In comparison, the average person weighing 200 pounds will approximately burn per hour:

• 364 calories biking leisurely (<10 mph)
• 273 calories bowling
• 273 calories ballroom dancing
• 755 calories running at 5 mph
• 1074 calories running at 8 mph
• 619 calories cross-country skiing
• 364 calories playing volleyball
• 728 calories playing basketball
• 391 calories playing golf while carrying clubs
• 546 calories water skiing
• 455 calories playing baseball or softball
• 728 calories playing singles tennis
• 255 calories walking at 2 mph
• 391 calories walking at 3.5 mph

The appeal of this sport is that the activity exercises the entire body while increasing flexibility and improving respiratory health. The amount of calories burned during swimming changes when you change your activity and intensity level in the water.

The average person weighing 205 pounds will approximately burn per hour:

• Swimming backstroke – 651 calories
• Swimming breaststroke – 931 calories
• Swimming butterfly – 1024 calories
• Swimming freestyle, fast laps – 931 calories
• Swimming freestyle, slow laps – 651 calories
• Swimming leisurely, not laps – 558 calories
• Swimming sidestroke – 745 calories
• Synchronized swimming – 745 calories
• Treading water, fast – 931 calories
• Treading water, moderate – 372 calories
• Water aerobics – 372 calories
• Water calisthenics – 372 calories
• Water jogging – 745 calories
• Water polo – 931 calories

During competition, the amount of calories burned increases dramatically. The butterfly stroke burns the most during competition. The average swimmer weighing 205 pounds will burn approximately 1024 calories an hour doing the butterfly at a competitive event. In comparison, the average 205-pound swimmer burns around 651 calories per hour swimming the backstroke during competition. The average swimmer weighing 135 pounds burns about 649 calories per hour doing the butterfly and 413 calories per hour doing the backstroke at competitive events.

Swimming is an excellent way to burn calories. Swimming exercises your entire body, increases flexibility, and improves circulation and respiration. Unlike running, swimming does not put stress on your joints. Swimming is a low-impact, vigorous aerobic exercise that can be enjoyed by all fitness levels.

A calorie burn calculator can help you estimate how many calories you burn while swimming. After inputting the required data, the calculator will tell you about how many calories you burned. Knowing how many calories you burn will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and reach your fitness goals. Here’s a swimming calorie calculator if you’d like to keep track of what you’ve burned:

Powered by Everyday Health.

In addition to the right swim0 coach, people with disabilities must find a facility that is safe, clean, and accessible. The showers and changing rooms must be large, have rails and allow people to use the amenities easily. The water temperature should be warm to prevent muscle spasms. Pools should have ways for disabled swimmers to enter and exit the water without difficulty like ramps, specialized stair systems and lifts.

The modifications and equipment needed depend on the disabilities the person has. Floatation devices such as rings and inflatable body suits provide stability. Many with disabilities need help keeping their heads and upper bodies above water. Floatation devices also reduce fatigue so the swimmer can spend more time in the water. Rubber prosthetics help amputees do swim strokes. For those who need assistance with controlling their limbs, belts and buckles tie the legs together and are designed to float.

For blind swimmers, in addition to floatation devices, a pole helps find the vertical and horizontal spaces in the pool. A pole held while swimming signals the presence of the wall and lets the swimmer know how deep the pool is before diving in. Guides can swim beside blind swimmers, tapping when the wall approaches. Some swimmers learn to count strokes to know where the sides of the pools are. Loud signals over speakers, whistles,and bells can also let blind swimmers know when to turn. Working out a signaling system takes time, but if the blind swimmer works with the same people repeatedly, then the system is quickly learned. Those with impaired vision can benefit from prescription goggles and brightly colored lines along the bottom and sides of the pool.

Many people with disabilities enjoy swimming because of the buoyant nature of water; the water allows them to enjoy a regular activity since the degree of their disability is lessened. Swimmers with disabilities benefit from swimming as much as abled-bodied people do. Swimming exercises muscles and eases aches and pains. With the right equipment, modifications, and environment, swimming for the disabled can be enjoyable.

