Tips | Swimming Sports and Recreation

Three (and a half) Strokes to Maximize Recovery

August 12, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

For the swimming workhorses of the world, there is one stroke and one stroke only: the freestyle. However the freestyle is not an easy stroke to sustain. For this reason, having a few recovery strokes in the arsenal is a good idea.

The first and most accessible recovery stroke is the breast stroke. The breast stroke, like the freestyle, keeps the swimmer on his or her stomach. The main differences lie in the motion of the arms and legs. In the freestyle, the arms and legs remain in a state of constant motion. The breast stroke, however, keeps both of the arms and both of the legs moving in unison, which means they work at the same time but also rest at the same time. Even though this actually requires more energy per pull, the reward is a full-body rest achieved between pulls, allowing for a more complete and rapid recovery.

Another stroke that is excellent for recovery is the back stroke. Although this stroke requires a full-body shift in positioning, placing swimmers on their backs instead of stomachs, the reward here is the ease of floating. This stroke works the legs and arms about equally as much as the freestyle, however it allows for almost a total rest for the abs and core, which are usually busy maintaining the body’s parallel position to the water during freestyle. Although this stroke is easier, the main disadvantage is a complete loss of navigational sight. So unless there is something fixed and consistent to spot (like the ceiling of a pool), this stroke is not practical for prolonged use.

The final stroke (and a half) is the side stroke. Although this stroke is the least effective, it is also the least tiring, working only half of the body at a time. This stroke is ideal for those determined to keep moving forward despite exhaustion. The best part about the side stroke? It actually serves as two strokes, since it can be performed on either side.

By mastering these strokes, swimmers can minimize time spent in recovery and maximize their over-all efficiency in the water.

Filed Under: Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Breaststroke, Stroke, Swimming (sport)

Why Swimming is the Best (& Worst) Exercise

August 11, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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It has been said that swimming is by far the best exercise, and yet still there are many people who swim and see no results. How can the best exercise also be one of the worst?

Swimming is one of the only exercises that seamlessly combines a cardiovascular workout with full body strength training. This is an incredible feat, since those two types of exercise are so massively different from each other. In fact, they are so different that the vast majority of training plans demand that they be completed on separate days. The process of bringing these two diametrically opposed activities into one blended exercise is similar to what happens in the brain when playing a musical instrument. The process of reading notes and instantly using that information to generate physical motion is one of the only activities on earth that uses both sides of the brain simultaneously. This is why children who play musical instruments are so much more intelligent than those who don’t, as they are regularly giving their brains complete workouts. In this respect, swimming is the musical instrument of exercise. So why is this seemingly perfect exercise flawed?

The answer is that not everybody performs the exercise with the high intensity needed to see true results. In fact, most people perform the exercise with little or no intensity. The reason for this is simple; swimming is the only exercise that takes place in the pool, America’s symbol of summer laziness. In a pool, it is incredibly easy to blur the lines between exercise time and an undeserved time to relax. Chances are good that at any given time at the average gym pool, there will be one incredibly tone workhorse cranking out laps while at least 4 others hang on the wall, catching the fluorescent light rays and sipping their protein shakes like they are pina colladas.

Swimming is the best exercise when performed correctly, but if you lack the discipline to do so, you’d be better off saving your money on a gym membership and just going to the beach instead.

Filed Under: Fitness, Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Fitness, Human swimming, Physical exercise

How Michael Phelps Saved Swimming

August 6, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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It may sound silly to say that a person “saved” a sport that was never really in any sort of obvious danger, but that is precisely what Michael Phelps did in the 2008 Olympic Games. By reigning in a remarkable 8 gold medals for the United States, Michael Phelps saved swimming from the clutches of global indifference.

The Olympic Games have suffered a fate similar to that of the World Series in recent decades. Declining ratings have plagued both, making it difficult for either to draw much of an audience. This is particularly troubling for the Olympics, since their global appeal and infrequence of occurrences would seemingly make watching them a non-decision. However as of late, more and more people have been making the decision to tune out. What’s more is that for those who do tune into the summer Olympics, there are many exciting and fast paced events that rank much higher in popularity than swimming. Gymnastics, track and field, and (especially in America) basketball typically dominate the ratings share, as they are all simply more exciting than watching 12 floating heads bob from one side to the pool and back again.

