Finding the right type of workout to meet your desired fitness goals and stimulate overall health and wellness is vital. Among numerous options such as climbing, cycling, weight lifting, etc., two types of aerobic workouts, swimming and running, are more popular for fitness. But you may be wondering which one is better- swimming vs running.
Whether your objective is to increase your level of conditioning or fitness, reduce body fat, enhance cardiovascular health, burn more calories, build muscle, or increase bone density, it truly relies on your fitness level and goals.
If we talk about swimming vs running, you should first know that both are simple activities and have only a few requirements. For running, you need only a pair of shoes, whereas, for swimming, a body of water is required.
While both activities swimming and running are good for your health and fitness, there are certain things about swimming due to which we can say that swimming is better than running. Look at the facts:
Low Impact:
Swimming is an excellent, low-impact workout that individuals can perform from the cradle to grave. We can say that it’s truly an activity for all. Especially for people who suffer from joint pain or injuries, the low-impact behavior of swimming is a big advantage. Your body’s weight reduces to ninety percent by water. That means during a workout, your joints will get less pressure.
On the other hand, running is a high-impact activity. As you age, running can put a strain on your joints. However, running is a weight-bearing activity because, during activity, you will feel your body’s full weight, which is significant for your bone health.
Many people like running, but they must be careful not to overdo it to avoid putting extra strain on their joints. However, a lot of people swim every day without much concern.
Calories:
If you compare swimming vs running and want to know, does swimming burn more calories than running? When discussing the best calorie burning workout, there are always two options – swimming vs running. Most people agree that more calories are burned swimming.
To burn fat, you need to do high-intensity swimming which maintains your heart rate at seventy to eighty-five percent maximum because the water’s resistance is much higher than air which is necessary to burn fat during swimming.
We can simply say that you will burn more calories during swimming than running the same distance. Swimming is a full-body exercise that results in more fat burn than running.
Cardio:
If you are thinking about a good cardiac activity, you do not need to compare swimming vs running as both are very effective for heart and respiratory health. During these activities, your heartbeat increases, and your breathing fastens when resting, boosting your overall respiratory and cardiovascular function.
Resistance:
The muscles are used in different ways during both activities; swimming uses muscles differently, while running uses them in different ways. When swimming up to eight hundred times, the resistance is encountered in water when compared to air. This means you need to perform harder to move on.
Due to this reason, many runners do cross-training in the swimming pool. Additionally, they often perform running activities in the swallow end to practice the extra resistance. In addition to swimming, they often do running exercises in the shallow end to experience the additional resistance.
Incorporates Upper Body:
Swimming vs running – which one incorporates the upper body more? Both activities heavily utilize the lower body. But swimming uses the upper body a little bit more than running. The dragging movement in the arms and the resistance encountered as they assist pull you through the pool provides more of an upper body workout than running.
Swimming is better than running if you are suffering from joint pain and want to perform full-body exercise.
Both swimming and running are beneficial activities. But if you are comparing swimming vs running, you should consider swimming in your workout plan. Also, swimming is an excellent activity to incorporate a cardiac, full-body workout into your routine activity without wearing out joints.
Cardiac health is necessary for humans to maintain, but caring for your joints is equally important. You will also get other benefits from swimming, like upper body activity and resistance from the water.
You’ll also gain other benefits from swimming, such as the upper body workout and the resistance from the water.
In swimming vs running, If you choose swimming to add to your routine, keep doing it! It’s a great workout you can enjoy lifelong, even if joint pain starts to tiptoe in. If you are new to swimming, you can also check the swimming tips for beginners to make your swim practice a little bit more effective.
