Breathing while swimming. How to Learn to Swim Properly: Tips from Experienced Swimmers

Breaststroke is a swimming style that is good for working out as wide a range of muscles as possible.

On the one hand, it is considered the easiest in terms of energy consumption - it is believed that when swimming breaststroke you get less tired than when working with other styles (crawl, butterfly, backstroke). However, one can count at least 26 muscles, which are used during breaststroke swimming.

Such mechanics of movements also determines the main parts of the body, which are subjected to the greatest load:

• when rowing primarily involved latissimus dorsi and chest(Also - deltoid muscles shoulders, but to a much lesser extent than in the freestyle)
• when kicking – quadriceps(located in front of the thigh), calf and gluteal muscles

The key groups of body parts involved in the breaststroke are most clearly shown in this illustration:

Detailed description

As mentioned above, in addition to the most key, in total, more than 20 different muscles are involved in this method of swimming.

Here's a nice animation where you can see how most of them work:

Now we give a detailed list of them in relation to different parts of the body.

Front of the body and neck

Chest, stomach, neck work:

• Musculature of the chest (upper part);
• Lateral muscles (serratus anterior);
• Oblique and rectus abdominis;
• Neck - sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Back

The main part of the muscles of the back is involved:

• The latissimus dorsi;
• Trapeze;
• The muscle that straightens the spine;
• Large and small round, as well as large and small rhomboid muscles.

Shoulders and arms

In the upper part of our body, the following muscles are involved:

• deltoid;
• brachioradialis;
• Biceps (slight, but working);
• Triceps (similar);
• Deep finger flexor;
• Muscles of the palm.

Lower body and legs

Here again, many muscles are involved:

• Four-headed (quadriceps);
• Big buttock;
• Large adductor thigh;
• two-headed;
• gastrocnemius;
• Anterior tibial;
• Foot muscles.

Benefit

Effects of swimming on overall health

To begin with, we note the general health benefits of swimming:

1. This aerobic training, which is necessary to maintain the health of the cardiovascular system.
2. Unlike others aerobic exercise(running, cycling, etc.), here
3. Developing force and muscle endurance.
4. Improving condition of the spine.
5. Goes prevention possible joint disease.
6. Calories are burned- weight is reduced.

   It is estimated that the average 70kg adult burns about 818 calories per hour of freestyle swimming and about 744 for an hour of breaststroke.

7. The nervous and immune systems are strengthened.

breaststroke benefits

Now let's note advantages of breaststroke compared to other styles:

1. Involved very wide range of muscles(the butterfly can compete here - but it is physically very difficult to swim the last one).
2. This way of swimming requires less physical fitness - in the breaststroke (with correct technique) uses less strength than in freestyle and butterfly.

   The indicated means that you can receive the 20-30-minute required by the body. aerobic exercise, swimming breaststroke, even if you do not have enough strength to sail the same time in a different style.

3. Spine training due to movements associated with the constant lifting of the body from the water and subsequent lowering into the water.
4. If an emergency occurs that requires you to swim a long distance(for example, to swim to the shore), then it is more realistic to do this with a breaststroke due to the fact that it spends less energy. Because it is good to own this style is useful for everyone.

For men

The advantage of this method for men is that you can tighten the figure and get a slightly more sculpted body due to the fact that the chest and the broadest muscles of the back are being worked out.

On the other hand, you need to understand that to form a beautiful physique much more effective help Gym , while in swimming the body cannot be pumped strongly. However, if we aim for the maximum useful activities and the absence of injuries, here the pool is significantly ahead of the hall.

Possible harm

If you swim head up, then a constant occurs that can cause injury and disease.

Swimming is as natural to a person as running. We all know that being in the water is good for both physical and mental health. In this article you will find an additional incentive to go to the pool.

Weight loss

The most obvious beneficial effect of swimming is fat burning. Moreover, the number of calories that you spend during a conscientious swim is really huge. Firstly, many muscle groups are immediately involved in the work. Secondly, cold water helps to waste extra energy. For the greatest effect, learn how to swim with a butterfly. This is the most energy-intensive style.

Posture improvement

Many of us spend most of our day in front of a computer. Swimming can greatly. In addition to the fact that the spine experiences less gravitational loads in water, swimming improves the condition of the back muscles, chest and waist. Back crawl swimming is the best remedy for slouching.