The sport, and quite frankly the Olympics, needed a story to raise awareness and excitement, and Michael Phelps proved to be that story. Phelps’ quest for an all-time record proved to be not only exciting, but marketable as well. NBC reported viewership of more than twice what they yielded for 2004 Athens games, due almost exclusively to Phelps. (A more interesting but less publicized statistic reveals that once Michael Phelps had finished his events for the night, viewership cut in half keeping it on par with it’s 2004 predecessor.) This kind of hype only comes around once in a generation, and gives everybody who is alive to witness it something to cheer for, care about, and want to watch.

Since those games, Michael Phelps has inspired countless young athletes to try their hands at swimming. Much like Tiger Woods, Phelps can be credited with breathing life into an otherwise dead sport amongst America’s youth.

Filed Under: Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Events, Michael Phelps, Sport

Why Morning Pool Workouts Earn You Big Breakfasts

July 30, 2010 by admin 1 Comment

: Image by Vook tv via Flickr

Many people exercise regularly because of strict doctor’s orders. Others exercise because they care about their health, or because they care about their figure and losing weight. Yet there is another group of people who are motivated to exercise by something entirely different: the freedom to eat like a pig. Yes, some people only exercise so that they can hear the sweet words “carbo-load” or “recovery meal,” and if you love breakfast foods, there is no better solution than a regular morning pool workout.

Swimming is one of the few exercises that is both aerobic and anaerobic. Simply put, swimming works out both your heart as well as your muscles. However if you examine the diet of any marathon runner and cross-reference it against the diet of any power lifter, you will see there are some drastic differences in what each of them eats and why.

For those who need energy for aerobic workouts, such as running long distances or high intensity sustained cycling, carbohydrates are the most effective fuel for the body. Foods such as pasta, potatoes and breads all contain high amounts of complex carbohydrates, which can be stored in the body and broken down over longer periods of time. This means that when the body is looking for an extra push to get through a particularly rough patch, it will go to its reserve of carbohydrates for energy.

Strength training, on the other hand, requires a high-protein diet. Protein is one of the main components in muscle and tissue rebuilding, and since strength training is nothing more than the continuous destruction and re-building of the body’s muscles, having protein in the diet is an excellent thing.

How does this relate to swimmers and breakfast foods? Since swimmers are working at a sustained, high intensity aerobic pace, while also working muscles in their arms, legs, and core, they are in a position to eat both carbs and protein. Some examples? French toast, pancakes, and hash browns accompanied by some delicious bacon, sausage and/or eggs.

For these reasons, swimming is not only beneficial for your health, but also can be responsible for enhancing your morning diet.

Filed Under: Fitness, Tips, Workout Tagged With: Physical exercise, Protein, Weight Loss

Ways to Maximize Efficiency Using the Freestyle Stroke

July 29, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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Widely deemed as the most effective stroke in the swimmer’s repertoire, the freestyle is the bread and butter of most athlete’s swimming regiment. However unless a professional swimming coach is watching your technique, it may be easy to fall into some bad habits that can greatly inhibit the efficiency of this otherwise useful stroke. Here are a few tips to keep in mind for the next time you head into the water.

First and foremost, proper swimming posture is something that is easy to ignore and difficult to maintain. Dragging your hips low through the water adds unwanted resistance and slows your stroke. For this reason, a perfectly straight posture supported by a strong abdominal core is the goal. Although it may feel odd, your butt should be so high up that it is actually above the water. If you can feel this is happening (which you should be able to), you’ll know that your posture is correct.

Another bad habit that plagues swimmers is sloppy arm movements. When fatigue sets in, it can be easy to let your arms flop about, moving over your shoulders at a three-quarters pitching angle. Since the goal is to make your body as long as possible, this is counterproductive. One way to ensure that your arms are constantly at the proper angle is to run your thumbs up the side of your body as you begin each stroke. By doing this, you ensure that your arms stay close to the body, your strokes begin with your body fully extended, and that you are not wasting energy unnecessarily.

