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Lap swimming is a low-impact aerobic exercise that can benefit the body in various ways, including raising the heart rate, burning calories, and sculpting lean muscle. However, it may not be the best exercise for weight loss or muscle building. Lap swimming requires proficiency in swimming and knowledge of lap swimming etiquette. It is a good option for those recovering from injury or prone to injury. The greatest benefits come from an hour-long swim, but beginners should start slowly and build up to an hour as their swimming skills improve.
The benefits of lap swimming can be numerous. This is an aerobic exercise that tends to work two major muscle groups (arms and legs) simultaneously, while putting less stress on the body than many other forms of exercise. Such training helps to raise the heart rate and burn calories. Many other potential benefits of this activity can be cited, such as its ability to sculpt lean muscle and the relaxing nature of being in the water. Even with these cited benefits, people will still have to play by the rules and realize that this is not the most favorable aerobic exercise for weight loss.
Compared to some other aerobic exercises, swimming is not ideal for weight loss and muscle building because it is not a weight-bearing exercise. Various medical sources suggest that exercises in the water do not continue to burn calories after completion because one’s temperature is slightly lower, minimizing the post-workout burn rate that generally accompanies aerobic exercise. Those who exercise regularly can still benefit from swimming, especially if no exercise is the alternative.
One reason lap swimming is often preferred is because it causes less stress on the muscles, joints, and skeletal system. Other aerobic activities like running, aerobic dancing, and brisk walking place more impact on the body and may be associated with a higher chance of injury. People recovering from injury or feeling particularly prone to injury, especially knee or foot problems, may do much better at swimming.
A prerequisite for lap swimming is knowing how to swim at a certain level of proficiency. Knowing how to crawl is most important, but some people can walk laps in shallow water or use a surfboard and just work their legs. Each pool has different rules about what people can do and how to be considerate of others in the pool.
There is general lap swimming etiquette, which people will need to know before they begin. This includes procedures for passing someone or being passed, which lanes (slow, medium, fast) to choose based on strength and swimming ability, and how to share a lane. Some people, to avoid passing, swim half distances if there are only two people in the lane, and if there are three people there, they may swim in circles. While etiquette is important, it always depends on the actual pool, and pools usually post rules for how to swim a lap.
Once the rules are mastered, people can start getting proper exercise. They should swim in shallow water if they are inexperienced, and may need to get up occasionally. Typically, the greatest benefits of lap swimming come from an hour-long swim, but if swimming laps are new, individuals should start slowly, building up to an hour of swimming as swimming skills increase. . At moderate intensity, people can expect to burn 400-600 calories in an hour.
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