Tightened belly

It seems that during swimming, the legs and arms work the most. However, the abdominal muscles are also involved in the work. In order to use swimming, you should give preference to the "dolphin" style. But other styles will help get rid of belly fat.

Many professional swimmers started their careers to get rid of asthma attacks. Required while sailing correct setting respiration, as well as moist air beneficial effect for the work of the lungs. At regular classes swimming (up to 45–50 beats per minute at rest), and at the same time, the maximum power of the heart increases (up to 200 contractions).

Benefits for joints

Water will make your joints more flexible. But swimming works well not only as a prevention of joint diseases. You can also swim during exacerbations: cooling will relieve pain, and smooth movements will have a massage effect.

Blood improvement

Even after a single swim, the composition of the blood changes markedly in better side: increases the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin levels. What can we say about the positive impact of regular training in the pool.

Alternative to the gym

The pool can be a great alternative for those days when you don’t have enough energy to train in the gym or don’t feel like it. Make a promise to yourself that you won't exhaust yourself, but just swim at a comfortable pace. After 5-10 minutes of relaxing in the water, you may have the strength for a full workout. And if not, don't scold yourself: it's better than nothing.

Digital Detox

Even in the gym and on the treadmill, many do not part with their smartphone. In the pool you even call. At least an hour you will not check the mail and the number of likes on Instagram.

gentle workout

Swimming is good for recovering from injury or just after too much intense load. Swimming also perfectly complements jogging, contributing to a more quick recovery muscles than rest days with no exercise at all.

Intelligence enhancement

Movement in the water requires special coordination, and vigorous breathing during an intense swim saturates the blood with oxygen. For swimming to make you smarter, swim different styles at a fast pace.

The sound of water helps to relieve stress and distract from problems. Beneficial to nervous system also affected by low water temperature. If after a working day you can’t relax, and at night you go to the pool in the evenings. To relax, swim with simple strokes - breaststroke or backstroke.

hardening

The positive effect of water procedures on immunity is well known. But deciding to douse with ice water or even a contrast shower is not so easy. But in the pool, cold water is perceived quite naturally, providing the same tempering effect.

Fighting temptations

Sometimes in the evening you just don't have enough energy. Swimming can become your faithful assistant. First, it will take at least an hour of your time. Secondly, after swimming, your mood is guaranteed to improve, and there will simply be no need for an extra cake or a glass of wine.

Entertainment for the whole family

Swimming is a sport accessible to all ages. From the very early years children enjoy being in the pool. And for the elderly, swimming is perhaps the safest way to keep fit. Take the whole family to the pool!

Benefit from exercise obvious to everyone. Someone chooses to go to the gym, someone - jogging in the morning. However, there are those who choose to go to the pool. This is not surprising, because swimming is very useful not only for physical health but also for the psychological. Online magazine Factinteres Explain the benefits of swimming.

weight loss

The most obvious benefit is weight loss. It should be said right away that swimming allows you to burn a lot of calories. This is due to the fact that many muscle groups are used during the swim. Also, the number of calories burned depends on the temperature of the water: in cold water, the body spends additional energy. By the way, the butterfly is considered the most energy-intensive swimming style.

Posture gets better

If you spend a lot of time in a sedentary state, then swimming is essential for you. The fact is that water restores the condition of the muscles of the back and lower back. Also, during swimming, the spine experiences less gravitational loads. The most beneficial swimming style for posture is crawl swimming.

Blood improvement

Even if you go to the pool 1 time, the state of your blood will change for the better. This is because the process of swimming increases the level of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells. And this is when you first visit the pool, not to mention regular visits.

Swimming helps to tighten the stomach

At first glance, it seems that the arms and legs are involved during swimming. However, the abdominal muscles are involved in the work no less. It is best to drive fat from the abdomen in the style of "dolphin".

Improving the condition of the lungs and heart

Many professional swimmers enter the pool for the first time due to asthma attacks. The fact is that when swimming, a person is forced to breathe. correct breathing. Plus, the pool is humid. All this favorably affects the condition of the lungs.

As for the heart, while swimming, the heart rate (heart rate) decreases, but the maximum power of the heart increases. This helps improve the condition of the heart.

Joints get better

The benefits to your joints from swimming are enormous. Swimming serves not only as prevention, but also as an excellent treatment. During exacerbations, water helps relieve pain, and water has a massage effect.

