When the time comes to whip that body back into shape (and let’s be honest… when isn’t it time?) which is your better option, swimming or running?
We’ll start by saying the following… the best exercise that helps you get in shape, lose weight, improve overall health is the one you enjoy and will actually stick with.
Having said that, we’ll try to shed some light on pros and cons of both swimming and running since both have their strengths and weaknesses. And while no one has likely ever drowned while going for a jog, by the same measure few if any have ever been hit by a car while swimming.
Both activities help improve not only your cardiovascular health but also burn calories and improve your overall health, but there are some notable differences.
Let’s tackle a big one right off the top. As a rule, running does burn more calories than swimming does… but not by as much as one might think.
While numbers vary depending upon several factors, a person who weighs around 150 pounds can burn roughly 550 calories after an hour of moderate running. That same person can burn about 400 calories over an hour of moderate swimming.
So, while running has the advantage at this point, there is still quite a bit more to tell when it comes to an overall comparison.
Next, you need to consider the fact that running is a high impact activity whereas swimming is a low impact activity. This means there is a greater chance of both injuries as well as wear and tear for runners (including things such as runners’ knee, shin splints, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, IT band issues to name a few) than there is for swimmers (who can potentially find themselves victims of swimmers’ shoulder, neck pain, low back pain etc.).
But while every activity can have injuries, how frequently these injuries occur can tell a bigger picture. When it comes to incidence levels of injuries, runners are more predisposed to be injured than swimmers.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found the incidence of running injuries ranged from 19.4 to 79.3 injures per 1,000 hours. Comparatively, an American Journal of Sports Medicine found the injury rate among recreational runners ranged from 7.7 to 33.3 injuries per 1,000 hours.
When compared to swimming a study from the Journal of Science and Medicine, it was found the injury rate for COMPETITIVE swimmers ranged from 1.7 to 4.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of training. Another study from the Journal of Athletic Training found the injury rate for recreational swimmers ranged from 0.3 to 3.3 injuries per 1,000 hours of swimming.
So, what one can take from this is that the likelihood of injury, as well as wear and tear on your body is higher with running than it is with swimming.
A few final factor to considers…
- Swimming is a whole body exercise that works muscles throughout your body, whereas running is primarily a lower body exercise.
- Due to many of the factors mentioned above, you will likely be more likely to enjoy swimming as you age.
So, while it’s fair to say that here at Hollandia Pools we have a clear bias, we genuinely do feel that swimming is the better overall option.
