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.

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.

Swimming truly is the best cardio exercise for building a great figure. The activity burns a significant amount of calories, making it a great fat burner: doing the freestyle or butterfly stroke burns 300 and 450 calories, respectively. Not only does the activity help with weight loss, but it also aids in maintaining and strengthening muscles.

Swimming is the ultimate cardiovascular workout Any kind of cardiovascular exercise—the kind of activities that get your heart pumping and your sweat flowing—can help build your heart muscle and make you stronger. But swimming, in particular, is a really great way to exercise for heart health.