Swimming helps you recover

carelessness or serious physical exercise can lead to various injuries. Swimming is great for gentle workouts and speedy recovery. Therefore, if you feel a slight pain in the muscles - immediately go to the pool.

Improving the state of the brain

When swimming, a person requires special coordination and set breathing. This contributes to the saturation of the blood with oxygen, which favorably affects intellectual activity. The greatest effect is achieved when swimming in different styles.

hardening

Since childhood, most people know that water procedures help to strengthen the immune system. However, not many can dare to douse with cold water. Therefore, a great substitute for this activity is the pool.

Relaxing effect

There are difficult days in everyone's life. in a great way relax is swimming. The benefits of this activity are felt even before immersion in water: the sound of water helps to relieve tension. If you can’t sleep for a long time after a hard day, visit the pool in the evenings.

Rest from smartphones

Many who visit the gym do not part with their gadgets. But you won’t be able to swim with a smartphone in your hand and for an hour you will be cut off from social networks and news. This is a great opportunity to relax and think about something distant.

Strengthening family relationships

Swimming is available to almost everyone, regardless of age. Plus, it's useful. Especially for the elderly. This suggests that swimming is the most in a suitable way play sports with the whole family at once.

Being in the water, it is unnecessary to pour it inside yourself, some argue. Indeed, in swimming it is somewhat easier for an athlete to cope with fluid loss than in other sports. But that's just a feeling that doesn't really prove anything. And answering the question of whether it is necessary to drink water while swimming, almost all coaches agree: yes, you need to.

When to drink while exercising?

Experienced athletes share information: water is needed not only after swimming, but also during them. This is what an ideal, according to an Olympic swimmer, fluid balance replenishment mode looks like:

1. A glass of water about 60 minutes before the start of the workout;
2. A couple of sips just before the warm-up;
3. During training, in between long distances, you can also “moisten your throat” with a couple of sips;
4. After training, you need to drink enough water until the thirst is gone. It is better to do this not immediately, but 5-10 minutes after leaving the pool.

Some recommend not to drink during the swim itself, because any food or liquid that gets into the stomach will not be able to digest well, and discomfort in the stomach has never helped anyone overcome the distance faster. But it's up to you to decide: if you really want to stop and take a sip of water, then who will forbid it.

How much water to drink?

Again, everything is individual and depends on the intensity of fluid loss (with sweat), as well as on how much water you usually drink. The well-known rule - "drink at least 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day" works, but is not rigid. We know of another theory: supposedly you should drink 100-150 ml of liquid for every “completed” kilometer in the pool. It is clear that this should be done not directly in the pool, but after training.

Professionals can drink up to 2 liters of fluid for the entire training cycle, including these 2 glasses an hour BEFORE and a couple of glasses AFTER. For those who attend Mevis adult swimming training just for themselves and do not train as intensely, a smaller amount of liquid is enough. But it is better to take a sports bottle with you to the pool so that in which case your body does not experience stress.

The benefits and harms of water while swimming

In general, it turns out that the habit of drinking water for a swimmer is beneficial. Moreover, not only water is recommended, but also isotonic drinks or natural juices diluted with water, iced tea.

You can prepare such an isotonic at home: take drinking water, add jam or juice in a 1: 1 ratio and one teaspoon of salt.

The main benefit of water is that water balance and circulation should remain normal. Lack of fluid slows down blood flow metabolic processes and cause premature fatigue. Water gives us energy, allowing us to move more actively.

Another "unpleasant" effect of fluid loss is that without drinking you will not be able to lose weight, it is the fluid that affects the breakdown of fats in the body.

But only water that has a temperature of no colder than 15 degrees and has passed the purification stages can be useful. That is, you can’t drink tap water, especially icy water, this is a threat to your health.

To summarize: swimmers need to drink just like all other athletes. The main thing is to drink measuredly and in small portions. And if after that you have a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, it is better to postpone the next sip until the end of the workout.

There are many questions about swimming. And this is not unreasonable. There are so many things to know and consider when swimming, and that's before you've even left the pool! When swimming in open water, there are even more questions! How to swim in open water? We have prepared 11 most frequently asked questions and answers to them.

Let's figure it out.

Kick or don't kick

TO BEAT OR NOT TO BEAT?

