The beneficial effects of swimming human body, both adults and children, has long been noted by many experts. It has a great effect on physical development: strengthens bone tissue promotes the development of the muscular and respiratory systems, strengthens nervous system, cardiovascular, corrects all violations of posture, flat feet and scoliosis.

About classes

Swimming is an affordable sport. Children and people of "advanced" age can do it. Young children with the help of this sport quickly get stronger, and in older people involved in swimming, there is a strengthening of the muscular apparatus and bones.

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In the "cool" periods of the year, swimming is practiced twice a week, visiting the pool. In summer, this sport can be practiced daily in any natural reservoirs suitable for swimming. The duration of the lesson is about forty-five minutes. The best time- morning and evening.

In the morning the body is relaxed, therefore, as soon as it is immersed in a denser environment of water, the force of the load and coordination of movement change. During the morning swim, the maximum return occurs.

Evening swimming also contributes to the systematization of the load. The return of calories during the evening swimming is maximum.

There are many approaches to exercise in the water. Among them, the following types of exercises can be noted:

1. aqua aerobics
2. running or walking in a "shallow" pool
3. walking and running in deep water
4. flexibility training
5. water relaxation
6. water yoga
7. water shaping
8. stretching exercises
9. exercise at the edge of the pool

Main popular styles swimming:

• breaststroke
• freestyle
• backstroke
• sidestroke
• crawl
• butterfly

The style is characterized by a certain coordinated movement of the arms and legs, with the help of which the body moves forward on the surface of the water. Whatever style you choose, you must observe the speed limit when reducing or increasing the load. You should not immediately take a high speed of movement, a slow speed will bring the same load. You can change the pace of swimming during the period of swimming lessons. This is very useful for normalization respiratory system and weight loss.

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Before you start attending swimming lessons in the pool, you must undergo a medical examination. Be sure to get admission to classes from a dermatologist, in the form of a certificate of the absence of any skin diseases.

As such, there are no contraindications for swimming.

Swimming is useful for people with back problems, joints, overweight and women while expecting a baby (for problems that arose during pregnancy) and others.

The effective impact of exercise on the human body

During swimming, there is an alternation of relaxation and tension. various muscles. This, in turn, contributes to their increase and performance. The benefit of swimming is that it leads to improved work and improvement of the respiratory and circulatory organs, strengthening the tone.

Swimming more effective classes ordinary aerobics, since doing exercises in water activates all muscle groups, and leads to a proportional shaping of the figure. The load falls not only on the muscles, but also on the bones, heart and joints. In addition, swimming helps to effectively burn excess calories.

Unloading intervertebral discs, swimming eliminates problems with the spine.

For the formation correct posture Swimming lessons are recommended early childhood. Swimming is one of the safest activities, the chance of getting injured while swimming is minimal. Loads in the aquatic environment are perceived by the body much easier.

The benefits of swimming, as already noted, lies in its beneficial effect on the circulatory system. Swimming reduces blood pressure, the heart rhythm normalizes, the elasticity of the heart muscle and blood vessels improves, oxygen saturation of the body improves.

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When swimming, the body has a kind of relaxing and massaging effect. This contributes to a good effect on the state of the nervous system. The general emotional background rises. Such personality traits as perseverance, determination, discipline, purposefulness develop.

Swimming is an excellent remedy for insomnia.

In the body of a person who regularly goes in for swimming, immunity from colds is developed. The body quickly adapts to various environmental conditions, it is improving the mechanism of thermoregulation.

Key Benefits of Swimming

• Improvement
• cordially- vascular system
• muscle strength
• flexibility and endurance
• load distribution
• weight indicators
• blood circulation
• indicators of social activity
• states in the process of dealing with signs of stress

As you can see, the benefits of swimming are really undeniable!

Learning to swim without the use of assistive devices for an adult allows strict discipline, the study of basic theory. Start self-learning practical side swimming is recommended only after familiarization with safety precautions and rules of conduct in the pool.

