Distance Vs. Interval Swimming

Swimming can make for a refreshing and relaxing day at the beach, but swimming for training and competition is no picnic. Over 300,000 competitors belong to USA Swimming, the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. The two basic types of swimming for training and competition are interval swimming and distance swimming.

  1. Basic Definitions

    • Distance swimming is any form of swimming in which participants swim for a certain distance and then stop. The term distance swimming may also be used informally to refer to long-distance swimming; according to the organization U.S. Masters Swimming, long-distance swimming is when participants swim for over 1650 yards or 1508.8 meters. When a participant swims for short distances with breaks in between, it is referred to as interval swimming.

    Competitive Swimming

    • Most types of competitive swimming are categorized as distance swimming. Common examples include 400-meter and 800-meter races; these take place in a pool. Long-distance swimming events include the 3,000 yard, 6,000 yard, one mile and two mile. Long-distance events frequently occur outside of pools in open water. Interval swimming is used for training and does not occur in swimming competitions. However, it is still important to train for distance if you are planning to compete in long-distance competitions. Interval swimming improves your body's aerobic capabilities, whereas swimming for long distances at a slower pace improves your body's anaerobic capabilities.

    Training

    • Both distance and interval swimming can be useful for training. Swim coach Marty Gaal recommends interval swimming even for athletes training for long-distance swimming, arguing that interval swimming can help an athlete's body attain higher intensity efforts. Sports coach Brian Mac agrees that training in high-intensity intervals can help you to swim faster than training for hours at a time at your race pace.

    Weight Loss

    • According to the organization U.S. Masters Swimming, swimming is one of the best exercises for overweight individuals or those with problematic joints, because swimming does not cause stress to the leg joints. According to Dr. Pat O'Shea, your metabolic rate rises with high-intensity exercise and you burn more fat per calorie. When push comes to shove, interval swimming is a more effective weight loss program than low-intensity distance swimming.