Just in case, kick - a kick on the water.
So, there is only one answer - kick! While footwork may only provide 10% of the total movement in front crawl during open water swimming, it should still be present for three highlights swimming:

1. swimming pace;
2. balance in the water;
3. Keep afloat.

Finally, the downward movement of your foot is the force that actually helps lift your body higher to the surface of the water. A weak and insufficient amplitude blow will lead to lowering the legs lower under the water, which will create excessive resistance when moving the whole body forward.

Do you work with your feet? Yes - work!

How often to look around

Don't lean too far out of the water to look around and look around often. Depending on the conditions of the swim, look around every second or fourth stroke. Don't rely on the people floating next to you to sail to the buoy in a straight line.

So look around often to sail efficiently and productively.

How often to breathe

1. This will allow you to have a sufficient supply of air in case of an unforeseen situation (an opponent hit, dragged an opponent under water, someone sneaks ahead of you, a wave covered you). Always breathe facing the shore and the back of your head towards the waves;
2. This pace creates a rhythmic and even rhythm of breathing. One second inhale and one second exhale. Just like you breathe on dry land.

If you still can't train in open water, here are a few simple things you can focus on to prepare yourself for an open water race:

• Use the metronome to work on the stroke rhythm. Try to keep the number of strokes per pool the same for long pool swims. In open water, pace is everything.
• Train your gaze in the pool. Especially when you are tired and the hardest sets are coming. This is how you will swim in open water. There will be the same fatigue, but you will have to look around.
• Practice breathing. Without constant breath control, especially in the dynamic environment of open water, performance levels are greatly reduced.

Whether to rotate the body and how much

Yes! it is the basis of the stroke, connecting and synchronizing the movements of the upper and lower parts of the body. Imagine a pendulum swinging from side to side. With constant and uniform movement. Without pauses and changes in amplitude. This is exactly how you should rotate.

Be careful to rotate with your shoulders, not your hips. Also make sure that both shoulders and hips are involved in the rotation as a whole.

Do I need to warm up and how

It is important regardless of whether it is open water or training in the pool. This good rule, warm up the body before any physical activity and in swimming there are no exceptions. If the start rules allow, go into the water and swim to the nearest warm-up buoy. This will help to warm up the muscles, and will also allow you to understand how the track will be visible after the first buoy. Knowing the course can be invaluable as it gives you the confidence to know what physical landmarks to look for once you have reached the buoy. This knowledge is of great help when navigating the track.

If the start rules do not allow you to get into the water before the start of the race, prepare a rubber expander with you, by tying it to a fence / tree / pole, you can work out all the phases of the stroke, as in the video:

This creates a neuromuscular connection comparable to how you would swim when you hit the water.

Is it possible to draft

Drafting (the ability to stay behind or to the side of the lead swimmer in order to take advantage of the turbulence created behind them) behind the swimmer is quite a real thing and allows you to take advantage of the reduction in water resistance if someone is swimming in front of you.

While the benefits of drafting seem undeniable, the sad truth is that you will have a hard time finding an effective swimmer. Very often, the one who goes ahead can be either much stronger than you, or vice versa. In this case, drafting is ineffective. Another problem could be that by hanging at the swimmer's legs you are trusting the swimmer's navigation, which is pretty silly. You don't know any experience or skills ahead of the swimmer, and of course you don't want to row the whole distance in the wrong direction in an attempt to save 5-10% of your strength.

Still interested in drafting?

If you decide to sail in a group or for someone alone, you should know the following. To conserve energy through drafting, you need to swim 1 meter behind the athlete or collection when your eye level is about the same as the berer of the person you are drafting. We recommend swimming with your feet, as this way you are less likely to be noticed. And then, with less probability, the swimmer in front of you will want to break away from you.

When swimming with your feet, keep your distance so as not to catch your hands on the legs of another athlete. Ideally, swim as close as possible. You can navigate close whether you are swimming or not by the number of bubbles from the athlete's legs. More bubbles - you are closer, less bubbles - you are farther. The bubbles are completely gone - you need to succumb! It takes practice and patience, but is effective way conservation of energy.

Whether to pee while swimming

Depends on you. If you really feel like it (and you can write while swimming) - please, this is absolutely normal. It's hard for some people, but when nature calls... or you realize that you have a cycling triathlon ahead of you... Just make sure, please, that no one is around.