Is kicking in water good exercise?

Author: Dr. Aidan Hagenes DVM  |  Last update: Wednesday, August 6, 2025

A freestyle kick, or flutter kick, will strengthen your legs and core while also giving you a really great workout.

Does kicking in water burn calories?

Yes, exercising in water does burn calories and improve stamina. Water provides resistance, making movements more challenging, and the buoyancy reduces impact on joints, allowing for effective and low-impact workouts.

What are the benefits of kicking in swimming?

The rhythmic kicking of the legs provides an important counterbalance to the arms, allowing you to rotate in a controlled manner. Without an effective kick, the swimmer can easily become unbalanced in the water and may over-rotate and lose momentum each time they breathe.

Is kickboarding a good workout?

Leslie Becki, MS, ATC, CSCS – collegiate swimmer and swim coach, said this type of aquatic exercise is an easy and effective way to tighten the core. “It is excellent for just about anyone – from the frail patient to the pro-athelete,” Becki said.

What exercise burns the most belly fat?

Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.

How to NOT Suck at Kicking in Swimming

Can I lose belly fat by swimming?

What are the best ways to lose belly fat? Head down the pool to burn calories and target your tummy with specific strokes and exercises. Breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke all engage your core, length after length, while movements like water crunches give your abs a run for their money.

Will kickboard tone legs?

It is Possible to Swim Your Way to Toned Legs

Do the backstroke flutter kick or the dolphin kick with a kickboard and fins and you will get the best leg work out you can while in the water.

Can you lose weight swimming with a kickboard?

When you swim with it, you can burn a lot of calories. With this kickboard, you can vary your routine while in the pool. It increases the number of calories that you burn. That's why many individuals who are swimming to lose weight are using a kickboard.

Is doing laps in a pool good exercise?

Swimming laps as a form of physical activity is one of the best ways to reap various physical and mental health benefits. When swimming laps, most pools are divided into lanes to help offer a controlled space for people of all fitness levels to stay healthy and active while enjoying a low-impact workout.

Is just kicking in the pool good exercise?

A freestyle kick, or flutter kick, will strengthen your legs and core while also giving you a really great workout.

Is it better to swim with or without flippers?

Here's the thing: of course swimming with fins makes you faster while you're using them, but it also makes you faster without them. This happens because fins add resistance to your up-kick, in turn strengthening your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles.

How often should you kick when swimming?

(There is no four-beat kick; although some swimmers alternate a two-beat and six-beat kick on alternate pulls.) One can either kick once per arm stroke or three times per arm stroke.

Does kicking help lose weight?

Calorie Burn and Weight Loss

The combination of high-intensity movements, such as punches, kicks, and knee strikes, demands a significant amount of energy. This energy expenditure translates into burning a substantial number of calories during a single session.

Is water aerobics better than walking?

Compared with brisk walking, swimming allows you to meet your fitness goals with less stress on your joints and muscles.

What is the best water exercise to lose weight?

Here are some easy and effective pool exercises that you can use for weight loss:
  1. Flutter Kick. If you've ever taken swimming lessons, you'll recognize this exercise! ...
  2. Pool Plank. Hold a pool 'noodle' vertically between both of your hands while standing in the shallow end. ...
  3. Frog Jumping. ...
  4. Side Burpees. ...
  5. Treading Boat.

How long does it take for swimming to tone your body?

Typically, we can start to notice changes in our bodies within four to six weeks of consistent swimming, assuming we're also following a healthy diet. Swimming burns a significant number of calories, and when combined with proper nutrition, it sets a solid foundation for reaching our fitness goals.

Is swimming laps with a kickboard good exercise?

If you're still learning how to swim, a kickboard is a great tool to help you practise your leg work before you get into a full-body swim. It means you can focus on one thing at a time, until you're comfortable enough to use both your arms and your legs.

How to slim legs with swimming?

​For thin legs

The key to getting great legs is to keep your legs constantly moving. Two strokes that really get a great leg workout are the backstroke and the dolphin kick. Both of these strokes still use the whole body, but are performed with high intensity, especially for the legs.

What are the benefits of a kickboard?

Benefits of Using a Kickboard

Consistent practice can lead to stronger and more efficient kicking technique. Body Position: Holding onto the kickboard encourages proper body positioning, with the upper body and head in alignment while the legs do the work. This promotes better overall swimming posture and reduces drag.

Why do swimmers look flabby?

Swimmers often carry more body fat than we might expect. This isn't just due to their training regimens; it's also a reflection of their need for buoyancy and energy reserves during long swim sessions.

Is 30 minutes of swimming a day enough to lose weight?

On average, you can burn around 250 calories in a 30-minute swimming session. Backstroke helps to tone various parts of the body, including the stomach, legs, arms, and shoulders [9].

How many laps in a pool is a mile?

If you're swimming in an Olympic pool (50 meters long), a true mile is equal to 32.2 laps. If you're swimming in a short-course pool (25 meters long) a metric mile is equal to 64.4 laps. If you're swimming in a 25-yard pool, a metric mile is 70.4 laps.

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