Compare And Contrast Running And Exercise

Exercise has always been known to aid in a better lifestyle. Swimming, running, walking, and cycling is all great types of exercise, but which one is the best? Out of all of the types of cardiovascular exercises you can do, running and swimming have been scientifically proved to be the best forms of exercise, but which one tops the cake? There has always been an age-old debate on whether running or swimming is the best for you. Both have incredible benefits to your health, but when it comes to all of the details, which one is truly better for your health and happiness? While running obviously has many benefits, swimming has shown to be the better exercise when it comes to overall body functions. Swimming has been shown to promote sleep,

Many people look for the most efficient way of losing weight, therefore seeking out which exercise burns the most calories. It has been proven that while it does depend on how you do the exercise (i.e how fast and how long) it also depends on how much muscle you are building. Researchers have looked at this subject for many years and have performed countless experiments, and they have come to see that both running and swimming burn around the same amount of calories—depending on how you do the exercise. (livestrong.com) Research has shown that how many calories you burn with swimming corresponds with which stoke you perform. According to Livestrong, you can burn more calories doing the butterfly stroke than running in the course of 30 minutes, “Swim 30 minutes of the butterfly or the crawl and burn 409 calories, if you weigh 155 pounds. Comparatively, running at an average 6 mph for 30 minutes burns 372 calories.” On the other hand, “If you pick up your pace and go 7.5 mph, your body burns 465 calories” (Cespedes). You can burn a lot of calories with running and swimming, but unlike running, swimming is a full body workout. With running, you mostly just work all of your leg muscles and minimal core muscles. When swimming, you work your arms, legs, and core muscles (Bayly). When building

Running is a great way to build bone density, but it can also be very hard on muscles, bones, and joints. Unlike running, swimming is great for all ages because it is so easy on the muscles and joints. Swimming is great for improving joint health. When swimming, the water can reduce a persons body weight by around 90 percent. By doing this, swimming greatly reduces the strain that running can put on a body. While running can promote overall health and growth in your bones and muscles, it also has great potential for causing injuries. Running can cause shin splints, inflammation, stress fractures, muscle pain, and joint sprain. With swimming, injuries are very rare. Swimming, on the contrary, can help combat and heal these injuries. Not only is swimming great for your joints and muscles, it is also great for preventing diseases. It is known that swimming can greatly reduce the risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart disease. (“How Many Calories Does Swimming Burn?”) According to the American Heart Association, swimming just 30 minutes a day can “reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 30-40%.” (Issam) Swimming does this by strengthening every muscle in your body, including the heart itself. By swimming regularly as exercise, you can lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation and blood pressure. (“8 Awesome