Walking along the beach or hanging beside the pool becomes more fun if you get into the water. Whether you’re swimming for sport or fun, a few simple techniques can help to boost your swimming enjoyment and ability. Swimming is a form of a low-impact exercise that affects not only the body but also the mind. The muscles of the legs, abdominals, shoulders, and backs, get stronger as you spend more time on the pool. However, because swimming needs a lot of muscle movements, it requires training and practice to be easy.
Kids attend baby swimming lessons to glide through the pool faster and more effectively. As they continue with the practice, they become more and more accustomed to it. If you’re an adult, it’s not too late to start. Practicing a few techniques can make you become a better swimmer. This article highlights these practices.
1. Have A Swimming Routine
A simple swimming routine can help you become better at swimming. You don’t have to do it every day, though it’s advisable to dedicate at least three days a week to practice. Your schedule should guide you in the right time to go swimming. Some people prefer swimming before work, while others like swimming after work.
You need to be patient to master swimming techniques. Your body has to take some time to get used to forming rhythms. It’s advisable to set aside about ten minutes thrice a week before slowly pushing it to thirty minutes and more.
2. Treat Your Swimming Sessions As Workouts
If you booked a 2-hour swimming session with a coach, there are various activities you need to engage in to be fit. The first fifteen minutes could be for a warm-up that includes a 200m freestyle followed by easier swims conducted at a faster pace. As you swim, you need to focus on applying pressure to each movement.
The next fifteen minutes could involve a kick or pull designed to loosen muscles and warm up your legs. Next, you can do hypoxic, which is the holding of breath while sprinting and kicking underwater. Hypoxic training can continue for a longer period if your next exercise is the main set.
The main set usually takes thirty-five minutes and involves taking several intense laps without resting. An example of the main set is 5 x 50m freestyle for forty seconds. After engaging in the main set, it’s important to warm down. This process enables swimmers to stretch out and recover their muscles. During warm downs, you should target to have a good distance per stroke.
3. Exercise Your Breathing
While swimming, you need to focus on how you inhale and exhale. It’s advisable to keep your head still when you aren’t breathing and only tilt it to take in air. Besides that, you also need to exhale a bit when you submerge under the water. Many swimmers don’t do this, making their noses to be filled up with water. Exhaling underwater can help you to maintain breathing and keep water from getting into your nose.
In freestyle, you need to keep one goggle out of the water and one in it to prevent your head from overturning. While doing this, try to breathe after every five strokes to aerate your body. Holding your breath may cause fatigue.
4. Practice Backstroke
This stroke can be difficult to achieve because it needs a strong shoulder and back muscles. Your success in performing backstroke depends on your hips. Practicing a drill of flutter kicks while on your back with one arm raised can help you learn it quickly. After a lap, switch your arms then finish with a normal backstroke lap.
5. Work On Your Breaststroke
You can easily achieve a breaststroke when you synchronize your stroke and glide. However, attaining this fluidity doesn’t happen overnight. It requires time and practice. Efforts of trying to pull more water backward may just make it more counterproductive.
Conclusion
Becoming a better swimmer, like becoming a better marathoner, needs practice and consistency. It may take time before you see substantial results, but you need to be patient to be the best swimmer. Practicing these techniques may help you achieve your swimming dream.
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