Swimming is the best exercise for weight loss; a comparison of the weight loss effects of walking and running; and precautions for overweight people when running.

Is swimming the best exercise for weight loss?

After years of tracking, investigation and research, many medical scientists and sports medicine experts believe that among various weight loss methods, the safest and most effective way to lose weight is through exercise; and among various exercises, swimming is the most ideal exercise for weight loss.

When swimming, people always try to extend their spine and lengthen their stroke path to increase speed.

This is very helpful for correcting hunchback and scoliosis.

When swimming, a person is supported by the buoyancy of the water, uses their hands and feet, and moves their joints and muscles in a coordinated and even manner. All parts of the body are exceptionally free and stretched, resulting in a well-proportioned and healthy physique.

Some overweight obese people experience fatigue and are prone to injury to the supporting joints of their lower limbs when trying to lose weight on land due to the excessive burden on their bodies.

In water, most of the obese person's weight is offset by the buoyancy of the water, greatly reducing the burden on the obese person's lower limbs and allowing the obese person to move freely in the water, which is much easier than losing weight on land.

When swimming, the water flow causes slight friction on the skin, promoting blood circulation in the skin's capillaries and the metabolism of epidermal cells, thus making the skin smooth, moisturized, elastic, and more beautiful.

When swimming, the resistance of water is more than 800 times that of air. Therefore, the energy consumed while swimming far exceeds the energy consumed in land-based sports. The source of energy consumed is fat, so swimming can help with weight loss and can accelerate the weight loss process.

According to measurements, swimmers typically lose 300-400 grams of weight after swimming for 45 minutes. If they swim 500 meters every day at a speed of 50 meters per minute, they can burn 16 kilograms of fat per month. In addition to supplementing with an appropriate amount of fat from food, they can still gradually burn excess body fat.

Because obese people are too heavy, any form of weight loss exercise on land may put a great burden on their bodies due to gravity. This will not only make it difficult for obese people to move, reduce their flexibility, and cause premature fatigue, but also easily cause sports injuries to the lower limb bones, joints and other organs that support movement.

When swimming, the buoyancy of the water largely offsets the weight of obese individuals, allowing them to exercise in a near-weightless state. This greatly reduces the heavy burden on the lower limbs during exercise.

This not only allows obese people to move freely and easily in the water, but also greatly reduces the occurrence of sports injuries to the lower limbs and waist.

In addition, swimming in water provides an excellent massage for the body due to the pressure, resistance, and buoyancy of the water. This has a good effect on treating a range of diseases caused by obesity, and the cardiovascular system of obese individuals is not overburdened.

Which is more effective for weight loss: walking or running?

People have always believed that running burns more energy than walking, thus making running more effective for weight loss.

However, at the same speed and distance, running is actually less effective for weight loss than walking.

Experiments on this method have shown that the more muscle elasticity is utilized, the less energy is consumed.

Because the reaction force generated by muscle elasticity allows you to reach the desired position more easily, saving the energy required to move your body to that position.

For example, rats have less elastic tendons than horses, so rats expend much more energy walking than horses (assuming they are of similar weight).

If they run the same distance, mice consume about 16 times more oxygen than horses.

Similarly, a person consumes 2-3 times more energy walking briskly than running the same distance at the same speed.

If you pay attention, you'll notice that horses often like to trot for a while after running or walking at a moderate pace, in order to allow their muscles to rest.

Race walkers also jog for a while after a race to use the elasticity of their muscles to relieve fatigue and reduce energy expenditure.

All animals, including humans, have the instinct to adapt their pace to their energy expenditure.

For this reason, walking slowly to visit an exhibition is much more tiring than running slowly across the same distance on a main road.

This study shows that walking consumes far more energy than previously thought.

What should overweight people pay attention to when running?

Overweight people often have to stop running after starting because of leg muscle and joint pain.

Unlike athletes and people of normal weight, obese people must master the correct and unique running technique.

When running, you should coordinate your breathing with natural and rhythmic movements. Start by inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, and then breathe through both your nose and mouth at the same time, striving for full and smooth breathing so that your body can fully exchange gases.

During running, it is important to prevent your breathing rhythm from becoming disordered and to adjust your breathing as needed. In particular, you should consciously strengthen your exhalation to promote inhalation and allow a large amount of fresh oxygen to enter your lung tissue.

Keep your back straight (don't lean forward), tuck your chin in, keep your head upright, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and don't clench your hands.

The key points are: move calmly and breathe rhythmically to prevent fatigue.

Stiff movements are often caused by excessive tension in the shoulder girdle and hands. Therefore, avoid swinging your hands forcefully and keep the swing of your hands as small as possible when running.

You should land with your entire foot, that is, your foot should land from top to bottom in one go, like climbing stairs, and exert force at the moment of contact with the ground, without thinking about how to land or which part of your foot lands first.

This is because each person's extremity structure is different, and the movements they perform are also different.

To ensure you don't experience too much muscle soreness after your first few workouts, it's best to land with your entire foot from top to bottom.

If a runner lands on their heel first, a soft pad should be placed in the heel of the running shoe.

After running, quickly wipe your body with hot water to promote the full excretion of metabolic waste products from the sweat glands.

A common mistake among general exercisers is to shower or wipe their bodies with cold water.

Even if you are thirsty, you should wait until your heart rate returns to normal before drinking water or eating, so as not to increase the burden on your heart.

The running time should be gradually increased during exercise.

Initially, one should walk briskly or alternate between walking and running. Once the body has gradually adapted, one can then move on to dedicated running.

You can schedule 10-30 minutes of running time each day.

The running speed should not be too fast, with a step count of about 100-120 steps per minute.

During the run, participants can talk and laugh freely, and afterwards they should feel relaxed and happy.