Age Group Swimming

Young swimmers who are interested in competing get their start by joining a neighborhood swim team, local recreational team, school team, or a USA Swimming club team. Competing against peers gives young swimmers the opportunity to refine their skills and gain experience. Swimmers usually start at local competitions that can have between 150 to 1000 swimmers. These events are designed for swimmers to compete against others of a similar age and skill level. Many of these events are divided into categories: 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18.

Swimmers who do well in local competitions will be invited to Local Swimming Committee (LSC) age group championships. At LSC events, swimmers compete against the best swimmers in their age groups from the same state or from a geographical region. Doing well at LSC events can advance swimmers to Zone Championships. There are 60 LSCs and four Zones, so the Zone Championships is a competition of the best of the LSC events. Each of the four Zones, Eastern, Western, Central, and Southern, has at least one Zone Championship event every year. The Zone Championships are the top age group meets young swimmers can compete in.

Senior Swimming

Swimmers who perform well at LSC events and Zone Championships and want to make a serious commitment to swimming move into the senior level. A swimmer moves into the senior level of swimming usually around 13 or 14, but a swimmer can enter this level sooner if the swimmer is very dedicated and shows a lot of promise. Senior swimmers have made swimming their only athletic focus. At the senior level, new competition events are available. Senior swimmers who are fast enough can compete at many events, including the Speedo Champions Series, USA Swimming Grand Prix meets, the Speedo Junior National Championships, and the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships.

Elite Swimming

Swimmers who shine at the senior level become elite swimmers. The elite swimming level is for the fastest and most skilled swimmers. This level of swimming is for those who want to make swimming a career, and the sport takes up most of the athlete’s time. Elite swimmers have a training and nutrition regimen focused on making the swimmer the best possible in the sport. Elite swimmers compete on the world stage. They compete at the FINA World Aquatic Championships, National Championships, and the Olympics.

Age group swimming is the level solely based on the swimmer’s age. Senior and elite levels of swimming are based on a swimmer’s skill. If a swimmer loves and excels at swimming, then the swimmer will move to the higher levels of swimming.

The sport made its Olympic debut in 1984 with solo and duet events. In 1996, these events were replaced by an eight-member water ballet event. The 2000 Olympic Games replaced the water ballet event with two synchronized swimming events, duet and team. Duets are teams of two, and the team competition has eight members. Synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics are the only two Olympic events that are exclusively female.

All rules and regulations for synchronized swimming are governed by FINA. The pool must be 20m x 30m and have a minimum depth of 3m. Underwater speakers let swimmers hear the music. Swimmers wear FINA-approved swimsuits that are decorated; swimmers often wear waterproof cosmetics to complete their look. Synchronized swimmers are not allowed to wear swim caps; many swimmers wear their hair pulled in a tight bun. Swim goggles are not permitted either, so swimmers have to get used to performing in the water with their eyes open. To prevent water from entering the nose during underwater maneuvers, swimmers are allowed to wear nose clips.

Ten judges evaluate competitions. Five judges focus on technical merit, and the other five judge artistic impression. Competitors are awarded points on a scale of 0.0 to a perfect 10.0; scores can be given in increments of tenths (for example, 8.4 is better than 8.3). The high and low scores are thrown out, and the remaining scores are averaged. The averaged technical score and the averaged artistic score are added together; the swimmers with the highest points win. Synchronized swimmers are judged on execution, synchronization, difficulty of the moves, and choreography.

At the Olympics, each synchronized swimming event has two rounds. The technical or compulsory round is first. Swimmers must perform a routine with a pre-determined set of moves that must be performed in order. During this round, the technical score has more weight than artistic impression. The top 12 finishers move on to the final round. The final round is a longer artistic program. During the artistic routine, swimmers are free to create inventive routines that incorporate unique moves like throws and complex lifts. The scores from both rounds are combined, and the highest score wins the gold medal.

Other major synchronized swimming events include the FINA Synchronized Swimming World Cup, the FINA Synchro World Trophy, and the FINA World Aquatics Championships.

