Swimming vs Cycling: Which Works The Best For Weight Loss?

Not everyone finds motivation in hitting the gym, and fortunately, there's no shortage of fun fitness activities to enhance overall health. From swimming and cycling to dancing, rock climbing, sports, or hiking, these pursuits offer not only physical benefits but also mental well-being.

Swimming Benefit To Loose Weight

As explained by Dr Neha Gill PT, Senior Physiotherapist at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Chandigarh, swimming is a full-body workout that engages muscles from head to toe, including the core, arms, shoulders, back, and legs. Dr Gill highlights that it promotes overall strength and endurance while being a low-impact cardiovascular exercise suitable for people of all ages.

One advantage of swimming, as Dr Gill points out, is that the equipment required is generally cheaper compared to cycling. Additionally, swimming's low-impact nature makes it an excellent option for those with soft tissue or joint injuries, and hydrotherapy is gaining popularity for therapeutic purposes.

Swimming Disadvantage

However, Dr Gill acknowledges that swimming also has its disadvantages. Extensive training can lead to overuse injuries in areas like the shoulders and knees, and the chemicals used in pools for hygiene purposes may cause dry skin, itchy noses, or red eyes.

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Benefits and Disadvantages Of Cycling

Moving on to cycling, Dr Gill describes it as another low-impact cardiovascular exercise that most people are familiar with from childhood, requiring less training. While the equipment for cycling can be more expensive than swimming, it is suitable for people of all ages, although not advisable in case of injury.

As Dr Gill explains, cycling primarily targets the lower body muscles, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, with less emphasis on the upper body. However, it also carries risks like falls or crashes, and repetitive movements can strain muscles in the hips and knees.

Swimming vs. Cycling

Both swimming and cycling are effective calorie-burning activities, but Dr Gill cites research suggesting that one hour of swimming burns more calories than cycling due to the involvement of multiple muscle groups.

"Swimming and cycling both are fantastic forms of exercise with amazing health benefits. Being low-impact cardiovascular exercises, swimming is a full-body workout, but cycling majorly focuses on the lower body. Lesser chances of strains or injuries are there in swimming as compared to cycling. Also, when we talk about weight loss, swimming is a better option. But cycling is easier and more convenient than swimming. Therefore, they both are great options for healthy well-being. Every individual is different, so one should consider what suits them best," said Dr Gill.

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