You can learn to swim at any age. The only obstacles for an adult to achieve the desired goal may be prejudices and fears. Getting rid of them allows a clear understanding that swimming in the pool and in the open water brings not only pleasure, but also has a beneficial effect on health.

Swimming lessons on a regular basis contribute to:

• development of the respiratory system;
• training of the heart and blood vessels;
• stimulation of metabolic processes;
• strengthening the muscles, immunity and nervous system.

You should start learning to swim in a shallow pool or open water. The legs should feel solid support, the head and shoulders should be above the water. Feeling completely safe and gaining confidence allows the presence of a person who knows how to swim well.

An alternative may be classes with a qualified trainer. Attendance at special classes is not prerequisite You can learn the basics of swimming on your own.

How to breathe correctly?

Learning to swim crawl, the movement of the legs is biting and fast. The more intense the blows, the greater the speed develops. Breaststroke requires a different movement technique, reminiscent of the movement of a frog in water. It is easier to learn how to move your legs, mastering the breaststroke, holding your hands either on the side of the pool, or using a special board that supports the swimmer on the water.

How to learn to swim crawl and breaststroke?

The easiest to learn for a beginner swimmer is the crawl. It is not very difficult to master this technique. They lay down on the water with their faces, begin to sort out alternately with their legs, lowering and raising them. At the same time they wave their hands. First, one of the hands is brought forward, lowered into the water, and the palm folded in the bucket is stroked towards the thigh. Perform the same movement with the other hand.

Swimming crawl, the air is taken into the lungs for every second stroke. To take a breath, the head is first taken out of the water and then turned towards the moving arm. Take in air with your lungs as much as possible. It is impossible to swim for a long time without a sufficient level of oxygen.

Breaststroke is a little more difficult than crawl, but you can master it quickly enough. The main thing to consider is that the movements when swimming with a breaststroke should be synchronous and similar to those made by a swimming frog. It is more difficult to learn how to swim with a butterfly. It is recommended to master this technique with an experienced trainer. The specialist will demonstrate the movements by his own example and check the correctness of their implementation.

Sports swimming requires special training. To professional career it is almost impossible to prepare an adult swimmer. Appropriate trainings and loadings have to begin since the childhood.

Swimming in the pool

Swimming in the pool is good not only for health, but also for the figure. Regular classes are considered effective way release of energy from fat accumulations. What matters is not only the amount of time spent in the pool, but also the effectiveness.

In order for training to be as effective and safe as possible, you must follow a few simple recommendations:

1. Exercising on an empty stomach;

Water pressure on the abdominal cavity during swimming is high. If the stomach is full, it is fraught with problems with digestion. There should be 2.5 hours before training, and after training - an hour later.

1. Train between 16.00 and 19.00;

In the morning, the body is not yet ready for heavy loads, and in the evening, on the contrary, it needs a good rest. If you do it in the mornings or evenings, the training will be less effective than the training done during the day.

1. You need to visit the pool at least three times a week;

Regular classes are the key to stable results. Constant training accustoms the body to loads, the muscles quickly remember the acquired skills in swimming.

1. Put on a rubber hat, remove jewelry;

Prolonged exposure to water on the roots negatively affects the condition of the hair, and jewelry can be lost.

1. Take a warm shower or warm up;

Warmed and prepared muscles allow you to make your workout more effective.

1. Wear rubber slates.

Walking barefoot on wet tiles can cause injury.

The health benefits of swimming are invaluable. The immune system of people who regularly visit the pool is strengthened. They are much less likely to suffer from heart disease, colds and other ailments, are not subject to depression, always arrive in an excellent mood, do not suffer from obesity, have good muscles and a proportionately developed body.

Swimming is a unique sport that everyone can practice, regardless of age and health status. In most cases, swimming in the pool, even at the amateur level, acts as an effective method of prevention and even treatment of many diseases.

