Swimming

[alan]

My normal workout routine is weight training, Yoga and bicycling. But when on the road I have to improvise. At the moment I have no gym available, and possibility of cycling, so I've taken to swimming.
So, what is the best stroke? I'm trying to grab a handful of water and pull it in, avoiding the windmill effect. But it still does not feel natural. Any tips?
Also, breath on the left or right?
Thanks,
Alan

[Pax]

Hi Alan. That's a pretty big question, I coached swimming for a lot of years so I'll try to answer you. The "best" stroke is the one that propels you through the water most efficiently, and provides the best workout...for many people that would be Freestyle. As to what side to breathe on, that's very individual, competitive swimmers breathe on both sides, the rest of us tend to breathe on our dominant side (right handed = breathing to the right).

Here are a couple of links with decent breakdowns of the stroke:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5048_swim-freestyle-stroke.html

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_2170_swim-freestyle-stroke.html

Hope this helps and good luck with your workouts!

[Annapurna]

I do breaststroke and backstroke, is about all i can do.

I can't swim freestyle, I get confused about arms and legs

[Ben]

I do lap swimming upwards of 3 times per week.
My stroke of choice is freestyle.
kind regards

Ben

[Zulieka]

I do breaststroke and backstroke, is about all i can do.

I can't swim freestyle, I get confused about arms and legs

I am even more embarrassed Anna ... I dont know what freestyle means? I thought there were just standard strokes?

Thinking about it made me remember a scene in 'Friends' where Phoebe runs 'freestyle' in Central park. She rushes around with mad abandonment , flaying her arms around to the embrassment of her friends.But she insists she is running how she did when she was a child and running was fun.

I am the same on the dance floor...unfortunately

Msmedusa

[Clueless Git]

'Lo Alan

Swimming is a big thing for me matey, t'is one of only a handfull of things I can do well ..

Anyways just picking up on summat Pax said ...

Free Style (front crawl) with alternative breathing is best if you want to keep your strength balanced. That is breathe left, miss one, breathe right, btw.

Reason for alternative breathing being important is that whichever side you breathe on the opposite arm will naturaly do the most powerfull stroke so as you can get a longer breathing space.

Like if you breathe on the right all the time the left arm will work far harder than the right arm and verse-vica?

Sacrificing every third breath also means that on every third stroke you have the best aquadynamics (always faster head down?) and neither arm needs to provide the extra pull to rise you up to breathe. You get more speed, and thus distance, for less energy using that technique.

M'final tip (with apologies if I'm teaching granny to suck eggs) is to learn to time the outbreath so its all gone, but only just all gone, by the time your head comes up to breathe. That way none of the time your head is spent out of the water will be wasted blowing out and you get a far longer chance to suck air in.

Best work out of all tho' is simply to jump in and thrash about 'doggy paddle' style with your head up all the time. You'll be completely cream-crackered after just a few lengths that way!

[Clueless Git]

I am the same on the dance floor...unfortunately

Msmedusa

I'll vouch for that ..

Due to the risk of serious eye injuries being inflicted all but the tallest, the bravest and the down right fool-hardy flee from the dance floor when Ms Medusa starts shakin' her booty about!

[Annapurna]

I'm a good dancer, actually, and am like a fish in the water with breast strokes, but I sure try to drown myself with free style...

And how I love to watch it...

Oh well...

hopeless case.

[nissaranamagga]

I started learning to swim about a year and half ago. Tried to go to pool at least thrice a week.

It works really well. Normally i swim 10-20 laps in freestyle to warm up and then speedy 100m sessions in both free style and breast stroke.

Cant go more than 2 laps in Back stroke and butterfly. Thinking of being contempt with it.

[Pax]

Just another quick thought, if you have any knee problems, stay away from breast stroke. The kick you do puts a lot of stress on the ligaments in the knee.

[Annapurna]

Dang. And that's all I can do, forward....

[Zulieka]

Just another quick thought, if you have any knee problems, stay away from breast stroke. The kick you do puts a lot of stress on the ligaments in the knee.

Oh no! I was about to start swimming again in order to ease my joints..but ankle and knee are where I have the problems. Back to the drawing board

[Annapurna]

Odd, all I ever heard is that swimming is ideal for the joints, because we are not as heavy in the water, and so forth and all movements are slowed down by the water.

A lot of people with orthopedic surgery get water gymnastics here for rehab.

[Ben]

Odd, all I ever heard is that swimming is ideal for the joints, because we are not as heavy in the water, and so forth and all movements are slowed down by the water.

A lot of people with orthopedic surgery get water gymnastics here for rehab.

That's correct Anna. It is 'no impact' exercise.
kind regards

Ben

[Pax]

Odd, all I ever heard is that swimming is ideal for the joints, because we are not as heavy in the water, and so forth and all movements are slowed down by the water.

A lot of people with orthopedic surgery get water gymnastics here for rehab.

It's true for many types of rehab, however there are several "repetitive motion" injuries attributable to swimming. I have impingement tendonitis in my shoulders from years of competing in freestyle and butterfly. The injury I mention above is referred to as "swimmers knee" or sometimes "Breaststroke knee"

[Annapurna]

Perhaps those injuries occur mostly in competitive swimmers...when you work with all your strenght.

But gentle swimming might have mostly positive effects.