Hi all. Has anyone ever seen that show “you are what you eat” with Jillian Mkeath on the BBC ? Well I was watching it last night and she had this large man in a lap pool and was telling us all at home that swimming burns 550 cal per half hour! I was wondering if any of you are on a swimming program? I love to swim and plan to go today. If this is true I should be fit in no time. Has anyone out there had any success with this or Water aerobics?

I would love to swim. I miss swimming, so much sometimes. But, I am a long haul truck driver and it isn't an option for me, at least until I am not driving anymore.

You will get great results without the stress on your joints. Water Aerobics, Laps, anything that keeps you moving is good.

I walk, most of the time. I try to park in places that I feel safe in walking around, so that I can get some exercise in. But, I also have had 2 knee surgeries - very messy and I don't have full function in my right leg, so I am limited in how far and fast I can go.

Swimming will be my ultimate exercise when I can do it. I plan on being a truck driver a couple more years at the most and then getting a stay at home job. I hope I will have lost my weight by then and my swimming will be for maintenance and strength.

Have fun!:tongue2:

I love swimming as well. I'm only 4 weeks out from surgery so I'm just getting started. But my Dr. OK'ed me to start exercising (no weights just yet) and swimming definately got his approval.

The gym I belong to has an olympic length pool so I can swim real laps. I've been in twice now and started with doing about 15 minutes of swimming (plus some eliptical). I do not want to overdo it. Slow and steady and build up to more is my plan.

I have an iPhone app that tracks calories, protien and exercise. According to that 30 minutes of swimming burns 524 calories. Pretty good for a low impact and enjoyable exercise.

Swimming's great but you'd have to be a VERY good swimmer to burn over 500 calories in half an hour. Its more like 250, 300 for a good swimmer who can swim constant laps. And for the average person who stops at the ends etc, its even less.

If you were running, you'd be running pretty had to burn 500 calories in half an hour - at a speed of about 10kms an hour. I'm a good swimmer, but I know what running at 10kms an hour feels like and i couldnt match that intensity in the pool.

Also, calorie burn for swimming tends to be a bit lower because you dont get as hot and also, you dont have to support your weight or force it to leave the ground like you do with running.

Now if you could go all out at about 90% of your maximum effort and swim maybe 40 or more 50 metre laps of freestyle in 30 minutes, you might get that sort of calorie burn.

Edited September 23, 200916 yr by Jachut

LOL I probably got the Cal count wrong. Any how I went to the gym and walked .75 miles and then swam 10 laps in the olympic pool. No Idea how much the numbers for today were butI'm going to keep at it. I realy do feel tired. I cant' be to hard on my self though because I am still a large lady, and I havn't exercized in a very long time.There was only one person who openly stared at me, it realy was rude. I just kept doing my thing and told my self he's just an #$% and he must have no manners. Every one else was realy nice and over half seniors just puttering. I am pretty proud that I got up and did something. It' s a big step for me, I have to work not to be a shut in. I just have to continue with my baby steps.

Start 293

pre op 280

now 266.5

I wouldnt worry about it anyway. What matters most with exercise is good honest effort within YOUR limits. As long as you're pushing yourself, you will get a result, no matter how big or little the calorie burn is. Its pushing your body beyond its own limits that forces it to adapt by becoming fitter and stronger. Even if you only burn 100 calories in a session but you've put in true effort, then that's great!

Eventually, of course, you get to the point where a 500 to 800 calorie exercise session is not only possible but not even particularly tiring. It may take a few years, but it does come. However, every single person has to start with what they can do, and nobody can deny that swimming is fantastic aerobic exercise that works every muscle in your body. It sounds like you did great.

Hubby and I are joining the YMCA tomorrow. I am looking forward to it since I can't walk very well yet. I figure a little is better than nothing.

I have to correct a statment that was made on here. somebody stated you have to be an aggressive swimmer to burn 550 cal per hr. ... not so... you burn also based on your wt/bmi. I do water aerobics 2-3x per week and at my wt. I burn 564 cal per hour and I also do laps another 1-2 days a week and I do a nice steady sidestroke... get in a mile in about 15 mins. and I can't recall the burn right now but think that is 597 or so an hr. as well. If you go to the livestrong.com site/ myplate.com... put in your wt. and go to theadd excersise area.. it will tell you YOUR calorie burn per hr. based on your bmi. It might not be as perfect as those pricey armbands..but it's good. At my wt I burn about 170 calories and hour just being a pulse in a chair... it's different for everybody. My dr. is super supportive of water aerobics and activity to suppliment my other workouts... and I LOVE the pool. On the weekends when I have time to do both it's such a treat to know after working myself into a lather on the machines, that I get to get into the pool. I am just back in the pool now post op and so happy ! I am in bandster hell right now but at least I know I cont. to tone since I can feel it. I also can't work on my core yet til 6 week mark but can do it in the pool so I don't lose all the abs I built up pre surg.So hit the pool and enjoy your work out... it doesn't have to be all pain and sweat!:smile:

I am getting results. I have now lost 30lbs since the begining of my journy. I had to buy new pants and I took in four of my shirts to fit now 2-3 inches. I can really tell around the neck area. I am now an advocate of the free style/ doggy paddle lap swim. I feel it in my arms, and once in my fingers? I do get breathless and the heart rate goes up too. That sounds goofy but it's true. I especialy love how I don't sweet and it is alot nicer on the knees. I think I am finaly at a point that I want to try some of the classes. I uesd to take lessons and was briefly on the swim team as a kid during middle school. I feel like I have forgotten everything about techneique. I know I am getting results but It may be fun to have support of new friends and aprofessional teacher. The aerobics could be fun too. If nothing else I can have fun all by myself just swimming laps.

BTW thanks Thin10 for the livestrong.com site/ myplate.com very helpfull.

Surg date 08/05/2009

Edited October 5, 200916 yr by pilotlisa2008