When compared with other types aerobic training at which the body encounters air resistance, given discipline will have the highest efficiency. Water, as an external medium, resists movement 12 times more than air. The load is carried out immediately on the whole body.

11 reasons why you should visit the pool

Swimming in the pool leads to the improvement of the whole organism, such activities improve mood and contribute to the formation of a beautiful physique. Let's take a look at the top 11 reasons why you should swim:

1. Improved muscle tone

During swimming, all muscle groups are worked out, since the participation of each muscle is necessary to maintain the body on the surface of the water. Level physical activity depends on the type of swimming chosen, whether it be breaststroke, front crawl or butterfly.

• The load received during training contributes to an increase not only in strength, but also in the endurance of muscle tissues.
• Pool training is the best way restore a lost shape or acquire a developed muscular corset without putting a load on the joints and intervertebral discs.
• Efforts made during classes in the pool are safer than in the gym, since the water cools the body, and the alternate tension and relaxation of the muscles leads to a decrease in the degree of fatigue.

2. Development of mobility of the spine and joints

During swimming, unlike other sports, there is no load on the joints, and the likelihood of injury is reduced. When exercising in the pool, they are in constant motion, due to which their mobility and elasticity develop. Hand movements contribute to the development of the elbow and shoulder elements, and when rowing with the legs, the joints of the knees and hips.

Swimming is effective method treatment of joint diseases of various etiologies. Training is recommended for people with:

• coxarthrosis (inflammation of the hip joint);
• arthritis of the shoulder joint;
• arthrosis of the knee joint;
• violations of the mobility of the patella;
• atrophy of the muscles of the lower leg and byrd.

3. Improve the condition of the spine

Of particular benefit is swimming for the spine, since during classes with spinal column all the load is gone, due to which the vertebrae fall into place.

1. With the help of swimming, numerous dystrophic and degenerative changes are treated.
2. The curvature of the spinal column of mild and moderate severity can be corrected.
3. An effective method of treatment and prevention of scoliosis, kyphosis and lordosis.

Water supports the body, due to which the compression phenomena become less pronounced. Compressed intervertebral discs and their roots (hernias of the spine) are released, which is why people with osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic region feel a significant improvement in their condition and slight dizziness after swimming, which means that oxygen transport has resumed in the body.

4. Getting rid of excess weight

This is the most effective form in terms of fat burning. sports activities allowing you to quickly lose excess weight and form an athletic figure. The peculiarity of training is that the body in the water (both in the sea and in the pool) is forced to produce more heat in order to maintain the optimum temperature.

Intensive energy consumption is the main tool leading to weight loss. Scientists have calculated that each of the swimming styles has a specific energy expenditure per 10 minutes:

• breaststroke - up to 60 calories;
• on the back - up to 80 calories;
• crawl - up to 100 calories;
• butterfly - up to 150 calories.

Water produces a massage effect on the body, eliminating cellulite and sagging skin. In order for muscle growth to be effective and weight loss intense, it is necessary to conduct systematic training (2-3 sessions per week). Swimming styles should be alternated, constantly maintaining the body on the surface of the water.

5. Recovery from injuries

Being in the water for a long time increases the ability of the muscles to stay in good shape for a long time without the risk of overexertion. Therefore, swimming is chosen for the integrated development of the ligamentous and muscular system and in the form of a tool that allows you to recover as quickly as possible after an injury.

The peculiarity lies in the fact that during classes in the pool, muscles, ligaments and joints remain involved, but the load on them is minimal. This condition allows you to restore the functions of injured limbs or ligamentous nodes. This sport is used as a restorative method, which is included in the practice of physiotherapy exercises.

6. Strengthen the cardiovascular system

Swimming has great benefits for the work of the heart and the entire vascular system. During exercise, the body occupies an almost horizontal position, due to which it is much easier for the heart muscle to distill liquid tissue through the circulatory system. In the pool, the load on the heart valves increases, which causes effective workout organ.

