Swimming is an excellent aerobic workout that is completely different from running or other exercises. Your muscles and bones are completely submerged in water, reducing the impact of gravity on them. The increased heart rate and reduced risk of heart disease are just two of the many benefits of swimming. In addition, swimming may lower blood pressure and sugar levels. Listed below are a few tips to improve your swimming workout and enjoy it more. Become an avid swimmer! Continue reading to learn more about the many benefits of swimming.
Good posture helps keep swimmers straighter in the water and allows them to swim in a streamline position, using less energy to cover the same distance. Proper posture also helps a swimmer’s upper body stroke, making it more powerful. Breathing is another important component of good swimming technique. During swimming, proper breathing is timed and controlled. It is important to breathe at the right time and with the correct volume and frequency to maximize lung capacity.
To improve your swimming technique, familiarize yourself with the terms used in the sport. Flotation devices are allowed during practice but not during competitions. In swimming, a starting block is placed behind each lane. The minimum depth of the water for starting blocks is four feet. A starter can disallow a false start if there are unusual circumstances or when the pool is crowded. But be sure to avoid over-training and overdoing it!
There are several other types of officials in swimming. A referee is the chief official of the meet. He enforces the rules, settles disputes between coaches, and calls the swimmers to the blocks at the beginning of the race. The starter is the man who starts the swim event. The clerk of course, also known as a bullpen, organizes the swimmers by heat time. Lastly, there are officials that help the swimmers achieve their best time.
In ancient Egypt, the sport of swimming is thought to have begun as early as 2500 B.C., and has since spread to other countries such as China and Japan. There is also evidence of swimming races dating back to the first century BCE in Japan. In the nineteenth century, British swimmers began to compete in breaststroke and sidestroke, with more emphasis on endurance than speed. They regarded swimming the English Channel as the ultimate test. During these years, swimming has become more organized than ever.
Olympic trials are held each year in Omaha, Nebraska. The most famous American to achieve national fame was Duke Kahanamoku, who won three gold and two silver medals in the 1912 Olympics. Kahanamoku used six flutter kicks for each arm cycle, considered the classic freestyle form. He was beaten by Johnny Weissmuller in 1924, and went on to become one of the world’s most famous athletes. In addition, he won five Olympic gold medals, and starred as the Tarzan in Hollywood.