Swimming is a low-impact, low-risk exercise that builds muscle endurance and burns calories. It’s a great form of aerobic exercise, and it can help you sleep better. Swimming also improves balance and is known to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. It has even been shown to improve self-esteem. Unlike most other aerobic exercises, however, swimming requires a lot of practice and commitment to master. And that’s especially true for adults who may have a fear of the water and are looking to learn how to swim, or improve their existing skills.
The most important thing to remember when learning to swim is that everyone swims a little differently. This is because individuals have different bone structure and strength, as well as the ability to move their arms in a more efficient manner than others. Despite these differences, though, the key principles of swimming are similar across swimmers. This means that a new swimmer will likely learn to swim in a way that is unique to them, but still has the same fundamentals as a more accomplished swimmer.
During the freestyle stroke, swimmers move their legs in a fluttering motion. They also kick their arms in a synchronized movement to move forward. Swimmers often train this arm movement with silly images such as “hands to your armpits like monkeys” and “arms out, horizontal to the sky and then pressed close to your body like soldiers.”
As they move their arms in this rhythm, swimmers must rotate their bodies to keep themselves upright in the water. In addition, they must breathe to the side. Some swimmers prefer to breathe to the left, while others favor breathing to the right or to both sides. Still others prefer to time their breaths so that they alternate every third or fifth stroke.
The final element of the freestyle stroke is the arm recovery. Some swimmers recover their arms very straight, while others do so with a more bent arm position. The timing of the arm recovery differs, too. Some swimmers choose to time their arm recovery so that it occurs near the end of the catch phase, while others do so so that their hands nearly overlap upon exiting the water.
In a team environment, it’s important for swimmers to encourage and support one another, as well as provide feedback when appropriate. This includes helping teammates to correct bad habits and improving their own performance. However, it’s typically best to leave critiques of other swimmers’ technique to the coach. This way, a swim coach can privately provide feedback to the swimmer and can avoid causing any unnecessary embarrassment or hurt feelings. If you have a friend or family member who is interested in becoming a swimmer, make sure to point out the benefits of this fun and rewarding activity. Then, encourage them to seek out swimming lessons at a local rec center, YMCA, fitness center or swimming club. Almost any community in America has a pool, and many offer group or private swim lessons.