Synchronized swimming routines are graceful and beautiful, but the swimmers must have conditioned bodies and strong breath control to perform powerful lifts and complex moves, making synchronized swimming a very demanding sport.

Water polo is played by men and women. Men play in a 30m x 20m area; women play in a 25m x 20m area. The pool must have a minimum depth of 1m. Different colored buoys and line ropes divide the field of play. The ball is yellow and waterproof. Men use a 68-71cm ball, and women use a 65-67cm ball. Goals are either attached to the back of the pool or held by cables. Goals float on the water and are 3m wide and 0.9m high. Players wear FINA-approved swimsuits and colored caps. The caps have individual numbers to tell players apart and ear guards to protect the ears.

All rules and regulations for water polo are governed by FINA. Generally, the game has four 8-minute periods of play. In case of a tie, there will be two 3-minute periods. If there is still a tie, then there will be a penalty shootout. Two referees monitor play; there is one on each side. There are two judges at each end of the pool as well. Only the goalie can touch the ball with both hand and a closed fist; the goalie is also the only player that is allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. The other players can score a goal with any part of their bodies except a closed fist and two hands.

There have been different versions of the game. In the United States, a rougher form of water polo developed. However, the faster, less dangerous European version was more popular, so the European style has become the universally accepted version. Water polo has been an Olympic sport since 1900. The Olympic water polo was not included in the 1904 Olympic Games, but water polo has been a regular event since 1908. Women’s Olympic water polo officially debuted at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Other major competitions include the FINA World Aquatics Championships, the FINA World Cup, and the FINA Water Polo World League.

Water polo is a vigorous and intense aquatic sport. If you are a strong swimmer and want to be a part of a team, then water polo could be the sport for you.

Countries that are members of FINA must comply with the organization’s doping rules. Countries agree to report all results of testing to FINA and to allow FINA to test their athletes at any time. Each country must make sure to conduct all national-level tests in accordance with FINA’s anti-doping rules.

In the United States, USA Swimming is responsible for ensuring that the doping regulations are followed. USA Swimming does not select which athletes are selected for testing. During competitions, every swimmer is subject to drug testing. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and FINA conduct the tests. When not competing, athletes who are National Team members, competitors at certain international events, those getting direct support from the USOC and USA Swimming, and swimmers who meet FINA’s established requirements for its Registered Testing Pool (have a top 25 world ranking and the top 10 finishers at certain Open Water swimming events) must submit detailed “Quarterly Whereabouts Filings.”

“Quarterly Whereabouts Filings” provide an athlete’s living address, training location, training schedule, regular activities schedule, competition schedule, and travel schedule. This is so athletes can be found for drug testing by FINA, the USADA, and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). All USA Swimming athletes can be tested when not competing; those in the Registered Testing Pool are tested regularly. To remain in the Registered Testing Pool, swimmers must consistently meet all criteria and be an active, competing swimmer. USA Swimming and the USADA notify athletes when they are added to or removed from the Registered Testing Pool.

Athletes are tested for a variety of substances including performance-enhancing drugs, illegal substances, and supplements. WADA has a list of all prohibited substances. The list changes periodically, so athletes should check the list or contact USA Swimming before taking any substance, including medications, supplements, and herbal products. Athletes on medication must check the status of all prescriptions before using them; athletes taking medication must fill out all necessary paperwork and have it on file with USA Swimming. Dietary supplements, herbal products, and other substances not regulated by the FDA are not considered medication. Athletes who take non-FDA approved substances are responsible for the consequences if a test result is positive for a prohibited substance. USA Swimming tells athletes they are responsible for what they consume.

There are consequences for testing positive. Depending on the substance and the athlete’s record, the athlete could be banned from competitions for life or sanctioned for a period of time. The athlete can appeal the decision and try to explain the circumstances of the violation. First-time offenders will be warned and reprimanded and can be ineligible for competitions for no more than a year. An athlete does not face a lifetime ban until the second or third violation.  If the substance was an illegal drug, then the athlete could be banned even if this is the athlete’s first violation. If an athlete violates the anti-doping rule during competition, the person will be disqualified from the event and can be banned or sanctioned.

