Where to go in Boise to Burn 400 Calories Per Hour

Now that we've been swimming all summer long, we're looking fierce and we don't want to lose our rock-solid bods. City pools may close, but there are several year-round pools around Boise that will help us burn a shocking number of calories to get after fitness goals.

I swim at least five times a week because I love the water, and I haven't realized until now that I'm getting some of the best exercise possible.  Thank you, Google, for the news that swimming can be a 400-calorie burn per hour.  It's also better on the joints than running (and I've done a lot of that too), and it's the closest thing I've found to pain-free exercise.  And it's the perfect place to lose yourself in thought, whether that means planning the grocery list, deciding what to wear on a hot date, or deciding what you want to be when you grow up.  The pool is inspiring, and if you grab a noodle or foam dumbells, and you're getting a workout that's just as good as the one on the gym's fitness floor, if not better.

Swimming.org said these are some of the benefits of spending time in the pool:

1.  Full body workout.
2.  Great for general wellbeing.
3.  De-stresses and relaxes.
4.  Burns those calories.
5.  Lowers the risk of diseases.
6.  Supports the body.
7.  Increases your energy levels.
8.  Exercising without the sweat.

I shared these benefits with my daughter who is also a daily swimmer and regarding that last one, "exercising without the sweat," she said, "Yah, but you get wet."  Oh, leave it to a 6th grader to rain on our parade. Sometimes being drenched is okay, especially when the scale shows us that the hard work is paying off.  As long as we dry off before you weigh.

Swimming will burn calories, tone us up, and get rid of stress, and there are many pools around Boise that are open all year long that will help us hit goals.

These are some of the best gyms with pools around Boise, according to Yelp:

West Boise YMCA and Aquatic Center - 5959 N Discovery Way in Boise.  Swimming and childcare could be a double win.

Boise Racquet and Swim Club - 1116 N Cole Road in Boise. You can play racquetball or tennis after you're done swimming.

Boise State University Recreation - 1515 West University Dr. in Boise.  It's got a hot tub too!  That may not burn as many calories, but we can overlook that.

If you have others that you love, let us know.

Summer may be over and the city and neighborhood pools are closing for the season, but you'll be able to find water all year long if you try.  Being in a pool is great exercise as long as you're moving around and not just sipping mai tais on a floating lounge chair.  We got this.