Muscle
3 min read
Sculpt Your Muscles While Swimming
Wojciech Wiśniewski
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Diets Premium Medical Expert • 15.03.2026
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Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian:
This article has been peer-reviewed for adherence to IŻŻ, WHO, and PTGiP clinical nutritional standards.
| CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE MAGAZINE Muscle | min read 3 min |
| Diets Premium Medical Expert Wojciech Wiśniewski | Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian 15.03.2026 |
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Key Takeaways
Excellently supports the treatment process of spinal disorders, reduces the burden on joints and influences muscle sculpting. Swimming is an extraordinarily attractive sport for everyone. Have you ever wondered how many calories you can burn and what advantages it has?
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Swimming as a calorie-burning source
Calorie tables do not agree on the number of calories burned while swimming. Some indicate 800, others only 400. To clear up doubts, it is worth noting that this type of activity (like any other) requires a variable amount of energy depending on the weight of the exercising person and the intensity of the effort. Generally speaking, it can be assumed that an hour of swimming at a moderate pace allows for the burning of around 6 calories per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 50 kg woman can burn 300 calories in 60 minutes, while a 100 kg man can burn up to 600 calories in the same time. Swimming is one of those disciplines that stimulate fat burning even after the workout.
What muscles are utilized in swimming?
It is no surprise that swimming burns a significant amount of calories, as more than 40 muscles need to be activated to enable the body to move through the water. All areas are involved: back, arms, abdomen, buttocks, legs. Swimming can build up muscles such as straight and oblique abdominal muscles, lumbar muscles, piriformis, hip muscles, major and minor pectoral muscles, deep and superficial back muscles, large gluteal muscles, quadriceps and biceps femoris, triceps surae, elbow flexors and extensors, superficial, middle, and deep neck muscles. Swimming also allows for the training of rarely used muscles in feet and hands. During competitions, one can see that athletes have very broad chests and shoulders, as swimming effectively develops external chest muscles, leading to a broad chest.
Physical cultural activity
Swimming plays a pivotal role for individuals engaged in physical cultural activity. It is one of the few forms of activity that effectively strengthens the fascia. These membranes provide protective functions for each individual muscle. An underdeveloped fascia poses a threat of serious injuries that can permanently disrupt a sports career. Therefore, it is so essential to strengthen the fascia and participate in regular swimming sessions lasting between 30 to 60 minutes.
Comparison of Swimming and Running
Not everyone is fit enough to engage in jogging. There are practically no contraindications for swimming. Swimming pools are recommended by doctors for patients with injuries and motor impairments. Swimming has health-promoting properties. Its main advantage is that it allows for strengthening muscles while simultaneously reducing the burden on joints. While running, aerobics, or walking cause the skeletal system to be heavily used. Although in water we can lift heavier loads and do things that we cannot do in everyday life, such as standing on one hand, this does not mean that exercises performed in the swimming pool are less challenging. On the contrary, the resistance present in the liquid medium allows for achieving better results. It is also worth comparing swimming with running in terms of increasing lung capacity. Both disciplines belong to aerobic exercises, hence they have a positive impact on the volume of the thorax during breathing and condition. However, during swimming, the correct breathing plays a greater role than during jogging. We need to learn effective breathing during physical exertion. Both running and swimming bring similar benefits for strengthening the cardiovascular system.
Treatment of dyscopathy
There are certain websites that caution against swimming in the case of dyscopathy. There are many conflicting statements circulating on the internet: one time a swimming pool aids in treating the spine, another time it is strictly prohibited for spinal diseases and poses a risk of paralysis. Therefore, it is advisable to rely on the opinion of a doctor: if a back injury does not cause pain during swimming, one should swim as often as possible. If there are burns, cramps, or other discomforts, the training should be interrupted. Swimming strengthens the spinal muscles, preventing further damage.
Wojciech Wiśniewski
Diets Premium Medical Expert
Member of the Diets Premium clinical editorial board. Specializes in medical diet therapy, metabolic health, and nutritional planning.
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