Hi, if one swims and floats around in the pool leisurely for an hour and one runs at a speed of about 5miles per hour for an hour, which sport is better for weight loss?

If i am not wrong, both burn about the same amount of calories but after running one will have less appetite but after swimming one will have huge appetite and eat more.

Cos' i been running for 3 weeks and find it is harder and harder to run everyday though my fitness improve, as i find it more and more boring and less motivated. Whenever its about time to run, i would feel stressful, though after running i would feel abit of achievement.

So i am thinking of using swimming as a substitute, as i think it burn about the same amount of calories as i run for an hour but is much more funner.

Thanks for wasting u peeps precious time to ans my query.

You'd be better off sticking with the running I think, unless you've got a reason other than boredom, like the impact hurting you knees, shins or something like that.
You probably burn a few more calories running as with swimming you've got the water supporting your body weight instead of you legs.

Could you maybe invest in a CD player or something? If you're at a gym maybe you could do part of the cardio on a stationary bike, and another bit on the Cross-Trainer?
Changing the pace continually could help alleviate the boredom as well.

I never really have a bordeom problem, though there are TVs in front of the treadmills at my gym, some people hate them but I think they're a nice distraction from the sweat pouring from my head :D

all exercises are basicly equal for fat loss.

Why?

Because the sole purpose is to burn cals, so assuming you put equal effort into all, you'll burn the same amount of cals for all.

So it's totally personal preference or down to outside factors, like injuries, availability, fitting into your schedule etc.

I'd love to swim for my exercise, but it takes too much time and the bike at home is more convenient.

I cant back this up with any physiological theories but I have been told by trainers that swimming is not as effective as running because it does not have the intensity. Swimming is excellent for cardiovascular fitness but it doesnt get your metabolism as high. Its kind of like walking, its still good and you can burn a lot of fat but you need to walk for over 90mins to get any real benefit. With running a session of HIIT or a 40 continuous run gets you the same if not better results because of the increased intensity.

The only way to know though is to do each methos for 2-3 and see which one gives better results or at leasr feels better. I've donr both and running definely kills me a lot more than swimming (although swimming is good)

Just my 2c

Marcus :tucool:

Let me copy a table I had in another thread on calories burnt for the three triathlon exercises. As you can see, which burns the most calories all depends on how "good" you are in them :

Bicycling :
13 miles per hour--.045 calories/pound/minute
15 miles per hour--.049 calories/pound/minute
17 miles per hour--.057 calories/pound/minute
19 miles per hour--.076 calories/pound/minute

Running :
5 miles per hour--.061 calories/pound/minute
6 miles per hour--.074 calories/pound/minute
10 miles per hour--.114 calories/pound/minute

Swimming
20 yards/minute--.032 calories/pound/minute
45 yards/minute--.058 calories/pound/minute
50 yards/minute--.070 calories/pound/minute

Generally, if you are not a good swimmer (ie you are slow), you will not burn too much.

oh c0ol.. so i gotta conclude that running is better right...

sigh...no easy way to lose weight effectively..

Do both!

It's important to mix up your workouts so your body doesn't get used to it.

oh c0ol.. so i gotta conclude that running is better right...

sigh...no easy way to lose weight effectively..

Not necessarly, going off that chart i'm much better of biking than running.

Also for the swimming, that chart is most likely assuming good technique, a good swimmer is probably 2 or even 3 times as effective (effort per metre) as a not so good one.

I still say the best exercise is the one you can do and fits in with your limitations, both physical and time wise.

Personally,
I would schedule a swimming workout or two in your situation; the most important thing in traning is managing your motivation. If swimming is more fun it will help you maintain your motivation and long-term dedication.

What you could do to avoid hurting your fat-burning goals are to add some intensifiers to the swimming workout, for example interval traning by threading water. The intensity is easily adjusted by raising your arms above the water: hands in the air is easier than forearms in the air, which is easier than arms straight up. When you can thread water for one minute with your arms straight up, you can add dumbells ;)

Good luck with your goals!

From my personal experience and knowledge, I continue to assert the belief that swimming is the best exercise (and for more reasons than just the caloric burning effect). My more detailed response here: http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=1349

Tan Pao Wei, adding swimming would be a great cross training idea. But if boredom is the issue, consider that swimming is also just laps.


Bunko, out of curiosity, where did you get those tables? I think they're useful, but you must consider their layout. The jump from 6mph to 10mph in running makes it appear to be best. But consider that 10mph is a 6 minute mile...

Also, the swimming section stops at 50yds/min. On a HIIT style swimming workout, I will swim 100yards on one minute intervals. That would put that at a scorching .140 cal/lb/min!

