There is a common misunderstanding that swimmers don’t need to hydrate as much as land-based sports people as we don’t sweat as much in the water. Sure, studies have shown that we sweat less in the pool, however, this does not mean that we do not dehydrate during swim training. In fact, there are many good reasons why we should maintain hydrating during our workouts, triathlons, and open water swims. You may hear Strictly Swimming coaches consistently harp on the need to hydrate before, during, and after practices. Hydrating is vital to the success of all swimmers. We need water to survive obviously. Every cell in our bodies needs water to function properly. It helps carry nutrients and boosts energy, flushes waste products and is vital to maintain body temperature during swimming workouts or at rest. In fact, during exercise generally, water is much more important as more energy and fuel is being used. Even though you may feel cool in the pool or open water, there is an actual rise in body temperature, hence the reason to keep hydrating during your swimming lesson. The cold temperature of the water does cool the body down and sweating is reduced, however, the body will still dehydrate due to high muscle activity. It is very easy to miss that you are dehydrating when swimming due to the cool water temperature, so it is more important to swimmers to keep an eye on their water intake during a workout. Make sure you have your full water bottle at the end of the pool during practice . Here are some key physiological reasons to maintain hydration:
What to drink when swimming Water is the best drink to quench thirst and replace fluids lost during exercise. Drink water before you start your swimming lesson. Water boasts a huge list of benefits. It’s natural, free, readily available, contains no calories. About sports drinks Some athletes use sports drinks that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, which have concentrations that allow the body to refuel during exercise. Sports drinks may be useful if your activity is moderate to vigorous in intensity for more than 60 mins, However, sports drinks can be high in sugar, so always check out this out before purchasing. Remember that fruit and vegetables contain a high proportion of water, so a fruit snack (such as oranges) can help your fluid replacement. What not to drink when exercising Some fluids are not recommended when exercising:
How much to drink after exercising To adequately rehydrate after your swimming session, aim to drink one and a half times the fluid you lost while exercising. You will need to drink more fluid than you lost while swimming because you will continue to lose fluid through sweating and urination for some time after you have finished your workout or lesson. What are Swim Fins?
The use of Swim fins (also known as ‘flippers’) has increasingly become part of any swimmers training regime over the last couple of decades. If there is one item to purchase to help you with your swim training, it’d definitely a pair of Swim Fins! Wearing fins on your feet, allows you to propel yourself with far greater speed and power to your leg kick and also increases the fun of rocketing through the water. Integrating the use of swim fins into your training can help prefect many elements of your swimming stroke and also your overall technique (including the correct body position and ‘height’ in the water). We always use Swim Fins during our Strictly Swimming lessons in London, so please ask our coaches advice before splashing out on a pair. The Benefits of Swim Fins 1. Improves your kick technique Using swim fins will work your upward leg kick and downward leg kick by adding resistance to these movements. If your leg kick is the weakest part of your stroke, swim fins will increase the resistance of your kick on the water as you perform each movement. This added resistance will work your quad muscles (on the downward kick) and hamstrings (on the upward kick), making you move faster and more efficiently. Your leg kick will connect with the water on a much greater scale and you will find that your hips are no longer sinking. If you feel that you go nowhere with a kick board in your lessons or training, try using swim fins to create a narrow and fast flutter kick to propel you through the water. 2. Improves your overall stroke technique The extra propulsion and speed in the water created by your swim fins will allow you to focus and develop specific elements of your technique that you are concentrating on. This extra speed and stability will help you practice more advanced drills to a higher level and can target your technique with much more accuracy and ease. 3. Develops correct body position Many novice swimmers and triathletes find it difficult to maintain good height in the water (swimming as close to the water’s surface or above). Swimming with fins increases speed in the water which in turn increases a higher body position to the water surface. So you will feel like you are zooming across the surface of the pool as your swim fins teach you how to swim on top of the water. 4. Reduces stress on your shoulders Although swimming is a moderately low-impact sport, after a while in training, your shoulders may experience quite a bit of stress. The repetitive movements of each stroke can lead to shoulder aches or even damage if proper care is not performed during your workout. Swim fins lower the impact on your shoulders (during your workout and even during lessons) as your leg kick increases proportionally within the whole stroke. 5. Help increase strength and endurance As mentioned, swim fins alleviate stress on the shoulders and the arms which allows you to swim for longer periods of time, increasing your muscle strength and endurance in the process. Working the specific muscle groups of your legs, using swim fins is among one of the top ways in developing kick strength during your swimming. 6. Improves ankle flexibility Finally, using swim fins requires your ankle to move through a greater range of motion than you make regularly kick during your stroke. Some swimmers are naturally flexible in their ankle joint, while others may find this difficult to relax and stretch during the ‘flick’ of your foot when kicking. Swim fins reinforce proper kick mechanics, allowing you to develop ankle flexibility faster than training without fins. Types of Swim Fins
