Considered by experts as one of the most complete and beneficial physical activities for health, swimming is a very rich sport. From children to the elderly, sedentary or athletes, it is an activity capable of embracing different styles, being suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Due to the fact that it moves practically every muscle and joint in the body, its practice is one of the best physical exercises out there, not to mention that it is an activity with a low level of impact, which drastically reduces the chances of injury with Lifeguard pretest.
Due to its high caloric expenditure, it is a great exercise to lose weight and define the body, as it actively works all the muscles. For health, it brings important contributions to different problems, from respiratory, pulmonary, to heart problems. It is also an excellent alternative to invigorate the body and mind, as the body’s contact with water offers a unique sensation of pleasure and relaxation.
The benefits are really multiple, we list some:
- Improved motor coordination;
- Stimulates weight loss;
- Improves breathing;
- Strengthens muscles and joints;
- Improves cardiorespiratory health;
- Improves blood circulation;
- Decreases stress;
- It provides pleasure and relaxation.
Swimming is an lifeguard pretest sport. Here, we work on the four styles of swimming during our classes, always taught by qualified professionals who make swimming not only a physical activity, but also a recreational one. Professor Marcelo Bastos explains below a little about each of the four swimming styles and gives valuable tips for improving each one. Check out:
Crawl:
This is the most practiced swim because it offers less resistance and, in this way, allows greater speeds. It also allows longer distances to be swam with less energy expenditure. Sound easy? Yea! But, some warnings are necessary:
1. Do not perform the movement of the arms with the so-called “double grip” (hands touching each other in front), because the coordination of the ideal swim shows us that we must have one hand looking for the beginning of the aquatic phase , while the other is already finalizing;
2. The head does not move by itself when thinking about the breathing process; it only follows the trunk roll (which will be more efficient when we correctly comply with what was previously recommended);
3. Especially beginners need to keep in mind that breathing has the same relevance as lower and upper limb movements;
4. The disorderly acceleration of the stroke, without due attention to the respiratory rhythm, will lead to an anticipated fatigue that will be harmful to the development of the training;
5. Never “waste armfuls”. This tip is important for all swims, but it gains greater importance in the crawl as it allows you to swim longer distances;
6. In the same way that the runner is concerned with his stride, the swimmer should always be concerned about “feeling the water pressure” in the palm of the hand;
7. Is the kick important? Yea! It will be one of those responsible for the alignment of the body in relation to the water level;
Exaggerated ranges, such as feet sticking out of the water entirely or getting too far below the hips, are harmful;
8. In aerobic series, there is a need for a constant movement, in order to guarantee the slide and a comfortable position of support of the body according to the desired distance;
9. In the anaerobic series, we need greater speed because it is a short distance, with high intensity, where the body needs to be “higher” in the water.
Backstroke:
Proper body alignment, from head positioning to kick amplitude, is the starting point for efficient backstroke performance.
Keeping the proper proportions, this type has an upper limb coordination similar to the crawl (also requiring rolling, as well as having one hand looking for the beginning of the aquatic phase and the other finishing the same phase). But why is it “only” similar and not the same?
1.The first difference is the head which, in this case, must remain stationary all the time;
2. The second is the greater relevance of the shoulder elevation, preceding the air phase of the stroke. Failure to perform this shoulder lift can lead to an increased risk of shoulder injuries.
3. And as for the kick, it would be interesting to try to press the water both with the back (when one of the feet goes up), as well as with the sole of the foot (when one of the feet goes down). The exaggerated amplitude will lead to the same problems found in the crawl.
4. Swimmers with more refined technique will be able to perform distances similar to those performed in the crawl in this swim.
Butterfly:
It is the swim with the highest caloric expenditure and the greatest demand for strength, and it is possible to say that it has relevance for all swimmers, especially the most skilled and strong who do not miss an opportunity to show that they know how to do it. they still do not, in general, immediately try to report the reason for this (which may be orthopedic, physical or technical). Some tips are valuable for butterfly swimming, starting with the kick:
1. Understand that kick and curl are not the same thing. Waving is the undulating movement of the body as a whole, in which even the head participates. The kick itself is observed mainly when the feet press (down) the water through the back region;
2. Another statement, very relevant since the emergence of the great star Michael Phelps, is that we can watch videos of his tests in order to observe a great difference in his swimming: he always sought to project the trunk forward instead of simply elevating it (the that would generate greater resistance and an even greater application of force);
3. We must be very careful with the observation of high performance athletes swimming, in general. But in this case, an exception can be made, because an intense work of the lower limbs, adapted to each age group and desired technical level, and added to the search for the projection of the trunk forward (instead of elevating it), will probably bring results. positive for any swimmer.
Breaststroke:
Although it is widely practiced, breaststroke needs attention in two aspects:
1. Pay attention to the position of the foot (dorsi-flexion), as it is different from other strokes and directly interferes with knee rotation (essential for force application in the kicking movement);
2. Check if your coordination is adequate: head in line with the arms (which should be projected forward) when applying force in the kick. This sequence will allow greater efficiency in the slide provided by the kicking movement. Beginner swimmers tend to ignore this coordination because they believe that they will swim faster by performing a large amount of stroke and kick cycles in a short amount of time. But, in fact, this is the swim that offers the most resistance, in hydrodynamic terms, because it is performed with the hips lower in relation to the surface of the water. Even the best breaststroke swimmer will present a lower hip when compared to the other swims.
So, were you excited to learn more about this sport so complete and beneficial for health and well-being? Get started now and schedule your class!