LongT

I have searched and couldn't find an answer. I probably didn't use the right words.

Is swimming good for a winter exercise? I use a trainer and ride outside when I can but I am thinking of adding some swimming for the more wintry months.

Thanks,

Bill

dbg

Probably need to try it to see if you like it. I don't think there is anything inherently bad about it. I swam in high school (season was during winter months) and regularly for exercise in college (all this was a thousand years ago) and never felt there were any problems (no colds or flu, etc).

But later in life I returned to a swimming regimen only to find it irritated my back (a certain arched back position that aggravated my facet problems).

StanSeven

It's a good aerobic exercise with little risk for injury. The two drawbacks for cycling is there's very little carryover in terms of improving/maintaining cycling conditioning and you don't lose weight from it

Myosmith

I agree with Stan's first statement but must respectfully disagree with the rest of his post. With the numerous variations in strokes and kicks, swimming can work muscles in both upper and lower extremities in a variety of ways. It is also good exercise for the core and numerous small stabilizer muscles of the shoulders, hips and knees. Swimming also teaches breathing control. While it might not translate directly into cycling, it sure won't hurt as part of a cross-training regimen and it will help maintain cardio/respiratory fitness. As far as losing weight, any exercise burns calories, whether or not you lose weight depends on the nutrition, especially calorie intake, you pair with the exercise. You don't lose weight cycling either, if you overeat.

Look at triathletes, they swim, run and cycle and many of them are in awesome shape.

IMHO your suggestion of "adding some swimming" to trainer and outdoor riding is a great idea. You might want to look at some resistance (free weight or machine) training and yoga or pilates as well. Mixing it up helps prevent winter boredom when you can't ride outside.

Dudelsack 

Interesting that you say that. I'm trying to get into swimming, and I pay careful attention to form, but it always seems to knacker up my back.

cplager

No! It's horribly dangerous!

Oh, wait....

You don't mean swimming outside during the winter.

Never mind. Swimming's a great thing to do in that case, year round.

rumrunn6

YES! swimming is AMAZING! look in the triathlon threads

any training helps any other training but the best training for any sports is sport specific training. meaning if you want to get better at cycling then cycle or cycle train indoors.

if you've been training using cycling as a tool and are looking to mix things up for a nicely rounded set of routines, then adding swimming will be AMAZING! do it! do it! do it!

word of caution, though. no one is instantly good at it. it takes time and research and much thought to develop good technique.

LongT

3 words... Polar Bear Club!!

I guess I should have been more specific

And be careful diving in if outside!!

Bill

cplager

Those guys are just nuts!

ModeratedUser150120149

Weird question. Any physical activity is good for the body. If you enjoy it more the better. Moving is good. Not moving grows undesirable things.


Oh yes, maybe I should say swimming in a lake or river outside in the winter fully clothed is probably not what you want to do. Or, at least that has been my experience.

BlazingPedals

Swimming is great for cardio-vascular work, and it's a good all-body workout; but it doesn't help your pedaling muscles much. Just keeping the ticker in shape over the winter makes those first spring rides a lot easier.

mprelaw

You can also target specific muscle groups. You could use a kick board and work the legs, or hold a pair of pull buoys between your legs, and work your arms and shoulders.

fietsbob

If you have to saw through the Ice to get in the water it will be a quick dip.

May I suggest warming yourself, in the Sauna , first?

Keith99

Actually thinking tri for a second.

Swimming and cycling (at least once one can swim reasonably well) are rather different from running.

Anything that can reasonably be called running is work. But not so for swimming or cycling, those can both be done in a very lazy manner. One actually has to think about pushing to work hard.

JanMM

Wear a swimsuit of some sort and keep your bike out of the pool. Can't combine the two activities.

Rhodabike

Swimming is great all year 'round!
Breast stroke probably works the cycling leg muscles most closely, although the twisting motion of whip kick can aggravate existing knee problems.
Lower back pain usually means poor body position, such as swimming front crawl flat on the stomach and lifting the head up to the front instead of rotating the whole body about 30 degrees and swivelling the head to the side to breath. The body and neck should be straight and neutral at all times.

nkfrench 

I was primarily a swimmer for decades and took up cycling when I realized that my legs needed more strengthening.
Even with a fin and kickboard, I didn't get my legs conditioned other than from pushing off the wall at turns.
My core muscles were very strong and my cardiorespiratory system was in great shape.
Breath control I got from swimming has served me well on the bicycle.
The upper body exercise from swimming has helped me on the bike - anchoring my body climbing and holding an aerodynamic position in the drops.

But just about any kind of exercise is better than the monotony of a trainer or a treadmill or just sitting on the couch.

I suggest alternating exercise so in addition to swimming, include some time on a stationary bike and doing some weights.

Lower back pain in swimming can come from hyperextending during butterfly swimming, some drills, kicking with a kickboard, and flipturns.
Poor technique in the freestyle and breaststroke also can stress your lower back.
Swimming backstroke will correct muscle imbalances and is easy on the back.

As far as weight loss, you can burn plenty of calories while swimming and lose weight. Just like cycling. I always have to watch calorie input in both activities to keep from gaining.

cplager

Sure you can!



(Oh come on... You had to know this was coming. )

StanSeven

Let me qualify what I said about weight loss. Of course you can lose weight from swimming. What I meant was if you pick up swimming as a novice and as something to do besides cycling over the winter, you likely won't lose weight. For one thing the cold water creates hunger for most people because your body wants to make up for the cold. That creates a craving for more food. Your body also adapts to cold water by retaining fat for both warmth and buoyancy. This is just at first during the initial few weeks. But if you do it as a winter activity, you may not lose weight unless you concentrate on food intake.

Also swimming a mile burns around 400 calories. It takes time to swim unless you are next door to a pool. For most people that means gathering up your gear, driving somewhere, change, swim, shower, get dressed, and drive home. So it's a two hour effort to burn 400 calories. Then you are starving and stop at McDonalds for a Quarter Pounder, fries, and of course a diet coke.

Rhodabike

I suppose everybody is different, but I've never experienced the "ravenous after swimming" thing. Not even on Swimtrek tours, after swimming the 5.5 km from Gozo to Malta. Perhaps it happens to novices who don't realize that they have to pause to drink water from time to time, just as frequently as they'd drink while doing dryland exercise. Dehydration and hunger sometimes feel the same.

UtahRider

Yes, swimming is a very good exercise.

LongT

This pool has those. I hope in the shallow end!!

And thanks for all the comments.

Bill

JanMM

Just remember that trainer 'miles' don't count.

b2run

I swim twice a week during the winter. Started a couple of years ago. I never much enjoyed swimming but I'm loving what it does for my body. I feel like my whole body is fit and toned instead of just my legs. You can get an incredible cardio workout if you do it right. It takes some of the "bored with trainer" aspect out of winter activity. It is also very technique dependent so it gives me a challenge.

Tandem Tom

What I do is swim with a floatblock between my legs. This allows me to just use my upper body which is what gets neglected while cycling. Just went to the pool yesterday for the first time in months. Felt great!