Three things you can do to improve your swimming from home
by Coach Georgie
Swimming, whether we enjoy it for fitness, relaxation or rehab is a leisure activity that many of us enjoy, but sadly due to the global pandemic it has been missing from nearly all of our lives on and off for 12 months.
Here at LRC rather than dwell on this and think about what we can’t control, our athletes have been focusing on what they can control to develop their swim fitness and in this blog we will share 3 of those methods with you.
Nothing can truly replace the sensation of getting in the water but these three things that can easily be done from the comfort of your home, each taking less than 15mins a day and will make the return to the pool so rewarding.
1. Pranayama: Breathing Exercises
Swimming is one of the only sports where you cannot breathe at will. For that reason, having the ability to work efficiently and effectively with the breath is one of the keys to success.
One of the ways you can learn to work more efficiently with the breath is by creating an awareness of your natural breathing pattern, then manipulating that pattern in different ways. By doing so you learn greater breath control and how to breathe more effectively. It is possible to learn new breathing techniques in the water, but there are some unique advantages to practicing better breathing habits on dry land.
Pranayama, the practice of breath control in yoga teaches us that it is possible to control the flow of breath, rather than being controlled by the need for respiration. It also teaches the body how to breathe in a deeper manner that delivers more oxygen to the body per breath than typical breathing.
I discovered this way of breathing whilst racing as a professional triathlete and attending weekly Bikram Yoga classes. These yoga classes were attended to improve my mind body awareness whilst training for triathlon but I also noticed that my swimming performances improved significantly during the same period, so I realised the benefits of pranayama.
First, pranayama may be practised anywhere, even when a pool isn’t easily accessible. This means that the lungs can be kept in top shape. This is particularly advantageous whilst we have all been restricted to pool access due to the pandemic.
Second, pranayama is more achievable on land than practising breath control in the water. This enables those with anxiety about being without air for prolonged periods of time underwater to gain stamina and confidence.
Lastly, in addition to increasing lung capacity, pranayama also teaches us how calming deep breathing can be. As a lot of us will be returning to swimming after some time off, taking this time now to enhance your breathing ability, will in turn improve your confidence in the water, reducing any anxiety we may face.
Pranayama practice gives poor swimmers the opportunity to become great swimmers, and takes great swimmers to the next level in terms of stamina, strength and endurance.
Here is how to do a Pranayama Breathing Exercise.
Credit thanks to Bill Thwaites at Sohot Yoga
2. Core Activation
The second short session our athletes do weekly as part of their LRC swim training is 10mins of core activation.
WHY?
All swim movements uses your core to initiate and execute the stroke.
This is why we incorporate core sessions into our swim training;
- Stability and balance in the water.
- Improved posture and therefore position in the water.
- Prehab / injury prevention.
Please have a go at our short core session here.
3. LRC Yogility (Yoga + Mobility)
Our third and final swim training is LRC Yogility.
At Long Run Collective we have spent the last 15 years learning, teaching, testing, developing and practising methods of yoga and mobility. We are passionate about improving the ways your bodies work and what they need to move, train and race in the best possible ways.
LRC Yogility was designed to allow our athletes to enhance their muscular endurance and reduce injury.
Our short 10min LRC Yogility sessions combine functional mobility with our yoga and for swimming focusses on the muscle groups used when swimming.
LRC Yogility is great for swimming as it guides your body into movement patterns that you are unaccustomed to, which in turns helps you engage and relax muscles in different ways.
You can sign up to our LRC Yogility series here.
When you sign up to LRC Yogility you will receive;
- 14 short videos for £12.95.
- Access to LRC Coaches guiding you through each routine.
- Body specific yogility exercises.
How you will feel after?
- Energised – wake up your muscles.
- Full body flexibility.
- Awareness – train with feeling.
We hope that you find these 3 swim training tips useful and as always, if you have any questions please drop us a note at longruncollective@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!