The number of calories burned while swimming varies widely depending on factors such as your weight, swimming stroke, intensity, and duration.
General Calorie Burn Estimates
- A 150-pound (68 kg) person swimming moderately burns about 400–500 calories per hour, while vigorous swimming can burn 700–800 calories per hour
- For a 180-pound (82 kg) individual, moderate swimming burns approximately 475–570 calories per hour, and vigorous swimming can burn up to 950 calories per hour
- Swimming leisurely typically burns around 430-575 calories per hour for an average person
Calories Burned by Stroke and Intensity
Calories burned also depend on the swimming stroke and effort level:
Stroke/Activity| Calories Burned per Hour (approx., 65 kg person)
---|---
Freestyle, fast, vigorous| 590–703
Breaststroke, general| 652
Butterfly, general| 696
Backstroke, general| 507
Treading water, moderate effort| 195
Treading water, vigorous effort| 594
Leisurely swimming| 362–565
Open water swimming, moderate| 638
Open water swimming, fast| 725
(Source:
)
MET-Based Calculation Example
Calories burned per minute = (MET value × body weight in kg × 3.5) ÷ 200 For example, a 180-pound (81.65 kg) person swimming leisurely (MET = 6.0) for 1 hour would burn: (6.0 × 81.65 × 3.5) ÷ 200 = 8.57 calories per minute × 60 minutes = 514 calories
Summary
- Swimming burns roughly 250 to 986 calories per hour depending on weight, stroke, and intensity
- Vigorous swimming burns significantly more calories than moderate or leisurely swimming
- The exact number varies by individual factors such as body composition, age, and efficiency.
Thus, swimming is an effective full-body cardiovascular workout that can burn between about 400 and 950 calories per hour for most adults depending on effort and style.