To maintain “the spirit of sport,” the various governing bodies of aquatic sports take violations of the anti-doping policy very seriously. All athletes, including swimmers, must be aware at all times what they take into their bodies.

Have Passion: You must love swimming. If you want to be an Olympic swimmer, you will have to spend hours a week training, you will have to enter competitions, and you will have to dedicate a large portion of your life to the sport. If the commitment seems daunting, then perhaps the Olympics are not in your future.

Find a Coach and a Team: A good swim coach will help hone your skills and develop the best overall training program for you. Swimming with a team will help you learn how to compete against others and have good sportsmanlike conduct. A coach and a team will give you support and an environment for you to improve. To make it to the Olympics, you must be willing to constantly work on your swimming technique. A coach can help you select which event or events are your best; focusing on a few events will help you excel in competitions. Also, your coach should know the competitions that will advance your swimming career.

Train: Your training program includes nutrition and doing dryland workouts. Yes, you need to practice swimming—a lot—but a swimmer with an overall routine designed by a coach will have the strength, flexibility, and endurance to make it to the Olympic level.

Become a Member of USA Swimming: In order to be considered for the Olympic team, you must be a member of USA Swimming in good standing. The organization will help you find your Local Swimming Committee. The LSC helps swimmers find local swim clubs and USA Swimming official competitive events. To qualify for the Olympic Trials, you have to beat the Olympic time established by FINA at an event recognized by FINA, and USA Swimming will have the information a swimmer needs to meet all the requirements for making the Olympic team.

Compete: Competing at FINA-approved events will give you many opportunities to qualify for an invitation to the Olympic Trials. Also, the more you compete in international events, the more experience you will get. Nerves can be a swimmer’s enemy, so the more you compete, the more you will get used to the international competitive environment.

Finish at the Top of the Olympic Trials: To make the United States Olympic Team, swimmers must finish in the top two spots in the finals of the Olympic Trials.

If you have the drive, then by following these tips, you could be one of the 26 men or 26 women who make the United States Olympic Swim Team.

• Focus on Exhalation: When you hold your breath, your body tenses, and your brain thinks you need to breath. A relaxed swimmer is a better and faster swimmer. Exhaling slowly as you swim means you will only have to inhale when your head is above water, which will help maintain your speed. You can exhale using your mouth or your nose, but many find breathing out into water uncomfortable at first. To get accustomed to exhaling under water, you can stand in the pool, put your face in the water, and exhale. You can practice at home by using a large bowl or a deep sink.
• Learn Bilaterally Breathing: Bilateral breathing is breathing on both sides as you swim. Bilateral breathing develops your muscles evenly and allows your body to rotate equally on both sides. This technique helps swimmers keep their head low, which makes a swimmer faster and efficient in the water. To develop a bilateral breathing pattern, count your strokes and breathe every third stroke.
• Don’t Lift Your Head: Lifting your head out of the water to breathe will push your lower body down into the water and create drag. Lifting your head will also put stress on your neck because your body will not be aligned correctly. You should roll your body at the same time as your arm is pulled underwater; allowing your body to rotate will lift your head for you. Inhale through your mouth when your head is in position.
• Find the Pocket: As you swim, your body creates a “bow wave.” A trough just below the surface is created because the water level drops along the sides of your face because of the wave’s shape. If you can find this pocket, then you can “breathe into the pocket.” To successfully breathe using the pocket, do not move your head a lot. You should rotate your head so one eye is above water and the other is below the water.
• Have Good Body Position: To avoid injuries and to maintain speed, your head should be in line with your spine. During the breaststroke, you should breathe when your arms propel your upper body up and out of the water. During the butterfly, you should breathe when your arms push past your hips and start to come up out of the water. During freestyle, you should turn your head to the side when you lift your arm out of the water so you can use the trough to breathe. During the backstroke, you should time your breathing with your strokes so you can avoid taking in water.

