The short answer is yes. As an exercise that works your heart and lungs, swimming ticks every box when it comes to being categorized as cardio. “With swimming, the exertion of pulling yourself through the water means you need more oxygen to the working muscles, and your cardiovascular system will need to work harder to supply this,” explains Kass.

"Swimming is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise," says Dr. Aubrey Grant, a sports cardiology fellow at the Cardiac Performance Laboratory at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. In fact, water-based exercise offers several unique advantages over aerobic exercise done on land, he notes.

Is swimming cardio? The answer is a resounding yes! And it does a lot more than get your heart rate up. Swimming may be the ultimate workout for athletes and those of us just trying to stay active and feel better.

You may have heard that experts recommend adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Swimming is an excellent way to work your entire body and cardiovascular system. An hour of swimming burns almost as many calories as running, without all the impact on your bones and joints.