Dave Smith wrote:

> Reg wrote:
>
>>Nancy Young wrote:
>>
>>
>>>As I understand it, while water exercise has many benefits, weight loss
>>>is not one of them. A quick google on swimming and weight loss confirms
>>>it's an issue.
>>
>>Not so. It completely depends on what kind of "swimming" is being
>>performed. Swimming involves a relatively large number of
>>different muscles. It can burn up to 1200 calories per hour,
>
>
> the tracking program at our Y used to credit me for about 396 calories for
> swimming 1 mile (30 minutes) I got almost as much credit for walking the same
> amount of time.

2 x 396 = 792 calories per hour. For walking? Only if you weigh
about 1000 pounds and really push hard

Your numbers are way off. Not a big surprise. You're gauging
your exertion level at a particular rate "because the Y says
so".

You need to measure it directly. I use a Polar heart rate
monitor/transmitter. It has an ECG electrode that goes around
the chest which transmits heart rate data to the watch
unit. The data gets captured during the session then gets
downloaded from the watch to a computer... then into
a relational database for calculations and historical
tracking.

From this I can calculate the percent of maximum heart rate
versus time which translates directly to calorie consumption
figures.


> Horseback riding was good for 906.

<LOL>

For the horse, maybe. Was he walking or running?

Maybe we can modify my electrode strap. We'll hook him up
and find out for sure.

>
>>depending. That's a level only trained athletes can sustain for
>>very long. It would be quite wrong to say that's of no use
>>in weight loss.
>
>
> I used to find that I could lose about a pound per week by swimming, but I was
> doing 1000 meters 3 times a week and a mile twice a week. That was a lot of
> swimming, and it's really boring. As soon as the weather warmed up I started
> riding my bike more. I get close to 1000 calories per hour credited for
> cycling, and it is a lot less boring.
>

I did a two hour ocean swim today alongside some really frisky
bottleneck dolphins. Not boring at all.

I do use a stationary recumbent bike in bad weather, though.
I used to ride competitively (triathlons and criterion races,
mostly) but I usually stay off the road now. Too dangerous
for my tastes. Too many crazy drivers.

Running is great too, though my joints can stand less and
less of it the older I get.


>>
>>Part of the reason for the confusion I'm sure is the way
>>"swimming" is often lumped together when there are in fact
>>many different kinds that involve very different levels of
>>exertion.
>
>
> Aquafit classes look like they are designed not to exhaust people who are way
> out of shape. The classes I going on involve bouncing or stepping in water
> and sometimes flexing arms with Nerf weights. It is not as strenuous as
> swimming. When I am finished swimming a mile I am physically tired and as soon
> as I get out of the water I feel very warm from muscle heat.
>


That's sort of my point... there are many different types
of water activity. Therapeutic water training like you describe
should never be confused with swimming (and it often is),
especially when it comes to calorie consumption. These
activities have completely different training effects.

--
Reg