How Many Calories Does Swimming Use Up?

Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises and a great choice of activity when trying to burn calories and keep fit. How many calories swimming uses up depends on a person's body weight, metabolism and what kind of swimming.

  1. Time Frame

    • Doing freestyle laps in the swimming pool burns anywhere from 450 to 700 calories an hour. Speed up the pace and burn off 150 calories more than that.

    Size

    • The immensity of the butterfly stroke requires a full body workout. This swimming stroke provides the most calorie burn of all strokes at 650 to 950 calories an hour.

    Function

    • Some swimming can save a life as well as calories. Depending on the speed of treading water, this swim style can take off anywhere from 200 to 900 calories in 60 minutes.

    Effects

    • Similar swimming strokes have no effect on the amount of calories burned per hour. The sidestroke, backstroke, recreational swimming and even synchronized swimming all burn around 450 to 700 calories.

    Geography

    • Where you are swimming and what kind of water affects the intensity of the workout. Swimming in calm water burns less calories than swimming against a current or in the ocean with waves.

    Underwater

    • Using diving gear or deep-sea equipment adds weight to a person and increases the calories burn.