Also, the swimming section stops at 50yds/min. On a HIIT style swimming workout, I will swim 100yards on one minute intervals. That would put that at a scorching .140 cal/lb/min!

100 yards on one minute? You must have been fast back in the day (you said you used to swim in other thread link you posted above). I peaked last swim season at 58.3 for the 100.

Bicycling :
13 miles per hour--.045 calories/pound/minute
15 miles per hour--.049 calories/pound/minute
17 miles per hour--.057 calories/pound/minute
19 miles per hour--.076 calories/pound/minute

Running :
5 miles per hour--.061 calories/pound/minute
6 miles per hour--.074 calories/pound/minute
10 miles per hour--.114 calories/pound/minute

Swimming
20 yards/minute--.032 calories/pound/minute
45 yards/minute--.058 calories/pound/minute
50 yards/minute--.070 calories/pound/minute


Based on your data running at 6 mph (a fair jog) for one hour will result in a burn of 4.44 calories/pound/hour and 6 miles traveled. Swimming at 50 yards/minute will result in a burn of 4.2 calories/pound/hour and a distance of 1.7 miles (= 3000 yards = 60 laps). So, by swimming 1.7 miles you burn almost as many calories as you do running 6 miles, doesn't this mean swimming is much more effective? I think that means you can swim 3.5 times less than you run at these respective paces and get the same caloric burn quality.

Keep also in mind that sprinting 50 yards in swimming leaves even the worst swimmers at 30 to 40 seconds. Anyone decent at swimming can keep a very moderate pace indeed if they want to make 50 yards in a minute.

Bunko, out of curiosity, where did you get those tables? I think they're useful, but you must consider their layout.

Table is from here :
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/heart/hhb5-8.html

Yes, you are right. Like I said, it depends on how "good" you are in these sports. The faster you can go, the more you will burn.

(I am not sure how much this will scale though, obviously a pro athlete will not have to work as hard as a regular guy to achive the same speed. So I would suggest, take this table with a grain of salt.)

only four years ago i was still training 8 times a week in the pool and i dont think i had an ounce of fat on me even tho i ate crap all the time. part of it could be to do with the fact i still had my boyhood metabolism.
One of my fav things in training was a T15.
Basically you swim as many lenghts as you can in 15 mins, then next time you train try to beat it. Suppose you could integrate HIIT into this making alternate lenghts 60% and 90% effort. If you do it properly getting out of the pool should be near impossible ;)

Based on your data running at 6 mph (a fair jog) for one hour will result in a burn of 4.44 calories/pound/hour and 6 miles traveled. Swimming at 50 yards/minute will result in a burn of 4.2 calories/pound/hour and a distance of 1.7 miles (= 3000 yards = 60 laps). So, by swimming 1.7 miles you burn almost as many calories as you do running 6 miles, doesn't this mean swimming is much more effective? I think that means you can swim 3.5 times less than you run at these respective paces and get the same caloric burn quality.

Keep also in mind that sprinting 50 yards in swimming leaves even the worst swimmers at 30 to 40 seconds. Anyone decent at swimming can keep a very moderate pace indeed if they want to make 50 yards in a minute.

wow 60 laps to burn as much calories as running 6miles in an hour. i think it gonna take me at least 2 hour to swim 60 laps, and when i swim 1/2 a lap i m gonna die. anyway i still think i gonna add swimming as part of my exercise for x-crossing.

wow 60 laps to burn as much calories as running 6miles in an hour. i think it gonna take me at least 2 hour to swim 60 laps, and when i swim 1/2 a lap i m gonna die. anyway i still think i gonna add swimming as part of my exercise for x-crossing.

Remember, that is at a speed of one lap per minute, so it should take you exactly one hour...

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You can think of swimming like lifting with pyramid sets or those fancy % effort programs.

Sample ladders/pyramids:

65 laps (laps at 10 on 1:15 decreasing by :05 every set).

1-10 on 1:15
11-20 on 1:10
21-30 on 1:05
31-40 on 1:00
41-50 on 0:55
51-60 on 0:50
61-65 on 0:45

Or 55 laps (laps decreasing by 1 on 1:25 decreasing by :05 every set.)

10 laps on 1:25
9 laps on 1:20
8 laps on 1:15
7 laps on 1:10
6 laps on 1:05
5 laps on 1:00
4 laps on 0:55
3 laps on 0:50
2 laps on 0:45
1 laps on 0:40

Usually you try to swim at a constant speed -- one that can make the last interval -- and as your rest time decreases, your heart-rate and work/effort level goes up.

Cut the interval times in half, and add about 5 seconds, then you can do lengths (25s) of the pool instead of a whole lap.

I try to do both, the swimming 10-20 min after my 5k run seems to help me cool off.