swimming to lose weight from legs

sawhite

Hello all,

I used to do competitive swimming in my teens - am now early thirties. I am female! I still have the strokes and am a good swimmer but havn't swam in a few years. I have a little weight on, mainly in the lower half of my body, hips, legs etc. People say swimming isn't good to lose weight so was considering the gym - threadmill but hate the gym. If I went back swimming regularlly I think I would lose the weight. Any opinions on swimming as a means to lose weight? compared to say walking or gym - considering I have the strokes etc?

Also is it good for losing weight from legs - thighs, calves, hips etc? especially would like to reduce my calves but not sure if this is possible?? Would using the float kicking be good for legs? can do that but afraid it will make my legs/calves bigger than they are already?

Thanking you all in anticipation!!

shakencat

When you're loosing weight you cant just loose it from one area.

yes you can pin point and just work on them areas. but generally the weights falls off where IT wants to go!(annoying i know)


I would suggest leg work, by using weights etc.

better going to your local gym and viewing machines firstly.

also the instructors could give you hands on advice by showing you there and then.:)

AngryHippie

I'm pretty sure step aerobics would be more effective for weight loss, swimming will help with tone, and flexibility, but unfortunately it will take a very intense program to see any results from swimming alone. If you to decide to give it a go, keep your excercise in the aerobic zone, 120-140 BPM on the ticker, get a pair of fins and it'll build a little leg muscle. Hope for the best, but I'm pretty sure there are faster and more effective ways to get results

oceanclub

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/blog/swimming-weight-loss

Research published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows that in the absence of a controlled diet, swimming has little or no effect on weight loss [1].

Professor Grant Gwinup compared three exercise programs for three months. Each program began with up to 10 minutes of daily exercise. The length of each workout was increased by five minutes every week.

•Test subjects following the walking program lost 17 pounds of weight during the three-month study.
•Those following the cycling program lost 19 pounds of weight.
•However, subjects following the swimming program actually gained 5 pounds.
Assuming that all three groups burned a similar number of calories, the swimmers must have compensated by eating more. "Presumably," speculates Professor Gwinup, "swimming in cold water stimulates the appetite to increase caloric consumption."

Professor Louise Burke, Head of Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport, also points out that competitive swimmers typically have body fat levels that are higher than those of runners or cyclists who expend a similar amount of energy when they train.

sock puppet

oceanclub wrote: »

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/blog/swimming-weight-loss

I had to laugh at this part

Professor Burke also points out that swimmers are less active outside their training sessions. They are so tired from the hours spent training that they sleep, sit or otherwise avoid any real physical activity outside their sessions.

Looks like we're a pretty lazy bunch.