Swimming is a great form of exercise, helping you stay fit and healthy. It also has many psychological benefits – like stress relief, improved mood and reduced anxiety.
It’s fun and easy to practice, and is a great way to get your family involved in physical activity! Regardless of your age or fitness level, there are some basic skills to learn that will make swimming more enjoyable and help you reach your goals.
First and foremost, always swim with your head above the water. This will prevent you from drowning if you get too tired and have to stop your swim. It also allows you to breathe underwater, saving energy and making your swimming more efficient.
The second step to becoming a good swimmer is to develop the correct breathing technique. You’ll need to breathe once every two strokes (or one arm cycle) to remain efficient and keep your body from overheating. Breathing too much will slow you down, so it’s best to keep your breathing controlled and to focus on your stroke.
Getting into the habit of breathing while your head is under the water will be a lot easier than you think. Floating on your back and doing a front crawl will give you a chance to practice this skill and get used to holding your breath. You can even hold onto the wall and hold your breath for a few seconds to practice this breathing technique.
Next, practice kicking with your legs. This will improve your strength and help you move faster in the water.
A strong kick will allow you to reduce drag, speed up your swim and also power you through the last few meters of the pool before your arms seize up with lactic acid.
You need to practice this skill regularly because it’s a key factor in swimming fast. In addition, it helps you build muscle and increases your endurance.
Practicing your kicking and turning is an important part of mastering swimming. The fastest swimmers in the world have a powerful kick and use it to speed up their stroke.
The most common mistake made by new swimmers is that they don’t turn their heads at the end of each arm stroke to take in some air. This is a great way to save energy, but it takes lots of practice to learn how to do it correctly.
It’s a good idea to practice this with your child before you go to the pool and encourage them to do it every time they enter the water. It will help them develop the skill more quickly and ensure that they can start their swimming journey with confidence!
Catch-up is another essential swimming skill that’s easy to master. It’s a simple drill that can be done in the water or on land. To do this, simply bring your leading arm out of the water and extend it, then continue with your recovering arm until it catches up to it.