Swimming or Running: Which is Better for Fitness?

It’s important to find the right type of physical activity for you; not only to achieve your fitness goals, but to promote overall health and wellness. With endless options to choose from (cycling, hiking, rock climbing, etc.), two forms of aerobic exercise continue to remain popular among serious fitness aficionados and beginners alike: running and swimming with lifeguard training

The question is, which is better for fitness?

It truly depends on your personal fitness level and goals; whether that’s to improve your conditioning or fitness level, lose weight, improve cardiovascular health, burn calories, gain muscle, or improve bone density.If you’re recovering from an injury, swimming is a common recommendation for exercise that’s easier on your joints. But recovery isn’t the only reason to hop in the pool! Swimming has several health benefits, as well as some advantages over running for fitness.

Do you burn more calories swimming or running?

There are different opinions when it comes to burning calories while swimming or running. Most agree that swimming is a more effective way to burn more calories.To burn calories, you need to strive for high intensity swimming, which keeps your heart rate at 70-85% of maximum. Because the resistance of water is so much higher (and more consistent) than air, it’s easier to burn calories while swimming.Simply put, you’ll burn more calories swimming compared to running the same distance. Swimming is a full body workout, which results in more calories burned.

When it comes to running, you must maintain a certain speed and consistent cardiovascular exertion to burn comparable calories. According to Harvard Health, running can burn calories like swimming, but it depends on your body weight. For example, a 125-pound person will burn about 180 calories in 30 minutes of swimming, while a 155-pound person will burn about 216 calories in the same amount of time. Try to focus on shorter, faster runs instead of long distance to reduce joint strain with American lifeguard

Is swimming better than running for cardio?

Swimming is better than running for cardiovascular exercise because there is greater resistance in water than in the air.Both are forms of aerobic exercise (increasing your heart rate and promoting better cardiovascular health), but it takes more effort to kick in water than to take a step while running. Because of this, swimming can be considered as resistance training.

Is swimming or running better for muscle gain?

Being a full body activity, swimming requires more muscle groups, whereas running focuses on lower body muscles (abs and legs).When done correctly, freestyle (a.k.a. front crawl) engages your upper body muscles, particularly your shoulders and arms. Swimming is a great way to gain lean muscle mass with minimal pressure to your bones and joints, so you can remain active in the long term.

Which is better for bone strength?

Running helps with bone health because it’s a weight bearing exercise, which helps improve bone density.Unlike running, swimming is a low impact exercise—often recommended for people recovering from injuries. Determining the right form of physical activity depends on your physical fitness needs, including those regarding joint health.

Cold weather: swimming vs running

When the weather gets colder, it can be hard to stay motivated and just keep swimming or exercising in general, Luckily, swimming and running have proven benefits when done in cooler temperatures.Swimmer in icy cold water ,Running in the cold might sound daunting (or like a nightmare), but if you’re dressed appropriately, it can be a great way to get some Vitamin D. One study found that cooler temperatures increased participants’ brown fat (which burns calories) instead of white fat (which stores calories), with subsequent changes in metabolism. Running in cold weather is also easier on your body since there’s less heat stress. It also promotes a faster metabolism before your body gets into a winter rhythm of moving less and eating more.

Cold swimming comes with its own (arguably more exciting) list of health benefits. Cold water has been proven to increase your number of white blood cells, strengthening your immune system. It also improves your blood circulation, as it flushes to your extremities to keep you warm. 

 Repeated cold-water swimming will get easier as your body’s circulatory system adapts. Studies have also shown that cold water swimming reduces stress, improves memory retention, and can give you a swimming high. Like running, cold swimming promotes weight loss more than in regular temperatures.

Swimming vs Running: Risk of Injury

As mentioned, swimming is the best option if you suffer from joint pain because its lower impact compared to running.

When running, most injuries can be prevented, but a list of common ones includes shin pain, blisters, soft tissue injuries (ligaments, stretched muscles), and skin injuries (bruises, scrapes). Of course, there are increased risks of injury if you overexert yourself or have poor running form. Running on concrete can increase stress fractures, leading to joint problems. To maintain better joint health, try to balance running with low impact exercise, like swimming.

Swimming puts less pressure on your joints than running, but still comes with its own risks. Swimmers often experience pain in their shoulders and neck, including tendonitis or ligament damage from overexertion. You may also experience pain in your wrists and rotator cuff from the repetitive movements that come with different swimming strokes.

Learn more about it :Is Swimming A Good Workout For Weight Loss?