The foundation of any coaching job is developing the skills and talents of the athletes you work with, but this is just the beginning. Swimming is a highly intense sport that requires a strong understanding of physiology, psych...
In the early morning light, armed with fresh new goggles and a cap, you hit the pool. Images of Michael Phelps and Dara Torres run through your head. But before you finish the first lap, you can hardly breathe.
Don’t sw...
A dumbbell cuff, also called a cuff weight, differs from a traditional dumbbell in several ways, including use and appearance. The products aid in building muscle mass and are a tool used in some types of physical therapy. Cuff...
Although swimming practice is the best way to improve your strength and speed in competitions, putting in long hours of endless laps might feel like a grind at times. Games help break up the routine, while allowing you to maint...
Swimming is a full-body sport that increases your heart rate and respiration while also working the body's major muscle groups. The flutter kick used in the freestyle and backstroke employs the entire leg starting at the hips. ...
Nutrition and epidemiology researcher Christopher D. Jensen says on an exercise website that nausea during exercise is common. All types of physical exertion, including swimming, can result in nausea, and doctors think there ar...
Swimming is an effective and low-impact form of exercise for your muscles and cardiovascular system. With multiple swimming methods available, a swimmer can exercise the entire body adequately within a few laps. The use of tool...
How your feet are positioned will influence the force you generate in the water and how much drag you create. To determine the ideal degree of ankle flexion, consult with a qualified instructor or swim team coach, who can perso...
The loss of breast tissue following a bilateral mastectomy can decrease your upper body strength and negatively affect your self image. Rebuilding muscle in the chest area can help normalize the profile of your bust, increase s...
Many physical and mental factors affect how fast you can swim. It takes preparation and focus to make sure that all these factors align at race time. Rather than trying to conquer all your weaknesses at once, work on one a mont...
Over time, swimming increases endurance and strength as you exercise in a pool. Swimming laps or long distances improves your aerobic fitness, but most competitive swimmers need to perform at maximum intensity for short periods...
One of the most noticeable symptoms of croup is the loud, harsh barking sound that occurs when your child coughs or attempts to breathe normally. While it may be safe for children with mild cases of croup to swim in shallow are...
If you enjoy swimming but have a tracheostomy, or tracheotomy, you do not necessarily have to forgo this activity. A tracheostomy is a medical procedure characterized by surgically creating a hole in the throat to provide direc...
Kinesiology examines how the muscles and limbs of your body move during physical activity. Swimming is an aerobic activity, which requires oxygen to perform. You breathe in oxygen, which gets circulated through your blood strea...
These attacks make your muscles weak and can prevent you from exercising and performing everyday tasks. Dermatomyositis is one of a group of inflammatory muscle diseases, including polymyositis, called myopathies. Swimming and ...
Not so fast there, Michael Phelps. You could be diving headlong into a teeming puddle of nasty health complications. There are risks attached to swimming with abrasions.
If you decide to swim during your recovery, you'll have to take special precautions to ensure water doesn't enter the surgical site and cause an infection or extreme dizziness. Consult your physician before resuming your regula...
The pains happen in your child’s muscles and usually show up in the late afternoon or early evening. While exercising these muscles by running or jogging could be uncomfortable, children might find that swimming can be en...
Intramural sports are sports activities that high school or college students can participate in on a voluntary, recreational basis. Some schools that are equipped with competition-size swimming pools offer intramural swimming, ...
Swimming is the second most popular sports activity, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This aerobic activity uses most of your major muscle groups, so participating in regular aerobic exercise like swimmin...
Swimming is an endurance sport, and swimmers get a lot of their energy from a process known as aerobic respiration. However, another energy-generating process, anaerobic respiration, also plays an important physiological role f...
If you’re a swimmer, you’ve probably been advised more than once never to swim alone. While this rule generally applies to open water swimming, exhaustion and drowning can occur in any swimming environment, includin...
Implement changes to kill the boredom associated with this water-based endeavor. Vary your normal routines, challenge your fellow swimmers and work and exercise in new ways to make or keep swimming exhilarating and fresh.
Whether you're a professional swimmer or you've just started taking swimming lessons, letting your frustration get the best of you can ruin your workout in the pool. Instead of getting angry and giving up, improve your skills s...
Swimming at high altitudes may be done to train for competition at lower altitudes or may be part of the competition itself. To compete at higher altitudes, it is ideal to train at even higher elevations or in hypobaric trainin...
The same principle is often applied to sports training. When you continually participate in the same type and intensity of training, you might not get the results you want. Only by challenging your body in new ways will you imp...
