is estimated to burn between 420 and 715 calories per hour (depending on the effort), while a 240-pound person may even burn up to 1,068 calories an hour, with the overall calorie output depending directly on the intensity of the swim and the stroke choice. By maintaining a vigorous pace and varying your strokes, the more fat you are likely to burn.

Is breaststroke a good workout?

Yes, breaststroke is an excellent and effective full-body workout as it engages the inner thighs, glutes, and chest muscles more strongly than other strokes when performed correctly, providing a powerful lower-body and core workout.

It is also generally easier on the back and shoulders than other strokes, making it a popular choice for continuous, low-impact exercise that improves cardiovascular health, endurance, and muscular strength across the entire body.

What are the benefits of breaststroke swimming?

The benefits of breaststroke swimming include it being the optimum cardiovascular workout for strengthening your heart and lungs and having a unique muscle engagement as it helps develop major muscle groups such as the thighs, upper back, triceps, hamstrings, and lower legs.

It is also generally the least stressful stroke on the shoulders and more relaxing than the other swimming strokes due to the rhythmic breathing pattern required.

What are the benefits of front crawl swimming?

The front crawl (freestyle) is beneficial as it's the fastest competitive stroke, which can rapidly elevate heart rate, providing an exceptional aerobic workout, and its rigorous flutter kicking and constant alternating movements offer numerous full-body benefits, including toning the stomach, glutes, shoulders (deltoids) & back (Lats).

Swim, Relax and Recharge

Our heated, indoor pool facilities provide the perfect environment for experienced swimmers, casual users and those looking to increase their endurance in the pool.

Enjoy a dedicated swim lane for uninterrupted training, or feel free to enjoy a leisurely dip. After your swim workout make time to wind down in the sauna or steam room, or take a dip in the toasty bubbles of our whirlpool spa.

Find out if we have a gym near you, book a tour or get a day pass for your local Village Health & Wellness Club to check our cutting edge gym equipment, pool, wellness facilities and more!