Which Exercise Burns More Calories: Swimming or Running?

Running vs Swimming: Which Burns More 

Calories?

Running and swimming are both widely enjoyed sports, and they offer numerous health benefits accessible to people of all skill levels. In fact, activities like #wildswimming are gaining popularity, making it a great time to dive into this topic.

Both running and swimming help develop muscle strength, improve cardiovascular fitness, and increase endurance. However, when it comes to calorie expenditure, determining a clear winner isn't straightforward. It depends on several factors such as your exercise intensity, duration, and individual variables like age, weight, gender, and more.

So, let's delve deeper into the topic, relying on data and analysis rather than just our physical experiences. Grab your favorite pair of running shoes and keep reading to discover the verdict.

Swimming: A Comprehensive Workout

Swimming is a versatile exercise that engages all major muscle groups, enhances cardiovascular fitness, increases strength and flexibility (thanks to the water's natural resistance), and may even reduce the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, according to the CDC. Depending on your swimming intensity, it can also contribute to weight loss and calorie burn. 

Additionally, like any form of exercise, swimming has the added advantage of improving mood and reducing anxiety. Whether you prefer the tranquility of wild swimming or the convenience of your local pool, it remains one of the most popular exercise choices in the United States, with a lower impact on your joints and bones.

Running Offers Similar Benefits

Running shares many of these benefits with swimming. It not only promotes muscle growth but also strengthens leg muscles and improves bone density through a process known as bone loading. If you're considering running as a means to lose weight, it can be highly effective.

The Calorie Burn Debate

However, when it comes to the age-old debate of running versus swimming for calorie burn, remember that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Calorie burn depends on various factors, including exercise intensity, duration, and individual factors like age, weight, gender, and hormones. Trying to pinpoint an exact number is a challenge. To explore this further, we even tested a 500-calorie High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout using the Apple Watch, revealing why calorie burn can be a variable metric.

In any case, both running and swimming are recognized for their high-calorie-burning potential, supporting weight loss. But is there a decisive winner?

The Numbers

According to the Omni Calculator, a 32-year-old female weighing 120 pounds running a steady 5k outdoors at a 1% gradient could burn around 300 calories, slightly less if done on a treadmill. When comparing this to a 30-minute swim (at the average 5k pace for a beginner or novice runner), the results vary significantly depending on your swimming stroke and effort.

For instance, sidestroke might burn around 200 calories, while a crawl (whether recreational or intense) could range from 230 to 280 calories. Breaststroke could burn between 150 and 300 calories, backstroke between 130 and 270, and butterfly a substantial 400 calories. Another calculator from the World Cancer Research Fund suggested that leisurely swimming burns around 162 calories compared to 189-318 calories for jogging or fast running (at 7.5mph), depending on intensity.

The Verdict

In summary, the estimated calorie burn for 30 minutes of swimming ranges from 130 to 400 calories, while running at a similar intensity burns between 189 and 318 calories. It's a close call, but it seems you might need to put in more effort while swimming to match the calorie burn of running.

How to Burn More Calories

While these numbers aren't exact, there are ways to increase calorie burn. For running, consider increasing your speed or incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your routine. This could involve sprinting for 30 seconds, jogging for 15 seconds, and repeating for several rounds, with bodyweight exercises like squats and burpees between rounds to further boost intensity and fat burn.

When swimming, you can adjust your speed during the session or engage in activities like aqua jogging or water aerobics to increase effort in the water. Some research even suggests that morning workouts before breakfast, when the body relies more on burning fat for fuel than carbohydrates, can be beneficial.

In Conclusion

Running and swimming offer distinct benefits, but if you're looking to burn calories quickly, running might have a slight edge over swimming, depending on your effort.