1. The heart muscle becomes stronger, the volume of blood pushed out by the organ to the periphery increases. A swimmer's heart can contract up to 200 beats per minute, increasing the volume of blood pumped from 4 liters per minute to 40. This resource will better supply oxygen to the entire body, improving the nutrition of every cell of the body.
2. Systematic training leads to a significant reduction heart rate(for professional swimmers, the pulse is 40-60 beats per minute). This dynamics is due to an increase in the power of the heart muscle, pushing out more blood - its activity becomes more efficient. The heart with a reduced frequency of contractions during the rest period wears out less. For this reason, swimming is prescribed as a physiotherapy treatment for hypertension.
3. Training develops endurance by increasing the volume of blood mass, which is accompanied by a decrease in fatigue, the disappearance of shortness of breath and dizziness during high-intensity exercise.
4. Swimming has a positive effect on work internal organs. Therefore, it is prescribed to combat varicose veins, hemorrhoids, heart failure, etc.

7. Improving the functioning of the respiratory system

Swimming requires a large amount of air, which in swimmers is coordinated with the movements of the arms and legs and is the main driving tool. For this reason, the lung capacity of swimmers, even at a non-professional level, is significantly higher than that of people who do not have water sports sports relationship.

• The pressure of the water on the lungs forces the air out completely and rapidly, making it difficult to inhale. This leads to the development pectoral muscles and muscles responsible for the movement of the chest.
• Since it is necessary to inhale the air as strongly as possible, the lungs of swimmers are fully developed, while in ordinary people they remain unused by 20-25%.
• Deep chest breathing creates a large lung capacity, which can reach five liters. This fact allows you to increase endurance and prevent many respiratory diseases. In the course of systematic training, the vital volume of the lungs and their functionality increase.

8. Balancing the work of the nervous system

Swimming has a positive effect on the flow of nerve impulses in the body, balancing the processes of inhibition and excitation. Any water activities, including water polo, synchronized swimming, water aerobics or even finswimming is best tool to strengthen the nerves.

• Water relaxes, calms, relieves mental stress.
• It has a positive effect on the course of mental processes in children, improving memory and attention. This sport disciplines, brings up responsibility and forms strength of mind.
• It has a therapeutic effect in depressive conditions, insomnia, anxiety and phobias.
• It is an effective prevention of cerebral palsy, nervous tic, Parkinson's disease.
• Improves vision, promotes formation Have a good mood, increases vitality and, as psychologists have proven, develops self-confidence.

9. Strengthening the immune defense

Water procedures are an effective hardening tool that helps to strengthen immune system. Scientists have proven that if you swim in the pool in the morning, the risk of developing various viral diseases is reduced by 10 times. To improve health, any type of swimming is suitable, the main thing is to follow the regimen and visit the pool regularly.

• Improves the barrier properties of the body, increasing its resistance to pathogenic environment.
• Reduces the risk of developing inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system of infectious etiology, both in men and women.
• It is a good prevention of prostatitis, cystitis, urethritis, vulvovaginitis.

10. Reducing the impact of stress on the body

During swimming, the body increases the production of endorphins (hormones responsible for a positive mood and well-being). Going to the pool relieves not only physical, but also psychological fatigue, which is why psychologists recommend swimming after a hard day's work. After working out for 30 minutes, you can notice an increase in vitality and a decrease in internal stress.

In order to be healthy, you need to play sports. But which sport to choose so that it is suitable for the whole family. Swimming is the best. Even those people who have had injuries or problems with the spine can do it. It is not necessary to know what styles of swimming are there in order to attend classes without individual work with a trainer. It is enough to be able to stay on the water. Also, the advantages of swimming include the absence of stress on the joints during class. Swimming is good for pregnant women. In addition to the fact that practicing this sport strengthens physical health, they have a positive effect on the emotional state and restore the nervous system. It doesn't matter if you are a professional and know all styles of swimming or just visit the pool - the benefits for the body are the same.

