Benefit of Swim and Bike Combination 

Creating an exercise program or deciding which workout to try on any given day can be a challenge. The right workout is important whether you have are training for a specific competition, you want to improve your general fitness, or you are interested in weight control. Combining swimming and biking in a single workout or training program can help you reach your goals.

Background

Swimming and biking are both aerobic activities because they increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy adults should do at least 75 to 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. Swim-bike combinations may include swimming and biking in one workout, doing one activity in the morning and the other in the evening, or swimming on one day and biking on another. Your workout regimen may include additional activities.

Weight Control

Lap swimming burns 423 calories per hour, and leisurely biking burns 292 calories per hour for a 160-pound person, according to MayoClinic.com. Heavier individuals and higher-intensity efforts burn more calories. The balance of the calories you consume and the calories you expend determines whether you lose weight, maintain your weight or gain weight. You need to burn off 3,500 calories more than you eat for each pound of body fat that you want to lose. Combining biking and swimming helps prevent boredom to keep you motivated to burn more calories.

Low-Impact Cross-Training

A benefit of swim-bike combinations is that they are low-impact motions. This makes them easier on the joints than high-impact activities, such as running, contact sports, such as football, and activities that require sudden turns, such as soccer and basketball. Participating in multiple kinds of exercises, such as swimming and biking, is a form of cross-training, according to the American Council on Exercise. Cross-training helps prevent injuries by strengthening a variety of muscles and reducing repetitive movements.

Improved Performance

Cross-training, such as including swim-bike combinations in your routine, can help you increase your general fitness levels faster than focusing on a single activity, according to the American Council on Exercise. It can improve your performance in triathlons, which have swimming, biking and running segments. Training for swimming and biking is necessary to do well in a triathlon, and both activities provide alternatives to running on days when you need to get in a workout but you do not want to pound the pavement.