One final bad habit that many swimmers are guilty of is slapping the water with their hands on the way into the stroke. It is important to understand that this is not where your power comes from. The main power and propulsion comes after your hands are already in the water, when the arm is pulling down and back towards your feet. By directing your energy here instead of at the top of the stroke, you will immediately notice a difference.

By making these simple adjustments, you will quickly enjoy a much more efficient swimming experience.

Filed Under: Fitness, Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Freestyle swimming

Three Easy Ways to Incorporate a Swimming Workout in Your Day

July 24, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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Even though most people are fully aware of the benefits of swimming, most of them don’t have the time or the desire to try to incorporate a swimming workout in their day. Swimming, unlike many other forms of exercise, requires a lot of preparation time up front as well as a lot of recovery time on the back end. However some minor adjustments may make incorporating a pool workout a much easier task.

First of all, refrain from scheduling your pool workout around other activities. Many people try to get their exercise in before they go to work, which may work for them on most days. However on days when swimming is on the exercise agenda, make sure you have nothing to get to after the workout. Going at odd hours like night or weekends will make your time spent at the pool less stressful and more productive.

The next tip is to cut down time spent in transition. Wear your bathing suit to the gym, and bring all the toiletries needed to take a proper shower. Many people get dressed, go to the gym, put on their bathing suit, swim, take off their bathing suit, put on their workout clothes, come home and shower for the day. If you wear your suit to the gym and prepare for the day on location after your workout, you eliminate several of these repetitive steps making swimming a far less annoying excursion.

Finally, hold yourself accountable in the water. A swimming workout (like any other workout) can be effectively and successfully completed in 30 minutes, but only if the intensity is high and the mechanics are sound. Many people take their time and relax in the pool, which can make the average swim workout last much longer than it needs to. By getting in and getting out, you will have less hesitation about going back.

By incorporating these few tips into your day, you should be able to make a swimming workout just as easy and enjoyable as any other form of exercise.

Filed Under: Swimming, Tips, Workout Tagged With: Human swimming, Physical exercise

Common Injuries Sustained During Swimming

July 5, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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Although swimming is a zero impact exercise, there are still a number of common injuries that plague inexperienced swimmers. However with a few small adjustments, it won’t be difficult to enjoy swimming injury-free.

The first and possibly most common injury suffered by swimmers is swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear is actually an acute infection of the outer ear canal, and is usually caused by bacteria or excess moisture. Swimmers should dry their ears thoroughly immediately after exiting the water, being sure to spend some time tipping their heads to either side. If this doesn’t help, a pair of ear plugs should create a water tight seal, preventing the water from reaching the easily affected area.

Muscle sprains and tweaks are also very common, particularly in the neck. For swimmers who rely on the freestyle heavily, they should take caution not to whip their heads too aggressively from side to side when breathing. Over extension of the neck either on the way out of the water or on the way back in can result in a nagging neck pull that can last a week or longer.

The final and seemingly innocent, though potentially deadly injury is cramping. Ironically, dehydration is usually to blame for muscle cramps. Perhaps the reason why cramps occur in the water more than anywhere else is because it is very difficult to carry any sort of beverage while swimming. Although most cramps can be rubbed out after a few minutes, it is imperative that they occur in water shallow enough to stand in, as it is almost impossible to continue swimming. Deep water cramps are often the leading cause of drowning, and therefore proper hydration while swimming is something to take very seriously.

Swimming, just like any other physical activity, carries a certain number of inherent risks with it. However by adhering to these guidelines, young swimmers can significantly minimize their chances of sustaining an injury.

Filed Under: Swimming, Tips

Ways to Maximize Efficiency Using the Breaststroke

June 5, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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One of the most difficult strokes in swimming is the breaststroke. This is because it requires more concentration throughout the entire stroke than other strokes do, as it demands that several parts of your body work at very specific, very different times. Because of this, it becomes easy to forget mechanics or become lazy. However if the following tips are remembered and applied, the result should be a much easier, much more efficient breaststroke.

The first bad habit that plagues most swimmers attempting the breaststroke is the order of operations. In its simplest, the breaststroke is a frog kick combined with a forward facing, side-oriented arm pull. In other words, the arms head straight out, and then swing out to the sides as they head towards the feet. However it is important to remember that these two moves (the arms and the kick) do NOT happen in unison as many people tend to perform them. Instead, it is a cycle, similar to that of an engine stroke. As the arms pull, the legs should be preparing. Once the arms have completed their pull and are moving to the top of the stroke again, the legs should kick. By staggering these movements, swimmers ensure that some part of their body is constantly generating propulsion.

