Swimming vs Running for Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably been told you need to “eat less and move more.” There are many different ways to approach the “move more” portion of that statement, and swimming can certainly be one of them. So can running.

Both activities offer a range of health and fitness benefits that go well beyond the number on your bathroom scale. Running and swimming both:

• Improve cardiovascular capacity
• Boost lung function
• Strengthen muscles throughout the body
• Enhance mental health
• Offer options for social engagement
• Burn calories

So which is better, safer, and more effective for helping you lose weight and keep it off?

In short, whichever form of exercise you enjoy the most is going to be the best one for you. But there are some important differences in how these two forms of exercise compare when it comes to weight loss.

Running might help you lose weight faster

Running is generally considered a more efficient calorie burner, but there are many factors that go into calculating calorie burn, and it’s highly variable from one person to the next. Working harder or going longer in either discipline can also boost the number of calories you torch. Nevertheless, estimates from Harvard Medical School can help you compare various different activities and intensities and how many calories they burn.

One reason running is so effective is that it is weight-bearing and high impact. Your body must work against gravity with every stride, increasing the energy required to propel your body forward. Running also elevates heart rate quickly, especially during interval or sprint training. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, has repeatedly been shown to support fat loss by increasing calorie burn both during and after exercise, though as one recent study suggests, the older you are the more moderate intensity activities may be the better option.

Swimming is gentler on the joints

If you’re returning to fitness after time away or haven’t ever worked out much before, swimming has a distinct advantage because it’s not weight bearing and it’s gentler on the joints. If your joints don’t hurt, you can engage longer and more intensely, which could lead to greater weight loss.

Because it’s not weight bearing, swimming is ideal for older adults, people who are overweight or have obesity, and those with arthritis or rheumatic conditions, chronic pain, injuries, and others who find working out on land difficult or uncomfortable.

Running requires less equipment

Lace up your sneakers and head out the door. That’s the basic requirement for taking up running as a fitness and weight-loss routine. Swimming, however, requires a swimsuit and a place to swim—either a pool or a safe open water venue—and that can make it a little more challenging to work out the logistics of engaging regularly.

Swimming is a full-body workout

Swimming engages nearly all of the muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, core, and legs simultaneously. Unlike running, which primarily targets the lower body, swimming recruits muscle groups throughout the body, helping improve overall muscular endurance and tone. This engagement can help all your muscles burn calories, a phenomenon that lasts for a period after you’ve stopped working out.

Both? Both is good

For some people, using a mix of swimming and running is the happy medium that provides the results they’re looking for. Running can improve bone density and maximize calorie burn, while swimming offers active recovery and low-impact conditioning that reduces injury risk.

Any kind of movement is a good thing

Ultimately, the best option depends on your body, level of fitness, and personal preferences. Neither activity is universally the “better” option for weight loss.

Research consistently shows that the best exercise for weight loss is the one you can maintain consistently over time. Some people just love to swim while for others, the thrill of a run is exhilarating. Enjoyment strongly influences adherence to your routine, and that adoption of lifelong habits is how you can best shed the weight and keep it off.

So, if you love to meet your friends a few times a week at Masters swim practice, do that. But if you enjoy being on land and like to jog or run, then running may be the better option for your needs.

And, if you can, try not to get hung up on the number on the scale; exercise is most rewarding when it’s about celebrating your body for what it can do, not serving as punishment for something you ate. 

Looking for more great information about swimming? Check out our Swimming 101 featuring swimming pool and stroke basics, how to start swim training as an adult, and more. You can also see if a USMS club is in your area through our Club Finder.