I am not a fast swimmer, but I think I have finally figured out ways to make swimming easier. Over the last few weeks I have been focusing on things I can control and not obsessing over the intricate and often overwhelming details of form. I think our bodies instinctively want to figure out the most efficient way to move and it’s up to us to create the right environment, then get out of the way. Here are 6 things I’ve been working on, that I really believe are paying off in confidence and less exertion in the water.
1. I take warm up seriously. Whether it’s circling my arms on the side of the pool or taking a long time (500 meters) to ease into my workout, I do not underestimate the power of warming up. It’s like reminding my muscles what they’re in for and allowing them time to wake up. I re-establish the fundamentals and, as the swim unfolds, “my best form” becomes instinct.
2. I’ve relaxed my water entry. For the longest time I was “coming out of my body” with aggressive attacks that sent my hand too deep and created more drag by taking my shoulder with it. It was also much harder to pull back through the water from that depth. It felt like I was working harder, and I was. Now I “let” my elbow stay higher and it keeps me more under control.
3. I sight less. I’ve gone around and around on sighting, and while it is obviously key, I also think it’s important not to be all consumed with a landmark. Lately I’ve been swimming to a general area. I sight, then mentally concentrate on the target (without looking) while I swim. It’s amazing how your body will guide you in the right direction. Sighting too often interrupts my momentum and there is nothing worse than slowing down or losing cadence.
4. I focus on rhythm. I literally think in terms of swimming as a dance and swing my hips to an imaginary beat. I’m also thinking about the cadence of my strokes and imagining the sound of my arms hitting the water right on time, over and over. The dynamics of the song and tempo may vary, but my overall goal is to stay in the pocket of the current groove.
5. I engage my lats. There’s a reason you can dead lift or bench press more than you can curl, and this is important to think about when you’re swimming. It’s all about consciously engaging the core and the lats. It not only saves your shoulders, it pulls the synergy of your stroke together.
6. I refuse to believe it’s hard. Most people probably can’t swim one hard lap in a pool without sucking wind. I was one of those people not too long ago. There’s an anxiety trigger that flips when you’re in a body of water and your flight response goes into overdrive. But once you can learn to relax and glide, you realize that swimming is a lot like running or biking. In all three sports you can find that pace where you are simply churning and it feels like you can go forever. Trust the flow and truly believe you are a strong swimmer.
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