When you learn how to swim, you should practice exhaling into water, keeping your body in alignment, and bilateral breathing. With some of these breathing techniques for swimming, you will battle against the fatigue that sets in from holding your breath for extended periods of time and have a more enjoyable time swimming.

The qualifications have changed, so to make the 2011-2012 US Junior National Team swimmers must have competed at the 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships. The top six times from the preliminaries and the finals in each event, except relays, were considered for the team. If the swimmers also met FINA’s age requirements for the FINA World Junior Championships, then they made the team. FINA’s age requirements are: for males, 16-18 years old, and for girls, 15-17 years old. The swimmers cannot be college or university students (starting in the Fall 2011 semester is acceptable), and they cannot have been a member of any high-level USA Swimming National Team.

The Junior National Team is larger than the National Team. The senior team has 56 members, 26 men and 26 women. The Junior National Team has 102 members. Being on the Junior National Team provides younger swimmers with the experience of competing on the national and international stage. Many members of the Junior National Team continue on to the senior squad and go to the Olympic Games. Members of the Junior National Team get to attend special training events and get tips from well-known swimmers such as Michael Phelps.

In addition to the National Junior Team, the United States also has an Open Water Junior Team for open water swimmers. For swimmers 14 to 18, to make the 2011-2012 Open Water National Junior Team, swimmers had to have competed in the 2011 USA Swimming 10K National Championships. The top three place finishers qualified for the team as long as they finished within 15 minutes of the first-place overall finisher. Swimmers have to meet all of the other criteria established by USA Swimming and FINA to finally make the team.

Swimmers on the National Junior Team are the rising stars of swimming. Being on the Junior Team is an honor; members represent the country at international competitions. Junior swimmers must also follow all rules and regulations and the Code of Ethics; team members are also tested for performance-enhancing substances. By being held to the same standards as members of the senior squad, swimmers on the National Junior Team learn what is expected of them if they want to continue their careers as swimmers.

There are four main reasons to learn proper swimming techniques:

• Avoid Disqualification: USA Swimming and FINA have rules and regulations about competitions, including rules about swimming strokes. Not having simultaneous motions during the breaststroke or flutter kicking during the butterfly will result in a swimmer’s disqualification from a race. Knowing the proper swimming technique will help swimmers avoid being disqualified from a competition.
• Improve Speed: Proper swimming technique includes how to move your arms and legs through the water smoothly. The fewer splashes a swimmer creates, the faster a swimmer moves. Your goal is to be as streamlined as possible, so with your head down and your hips and feet near the surface of the water, you should decrease the amount of drag and swim faster.
• Avoid Fatigue: Swimming is a whole-body workout. If you use proper swimming technique, you work larger muscles, and larger muscles are capable of sustained motion longer than smaller muscles. To swim for longer periods of time, avoid getting tired by swimming correctly and using your more powerful muscles to do the work.
• Prevent Injury: Improper swimming technique can cause injury to four areas of the body: knees, shoulder, hips and neck.
  • Knees: When you kick, the movement should come from your hips. Powering your kick with your knees will place stress on your knees. Proper breaststroke technique is very important because of the unusual breaststroke kick. During a breaststroke kick, the knee’s motion is not an everyday movement, so an incorrect breaststroke kick can lead to a serious knee injury.
  • Shoulder: Arm movements for the stroke start at the shoulder. A strong shoulder helps propel a swimmer forward effectively; however, swimming incorrectly can injure even the strongest of shoulders. Proper swimming technique will protect your shoulders from harm.
  • Hips: The motion of the kick starts at the hips, but improper alignment can injure your hips. Make sure you hold your hips in line with your spine, avoid moving your hips from side to side, and keep your hips high. Healthy hips will result in a strong kick.
  • Neck: It is important to keep your neck in line with your spine. Rotating your head during the butterfly stroke, not tucking your head in during turns, and holding your head above water during any stroke can cause injury to your neck. When you breathe during the freestyle, rotate your body and let your body do most of the work; this will alleviate stress from your neck.

By taking the time to practice proper swimming techniques, you will swim faster for longer periods of time and keep your body healthy.