Children and swimming

At what age can a child learn to swim? In the sports sections are accepted from the age of 6. However, parents can teach swimming from the first days. True, they should not do this in the form of training. It is necessary to accustom to water in the form of a game. Many children are afraid of water. This can be explained by a number of reasons. Maybe the first contact with water was unpleasant (too cold or excessively hot) or the baby took a sip of water, which caused discomfort. Maybe he just got shampoo in his eyes and it irritated him. There are situations when a child initially took a bath with pleasure, and then suddenly began to be afraid of water. In this case, you need to remember from what moment this fear appeared, and understand its cause. At this age, children should become familiar with the properties that water has.

After a year, you can teach your child to swim. And you need to start with the ability to keep your body on the water in a horizontal position. By the way, the use of a circle for swimming is not desirable. After all, the child cannot, being in a circle, take a horizontal position. And when the habit of swimming vertically is developed, teaching to stay on the water horizontally will become much more difficult, not to mention the dangers of using this swimming facility. It is better to use sleeves or collars.

After the child learns to float, you can show how the arms and legs should work. However, there is no need to delve too deeply into the theory. He does not need to know that there is a freestyle swimming or a butterfly. If you plan to send your child to the sports section, then the coach will take care of this. AT otherwise The child will have enough of those skills that he will receive on his own. Already in sports section the coach will talk about what styles of swimming exist.

Swimming for adults

If you have been in the sports section, then you yourself know how to organize a workout. If you do not have such experience, then it is better to work with a trainer for the first lessons. He will teach you how to properly distribute the load during the lesson, talk about proper breathing and swimming technique. Depending on the purpose of your classes, the instructor will tell you which style is better to swim and how much time you need to devote to training. He will also teach you how to choose the optimal pace of work just for you. After all, training at a slow pace may not give desired results, and an excessively high pace is not good for health. This issue should be taken especially seriously by people who decide to visit the pool in order to lose weight. Yes, and the choice of style must be approached with particular scrupulousness. The crawl style of swimming, for example, requires a lot of energy and is therefore effective in getting rid of extra calories.

Swimming lessons are indispensable for people who are recovering from injuries. After all, almost all other physical activities of this category of people are prohibited. Swimming is also good for pregnant women. True, the style of swimming during the lesson must be chosen based on the purpose of visiting the swimming pool.

Swimming styles

No matter which one you choose, all muscles will be toned and have nice shape. Going swimming, you will not only put your physical shape in order, but also prolong your life. There are different styles of swimming.

Breaststroke

No wonder we consider the very first breaststroke. This swimming style is most common among people who are not swimmers. This is due to the fact that the first thing a person is taught to stay on the water. Then, in this position, you need to try to overcome distances. If we slightly correct the movements of the arms and legs, then we get a breaststroke - a style of swimming, during which the movements of the arms and legs should be symmetrical. At

You should start training with footwork. They resemble the work of a frog's paws while swimming. At the same time, there should be a foam board in your hands. If the child is well kept on the water, then the board can not be used. The arms should be extended forward and the head down.

Bras is the slowest of all. This style of swimming is still very popular. After all, if it is necessary to overcome a long distance or view the space under water, then it is they who need to swim.

Crawl

The crawl is the fastest swimming style. However, in this case there are significant energy losses. Therefore, it will be very difficult to overcome a long distance. Freestyle swimming, in terms of coordination, is somewhat more difficult than breaststroke. A person floats, as in the previous case, on his stomach. Although the arms and legs work simultaneously, the direction of movement is different. The legs perform up and down movements, and the arms at this time carry out strokes along the body.

You need to start freestyle swimming lessons with theory. A young athlete must first learn to work with his feet. For this purpose, foam boards are used. With his hands, the child holds on to the board or side of the pool, and with his feet he moves up and down. Only after the swimmer learns to work with his feet, you need to connect the work of the hands. During freestyle swimming, the muscles of the back and chest are involved.

