Competitive swimming did not start until the early 1800s. It began in Europe and became part of the Olympic Games in 1896. In 1908, the world swimming association Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) was founded, and since then swimming has steadily increased in popularity.

This article provides information about how many calories your burn using the the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, sidestroke, or if you just tread water. It also provides information about which muscles each style works.

Since Geri and I recently joined a gym with a lap pool, I decided to give swimming fitness a try. I had learned to swim a little as a kid and have swum a little here and there through the years, but, I’ve never did any swimming for distance, exercise, or competition. So, I consider [...]