why is swimming harder than running?

Question

i can run continuosuly for 30 minutes, but I can't even finish a lap when I'm swimming....how can i get more breath?

Answer 1

While swimming you are using smaller, less-used muscles, which tires you out much faster. You're not accustomed having to balance yourself in a prone position while propelling yourself forward with mostly your upper body. While running you can take in breaths at will. While swimming you need to time your breaths so that you are not breathing water. Conditioning also has a lot to do with it. I am a swimmer and can easily swim for half an hour but cannot continuously run for 30 minutes without training for a while.

Answer 2

Well, I thought running would be harder because its pretty hard on your joints and its very tiring (not that swimming isn't, it is too). But, maybe its because you have less oxygen when swimming. Or, it could be all the effort you have to put into it when you're close to the finish and you have to keep kicking hard no matter how tired you are. Also, running relies on strong lower-body muscles, and swimming more of the upper-body muscles, such as pulling yourself out of the pool, and griping the side of the walls. When I do swim practice, when we do pulling I find that I go much faster using just arms rather than just feet.

Quote: (Said by machinator) Being a water-baby I find swimming much easier than running continuously for 30 min. (So am I).

Answer 3

Being a water-baby I find swimming much easier than running continuously for 30 min.

I think it's a matter of coordination. There's a lot to do at the same time. Pulling your arms through water, kicking and breathing at the right time so you don't swallow water.

Make sure you are not exerting to much energy trying to find breath. Doing the front crawl you want to tilt your chin towards your clavicle, looking back to draw breath over your shoulder, then water won't go in your mouth.

If you have some anxiety about swallowing water just slow down and as you become more coordinated and stronger it will come a bit more naturally.

Answer 4

Swimming is harder than running because water provides more resistance than air.

The fact that you can run for 30 minutes makes me think that perhaps your lower body is more developed than your upper body. Running conditions everything, and so does swimming, but running relies on a very conditioned set of muscles in the lower body, while swimming requires more muscle development in the upper body.

You need to develop more strength in your upper body, whether by swimming, or by doing some exercising with weights, and that should make swimming easier. I don't think it's a matter of cardiovascular health, but rather one of muscle strength.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Swimming uses more muscle groups than running. Swimming and running are both aerobic exercises, but more calories are burned during swimming. Consequently, the body needs more oxygen to burn the fat and carbohydrates.

Answer 6

hi.this could be a debatable question.each and each guy or woman will in all probability supply a diverse answer. For me a minimum of, i discover working to be greater handy.Yeah i comprehend it may attain ninety ranges outdoors of the place I stay,yet that may not shop me from working. Granted working could be harder in case you enable the warmth get to you. I continuously sip water at an identical time as working to maintain me cool and going.

Answer 7

swimming is harder than running because it is not something our bodies naturally learn how to do. people learn how to swim by being taught. no one is taught how to run.
if you want to get more air while you're swimming, try the backstroke first. and also, don't push too hard on the other strokes unless you're taking swim lessons.

Answer 8

because it uses all your muscles at the same time making you much more tired than running. Hey! running is a piece of cake compared to swimming!

Answer 9

because running mainly uses leg muscles while in swimming, you need arm and leg muscles. Also, in running you are running against the air while in swimming, you are swimming against water, which is harder. You might need more endurance or stamina but i agree with you that swimmining is harder than running, atleast for me it is.

Answer 10

the reason it is harder is because you have a runners body and not a swimmers body. For breathing try breathing in up through your toes and slowly blow out also breath every third stroke and blow out bubbles through your nose while you're swimming.