There is even a series that covers the life story of a swimmer who got injured, returned to his hometown and began to train children. The title of the film is "The Shell-shocked, or Freestyle Swimming".

Butterfly

This style is as complex as its name is beautiful. During swimming, the athlete really resembles a butterfly. However, in terms of physical activity, this is the most difficult style. The swimmer's arms and legs move at the same time. Hand movements are synchronous. They do rowing. But the movements of the legs resemble the movements of the tail of a mythical mermaid.

This style forces almost all the muscles of the shoulder girdle to work. In addition, during butterfly swimming, your muscles become more resilient and strong.

As in other styles, training should begin with footwork. The swimmer must have a special board in his hands, and he must carry out wave-like movements with his feet. At the next stage, you need to connect the work of the hands and breathe correctly.

Backstroke

This style is ideal for people suffering from back problems. It is neither fast nor slow. The movements of the arms and legs are similar to those of freestyle swimming. The only difference from the front crawl is that the swimmer is on his back.

You can train both with the use of additional swimming facilities, and without them. On the back, the child swims, working only with his feet. Since swimming on the back is usually studied after mastering the freestyle, the young athlete is familiar with the nature of the movement of the legs. Therefore, almost immediately you can connect the work of the hands.

When swimming on your back, the latissimus dorsi performs the main work. The muscles of the back of the thigh are also involved.

Breathing while swimming should be calm. Regardless of the style, inhalation is carried out above the water, and exhalation into the water. In addition, the swimmer must know that inhalation must be done 2 times faster than exhalation. In order to learn how to breathe correctly, it will take some time and considerable patience. There is a whole range of exercises for the formation correct breathing while swimming.

In what order children should be taught different styles, there is no consensus. Many start with the breaststroke and end with the dolphin. However, this is for the coach to decide.

Meals while swimming

When swimming, you need to monitor your diet. Since exercising in the pool requires a lot of energy, you need to take care of replenishing it. And the body receives it as a result of the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates. This does not mean that the body does not need protein. Their role in the body is the construction of muscle tissues and their restoration. If there are not enough fats and carbohydrates in the diet, then the body begins to break down proteins. Roughly speaking, there is a process of burning muscle tissue. This should be avoided.

Before heading to the swimming pool, you can eat foods that contain slow carbohydrates. Thus, the body will receive a sufficiently large supply of energy that will be needed during training. In order for the muscles not to suffer during intense training, you need to eat foods containing protein before training, in addition to carbohydrate foods. But with the amount of fat you need to be careful. Their norm should not exceed 5 grams. And be sure to adhere to the water regime. After all, dehydration will negatively affect the state of the body as a whole.

The diet depends on how intense the workout will be. You need to eat about 2 hours before training.

Do you want to get a charge of positive emotions? Then you go to the pool

Swimming has many benefits. Firstly, the whole family can play in the pool. Secondly, these activities bring not only health benefits, but also pleasure. After all, not everyone enjoys intense exercise. And in the water, fatigue is practically not felt. Occupation in swimming pool This is a great cardio workout. And there is no other sport where the phase of work and rest is constantly changing. During the lesson, it is better to use different styles of swimming. The pool has the most comfortable conditions for maintaining physical form in order.

Children especially like to visit the pool. Try to get them to exercise. And they will go to the pool with pleasure. The main thing is not to turn a visit to the pool into intense workout. Let them choose a free swimming style and enjoy the emotions they get.

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 a dynamic environment open water the performance level drops significantly.

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 is 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 with you rubber expander, 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 certainly don't want to row the whole distance in the wrong direction in an attempt to save 5-10% of your energy.

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! This takes practice and patience, but is an effective way to conserve energy.

Whether to pee while swimming

It depends on you. If you really feel like it (and you can write while swimming) - please, this is absolutely normal. For some people this is difficult, 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.