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Are you thinking about getting back into swimming? After a long lock down we are finally able to get back in the pool.  Perhaps you have injured yourself running and wanting to maintain your cardiovascular fitness whilst you can't run/walk? This is the blog for you!

Swimming is a great way to use most of your muscles with great cardiovascular effort without the impact. In my university day's I was a swim teacher and being a Water polo player I have spent many a morning doing endless laps. It helps if you get the basics right and I have 5 simple tips for you to think about before you get back in the pool.

1.) Head position
To be efficient in the water you want to have what we call a good "streamline", make sure you look straight down at the bottom of the pool instead of up. By looking down your hips will rise and you will sit higher in the water which will make it easier to move forward. It will also take the strain off your lower back. As soon as you start to look forward or lift your head your hips will sink slightly making it harder to swim.

2.) Ear in Water
Sometimes getting your breathing right can be the hardest part of swimming. The most important thing to remember is to keep your opposite ear in the water when you turn your head to breathe. If you lift your head up your hips will drop and you will expend more energy just to breathe.

3.) Pull through
Keep your arms to the side of your midline. For example, keep your right arm to the right of your midline and your left arm to the left of your midline. Most people when they begin swimming for the first time tend to cross the midline when they pull through the water, especially when they breathe.

4) Pull buoys
What are these? Pull buoys are foam floatation thingies that you put between your legs. Pull buoys help keep you high in the water and are great for focusing on your pull through in your stroke. They are also great if you suffer from back pain or discomfort by taking the drag off the legs which in turn takes the pressure off the back.

5.) Breathing
For your neck, it is always best to breathe on both sides. It is also important to breathe all of your air out as bubbles before you turn your head to breathe. This means that when you turn your head to breathe you are only needing to breathe in, instead of out and in which takes more time and interrupts the rhythm of your stroke.


There are plenty of other tips to help improve your technique, these are just a few to get you started. Happy swimming everyone. If you are experiencing shoulder or neck pain our Osteopaths in South Melbourne are here to help. Click here  to book.