Overall swimming fast is much more fun, so why not mix up your training by including some training sets whilst wearing your swim fins. There are a number of different ways that you can vary your workout with fins, so let our Strictly Swimming coaches in London help you develop a new training regime in the water whilst using them! Buy some goggles that fit Your swimming goggles should be adjustable but also fit your face width and naturally fit comfortably in or around your eye socket. Remember that your goggles should be fitted pretty tightly to prevent water entering them (this tightness is something you will need to get used to). Your Strictly Swimming London coach can help you with your goggles at the start of your first lesson. Your goggles should be completely fixed on your face (and not move) even during a hard push off the swimming pool wall. Purchase some swimming fins Swim fins offer an array of benefits to the beginner to triathletes to competitive swimmers. Using flippers (fins) helps improve the power of the leg kick to support your stroke when concentrating on technique work in the water. Get the right swimming gear Buy practical gear that fits and not gear that only looks good. Tight fitting swimwear helps reduce drag in the water. The last thing you need is baggy and heavy swimwear that makes it harder to learn to swim as you move through the water. Wear a Swim Cap Wearing an inexpensive swim cap can help protect your hair in heavily chlorinated pools but also helps in keeping medium length and long hair away from your face whilst you try to master breathing techniques. A tight swimming cap will help you move easier through the water if you have long hair. Shaded Goggles for Outdoors If you goal is to do some open water swimming, consider getting some goggles with shaded lenses. They will act like regular sunglasses and protect your eyes from the sun and allow you to follow the direction that you are aiming for. Ease yourself into the shallow end of the pool
The easiest way to conquer fear of the water is to start in the shallow end of the pool. You will be able to stand in the water, lowering yourself slowly and gently depending on how confident you are feeling. Practice holding your breath while your head is under the surface, with the knowledge that you can stand up and come up for air at any time. Push and Glide to Warm Up Don’t worry about getting into the pool and not being able to swim to warm up. Start your swimming workout and lessons by pushing off the wall and gliding in a horizontal position with our arms stretched out and your feet pressed together with your toes pointing. Repeating this exercise will help you warm up. Devote plenty of time to developing your swimming Building your confidence and endurance and becoming a stronger swimmer requires that you spend lots of time in the swimming pool. The more time you spend, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the better swimmer you’ll become. With time, your feel on the water will increase, as will your balance in your strokes. Regular practice in the pool and in your Strictly Swimming London lessons will allow you to speed up learning and skills. Practicing between lessons will help massively. Become comfortable putting your face in the water and submerging under the water Usually, the biggest challenge for adults who are learning how to swim is keeping their faces in the water. For some people, submerging your face in the pool can feel uncomfortable and can cause anxiety. Becoming accustomed to your head in the water and the feeling of being relaxed is an important part of learning to swim. Try practicing exercises by placing your face or full head underwater during your lessons or by yourself. Holding your breath underwater is a good start to reducing the panic. Join a group swimming lesson Strictly Swimming London offer novice, intermediate, advanced and learn to swim group courses. Please see our start dates on: We have a maximum of six people in our groups. We keep our groups at a small size to allow everyone to get lots of individual attention from your coach. Courses are six weeks and focus on stroke technique. Sign up for private (individual) lessons At Strictly Swimming London, we offer private lessons for all levels and our teachers and coaches will be able to develop your swimming whether you are a beginner, a competent swimmer, or a triathlete. With individual lessons, we can focus in detail on your problems in your stroke. Practice breathing techniques After warming up using pushing and gliding techniques, try and glide on your side to incorporate some breathing techniques. Breathing is key to a successful stroke, and the more time you can spend on developing your breathing technique, the better. The guidelines below were released by Swim England to outline the precautions swimmers should take when returning to the pool.
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AUTHORPaul started competing in swimming from the age of 8 and eventually went on to represent his country all over the world. During his time at University, Paul specialised in Aquatics and the Biomechanics of Swimming and produced numerous theses on swimming performance. TOPICS
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February 2024
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