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DIVE INTO SWIMMING 10 Tips to Optimize Workouts


by Jim Thornton S


Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. ~Gerard de Nerval


wimming may be the perfect lifelong sport; it’s a low-impact, joint-friendly, sustainable way for anyone to stay fi t


at any age. In taking the plunge—including aſt er a prolonged hiatus—be wisely aware of some caveats.


Allow for relevant muscles to get into swim-shape. Endurance training increases their ability to use oxygen and nutrients more effi ciently.


Although swimming generally boasts low injury rates, avoid overdoing it. For the fi rst month, concentrate on refi ning proper technique, including minimizing drag. Intense workouts can come later.


Here are 10 ways to optimize a swimming workout.


1


Make Like a Missile. With hands alongside the body, push off the wall


underwater and glide until coming to a stop. Next, try it with arms outstretched about shoulder-width apart and the head tilted slightly upward like Superman fl ying. T en, repeat while contorting the body into the longest, straightest, thinnest shape possible. Overlap hands, extend arms and fi ngertips overhead to the max, squeeze biceps over ears with the head down. Aſt er pushing off , bring legs together with knees straight and toes pointed to eliminate any rudder eff ect.


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2 3


Look Down. Keep the head down with eyes trained on the lane line,


reducing drag and strain on the neck and lower back.


Roll with It. A good side-to-side body roll cuts drag and activates core muscles


in powering arm pulls. Practice rolling by extending the right arm forward as far as possible, place the leſt arm fl at against the torso, then push off the wall with the leſt shoulder pointing upward, the right, at the pool bottom. Maintain this position while kicking eight to 10 times. T en pull the right arm through the water, simultaneously rolling to the opposite side. T en extend the leſt arm forward and repeat. When pulling, concentrate on directing


power straight back. Pushing down on the water squanders energy during the onset of the stroke, as does pushing upward during the fi nal phase. It eliminates bobbing.


4 5


Control Hands. Keep hands about shoulder-width apart throughout a


freestyle pull. To avoid fi shtailing from side-to-side, imagine a vertical line sepa- rating two halves of the body and don’t allow hands to cross over it.


Don’t Kick Hard. A good freestyle kick helps maintain balance and


positioning to increase speed. Avoid over- kicking; small, quick kicks generate almost as much force as large, powerful ones and


Marcin Balcerzak/Shutterstock.com


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