Another bad habit of breaststrokers is refusing to submerge their heads in the water. Although this stroke is the easiest of all strokes to perform from an upright position, doing so lowers your hips and increases your resistance in the water. Instead keep your head down and take breaths immediately after the arm pull to ensure the proper form and generate more speed through the water.

The final bad habit of swimmers performing the breaststroke is not performing it with enough power. Because it is such a complicated stroke mentally, often times performance suffers. However, it is not nearly as physically taxing as the freestyle, which means each part of the cycle can be performed easily with twice as much energy, thereby ensuring that the swimmer gets the most bang for their buck.

Although it is a complicated stroke, remembering these tips will make your breaststroke both easier and more efficient.

Filed Under: Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Breaststroke, Freestyle swimming

Tips for Maximizing Your Swim Split in a Triathlon

June 2, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Mat Honan via Flickr

For triathletes, so much of the race is determined by the end of the first event. Not only is a good time in the water a great way to start a race, but efficiency here can also bode well for the rest of the race. For any beginners out there, there are a few simple ways to help maximize your time within and getting out of the swim that should give you a much-needed advantage in your first race.

First of all, make sure you’re well trained. It is positively shocking to hear stories about first time triathletes who don’t spend a single minute training in the open water before race day. Those who follow this practice are setting themselves up for epic failure. Make sure you spend plenty of time in the open water getting accustomed to every aspect of it. That way you can focus on swimming on race day instead of focusing on how new and different the open water is.

Another chronic time-waster for first-time triathletes is the time spent between getting out of the water and getting into the transition area. Some beginners walk there, catching their breath from the swim they just complete. Others stash their running shoes or flip flops near the exit and spend time hunting those down before they can move onto the transition. Both of these practices are awful. When you get out of the water, run to the transition. You will feel like jelly and hate it, but by the time you get there you will be recovered and ready to ride.

Once you get into the transition, move quickly. Do not worry about how you look or catching your breath. You can breathe at the finish line. Time spent in transition counts towards your overall time, which is why it is imperative that it not be wasted.

By moving quickly even when you don’t have to, you can ensure that you don’t waste any time that should be yours for the taking.

Filed Under: Sports, Swimming, Tips Tagged With: Triathlon, Water Sports

Four Products to Buy with Your LL Bean Coupons

May 18, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

LL Bean is a great place to shop for clothes for the entire family. The company offers a full line of women’s clothes, men’s clothes, and even clothes for kids. They offer an amazing summer line with stylish swimsuits that you will want to swim in, and swim suits that will allow you to swim with ease. But did you know you can use your LL Bean coupons for items besides clothes? Here are some of the things LL Bean specializes in besides stylish and affordable wardrobes for the entire family.

Bicycling

You can use your LL Bean coupons toward the purchase of a new bike or several bikes so you can ride around town or through the natural areas with the whole family. Choose from a full line of accessories including helmets, grocery carriers, handlebar baskets, and much more to make your bicycling experience as enjoyable and productive as it can be.

Baby Strollers

Baby strollers allow you to go just about everywhere with your baby without having to carry him in your arms the entire time. LL Bean has several types of strollers designed to fit your needs. Choose from double strollers for twins, a bike attachment so you can pull the stroller around with you, or traditional everyday strollers. Use your LL Bean coupons and get a great deal on these quality baby strollers.

Fishing Gear

Whether you’re looking for waders, fishing jackets, or rod and reel outfits, LL Bean has what you need for a trek out to the wilderness. You can even pick up some ice fishing equipment at LL Bean for going fishing once the lake has frozen over. Choose from ice augers, fleece scarves, and much more to make your ice fishing trip as memorable and comfortable as possible.

Cameras and Binoculars

Cameras and binoculars can expand your ability to experience the outdoors. Don’t miss a minute of the natural surroundings. Use your LL Bean coupons to equip yourself with these items before you get out into the wilderness.

Filed Under: Tips