Whether you’re swimming for recreational purposes or to beat your personal best, swimming can be a good exercise for your body and mind. The benefits of swimming range from lowering stress to helping you control blood sugar. However, you need to make sure you’re safe in the water.
If you’re not experienced in swimming, you should start with a swim instructor or by doing strength training. This can include deadlifts, unassisted pull ups, and overhead presses of half your bodyweight. You can also learn to swim in a private or group setting. You can get a list of local swimming instructors by visiting the U.S. Masters Swimming database. You can also look up adult swimming lessons in your ZIP code.
The main swimming strokes are the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Each discipline has specific rules regarding turns. They are regulated by the FINA, International Swimming Association. If you’re new to swimming, be sure to consult with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you.
In competition, swimmers should try to achieve the fastest possible time and create the least amount of resistance. Aside from improving heart and lung health, swimming can help you feel better emotionally. The cool water will help lift your mood, and the meditative state that swimming can induce can be similar to yoga.
While swimming is considered safe for most people, it’s always a good idea to follow safety guidelines, especially if you have any health conditions. You should also make sure to swim in a supervised area. Children should never swim alone. The chlorine in swimming pools can have negative effects on skin. You should also watch for waves. You may want to consider a personal trainer if you have trouble maintaining proper form.
If you’re considering entering competitive swimming, it’s important to understand how the different rules work. The rules for each discipline vary, and there are penalties for breaking them. For example, if you do not swim at the correct distance, you could be disqualified. If you leave a lane before the starter, you could be called for a false start. Other violations involve entering and exiting the pool, jumping in and out, and making actions that interfere with other swimmers.
In competitive swimming, swimmers typically go through a cycle of training. They train with a pace, reducing their workload as they approach a competition. They then reduce the workload again as they approach the end of the race. They may take a break during the middle of the race, depending on the length of the competition.
When swimmers perform a turn, they usually use a wall to help them push forward in the direction they are going. Flip turns are used in freestyle and backstroke events, while other turns are used in IM (Individual Medley) and breaststroke. In a breaststroke event, a swimmer can use a dolphin kick, or “fifth stroke.” If they have a butterfly kick, they are allowed to make one dolphin kick during their turn.