Swimming Tips For A Perfect Workout
Swimming is one of the most effective ways to exercise, especially during the summer months. Swimming improves cardiovascular conditioning, and it is an effective weight-control exercise.
Jack Bauerle, the U.S. women's Olympic swim team head coach, joined The Early Show Wednesday from the one-of-a-kind floating pool at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Beach in New York to give swimming tips.
Bauerle believes that, regardless of your skill level, proper technique is pivotal to swimming. Prior to entering the water, the right warm-up is crucial. Make sure to stretch your arms, legs and torso to warm up the muscles. General stretches are sufficient, but make sure to especially stretch the shoulders with some arm swings.
Bauerle suggests swimming with your arms reaching as long as they possibly can. This can be achieved with a full arm extension.
In the past swimmers were trained to keep a higher head position. Now, they are trained with a "down hill" head position — meaning the nose and forehead point down. Eyes are focused on the bottom of the pool, instead of the end of the pool.
"Now we look down at the bottom of the pool," Bauerle said. "Because of that, you are not creating any resistance from the water coming straight at you, and you are sort of sliding through the water rather than fighting the water."
Training has been refocused on the hip roll to develop a more efficient freestyle stroke. This means rolling the whole body, from head to hips, to the side with each stroke. As the hand extends and enters water, the hips should roll along with it to extend the stroke.
Most successful swimmers in the freestyle stroke are excellent kickers. Kick hard, but keep your feet in the water. To develop a strong kick, use a kickboard when training. Practice vertical kicks by floating with your head above the water and kicking without the use of your arms.
Bauerle recommends that 20 percent of your workout should be designated for isolating your legs with or without a kickboard to improve leg kicks.
Breathing should be individualized. Some swimmers prefer to take breathes only on one side, while others prefer to alternate sides. Either way, you will typically take a breath every third stroke, and exhale out in a relaxed manner underwater.
Don't cup your hands. "You want to keep a firm pressure on the water, but you also don't want to be mechanical," Bauerle said. "You need to be relaxed." Bauerle recommends relaxing your hands above water during your stroke and firming up when your hand enters the water.
By using the techniques that Bauerle suggests, he believes you will be able to swim twice as many laps in the same workout.