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Dive into these 4 steps for better swimming
Posted on Feb 12th 2008 9:00AM by Jacki DonaldsonFiled Under: Fitness
"Swimming is one of the few sports where you can get better as you get older," says Total Immersion's Terry Laughlin. "You can improve almost indefinitely by honing our instinct for working with the water," he tells Men's Journal health and fitness writer Bill Gifford who took a few lessons from one of Laughlin's instructors and finds he's more relaxed in the water. He's quieter, faster, more comfortable, and a lot less tired.
If better swimming is on your fitness wish list, you might want to try these four steps, or "focal points" as Laughlin calls them. Pick one step to start with, swim a lap or two while focusing on that one step, rest a moment, and try again. To measure your success, count the number of strokes you need to swim 25 yards at the beginning of your workout and again at the end.
Ready. Set. Go.
1. "Hang" your head. Head-spine alignment is essential for efficient swimming. So don't hold your head up -- just relax your neck muscles and release your head's weight until if finds its natural position. Try to maintain a straight line between your head and your spine.
2. Lengthen your body. A longer body lets you swim faster and more smoothly. Extend your arms to lengthen your body line rather than pushing the water back. When swimming with a freestyle stroke, slip your hand and forearm into the water as if sliding them into a mail slot.
3. Move like water. Water penalizes rough or rushed actions. Try moving your body through the smallest possible water space. Swim quietly, minimize bubbles, and keep splashes to a minimum.
4. Get the air you need. Without enough air, you'll be too distracted to concentrate on your form. Breathe by rolling to the air, not by turning your head. Follow your shoulder back with your chin. Exhale actively. Inhale passively.
If better swimming is on your fitness wish list, you might want to try these four steps, or "focal points" as Laughlin calls them. Pick one step to start with, swim a lap or two while focusing on that one step, rest a moment, and try again. To measure your success, count the number of strokes you need to swim 25 yards at the beginning of your workout and again at the end.
Ready. Set. Go.
1. "Hang" your head. Head-spine alignment is essential for efficient swimming. So don't hold your head up -- just relax your neck muscles and release your head's weight until if finds its natural position. Try to maintain a straight line between your head and your spine.
2. Lengthen your body. A longer body lets you swim faster and more smoothly. Extend your arms to lengthen your body line rather than pushing the water back. When swimming with a freestyle stroke, slip your hand and forearm into the water as if sliding them into a mail slot.
3. Move like water. Water penalizes rough or rushed actions. Try moving your body through the smallest possible water space. Swim quietly, minimize bubbles, and keep splashes to a minimum.
4. Get the air you need. Without enough air, you'll be too distracted to concentrate on your form. Breathe by rolling to the air, not by turning your head. Follow your shoulder back with your chin. Exhale actively. Inhale passively.