Swimmers sometimes debate the importance of legs versus arms in swimming but neglect the significance of what connects the limbs together. Your core or trunk generates the lift and speed that distinguishes an elite swimmer from...
Timing impacts almost every part of your swim. From the time it takes you to complete a set in a workout to the time it takes to complete a race, time provides critical input on your time in the water. Whether you swim competit...
The backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle are the four strokes used in competitive swimming. The backstroke and freestyle, which are also called the back and front crawl, respectively, are known as long axis strokes...
Swimming is a great cardiovascular and toning exercise that can benefit your health and help you lose weight. It may be used to improve physical fitness, to compete in swimming meets or simply for recreational and leisure pursu...
Swimming officials use seed times to determine the most competitive match-ups. Seed times are so vital to a fair, efficient swim meet that they're required on most registration forms and nationally standardized on Official Veri...
Swimming is a low-impact sport that is gentle on your joints. The water-based exercise still works your muscles considerably from head to toe. Neck pain, including muscle strains, is a common injury among swimmers. Altering you...
Of the four competition strokes in swimming -- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle -- breaststroke is the slowest. For example, the world record for the men's 100-meter breaststroke is just 58.58, while the world ...
Swimmers use hypoxic, or oxygen-reduced, training to increase their lung capacity, and to improve their tolerance for oxygen deprivation. Hypoxic training basically involves swimming different drills while reducing the amount o...
Emmett Hines, author of "Fitness Swimming," calls swimming the only true life-long sport because people can enjoy the water in infancy and continue swimming throughout old age. If you have the opportunity, time and i...
Swimming can provide a relaxing workout but it can also be tiring if you’re not in shape. According to Nutristrategy, a 155-lb. person swimming leisurely for one hour will burn 422 calories. This is similar to the amount ...
Swimming offers multiple health benefits. It provides an excellent means of improving your cardiovascular fitness. In addition, it gives your joints a rest when you use it as part of your fitness regimen, cross-training with ru...
Swimming goggles are devices made to specifically aid in keeping water out of the eyes during swimming and are used by athletes and non athletes alike. Chlorine from pools and salt from oceans may cause irritation to the eyes a...
Like every sport, swimming follows a strict set of rules to ensure competitive balance and to protect the safety of its athletes. Any swimmer who violates the rules may suffer an immediate disqualification. The exact reasons fo...
Swimming is an excellent way to get aerobic exercise as it engages almost every muscle in your body. The hamstrings, the three muscles on the back of your thigh, play an important role in the kicking motion that propels you thr...
The term “fly” in swimming is short for the “butterfly,” a specific stroke in swimming that is included in individual and mixed medley relay events. Unlike the crawl, in which swimmers alternate arms com...
Exercising can be difficult for obese men and women due to the impact of extra weight on the joints. Swimming offers obese people a safe, low-impact workout that can easily be tailored to suit individual fitness levels. Additio...
For those who have only been swimming in a lake, swimming in the ocean presents a different set of challenges. Ocean swimming can be exciting, but also introduces hazards that you need to know about in order to stay safe. By le...
Swimming is often a good choice of exercise for people with sore backs because it is low impact and puts little pressure on the spine. However, swimming with incorrect form can cause you to twist or jerk your back or neck, whic...
Low-impact cardiovascular exercises, such as swimming, can help decrease the severity of edema. Edema is a collection of fluid that can occur anywhere in the body, but is commonly seen in the lower extremities due to the pull o...
Bacterial, viral, algal and protozoan infections are common after exposure to contaminated water. Swimming in ponds, lakes and oceans that are near developed areas may increase your risk of exposure to waste-water contamination...
As you recover from a back sprain, swimming can help you recover strength in your back and maintain your fitness level. The buoyancy of the water allows your back to release extra tension, which relieves painful pressure on the...
For snorkelers and scuba divers, swimming flippers — commonly known as swim fins — are an essential tool for propelling the body through water more efficiently than the human foot. The history of swim fins dates bac...
Swimming is one of the best exercises for pregnant women, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Unlike many other exercises, swimming is easy on joints, does not require balance and doesn't pose a risk of stumbling o...
Swimming can be so good for your pregnant body that you’ll forget you’re getting exercise. Taking a dip will cool you down and make you feel weightless -- which can be perfect if you feel bloated and unwieldy. Swimm...
Swimming is a low-impact sport that puts no pressure on your body and is one of the healthiest forms of exercise around. Its benefits can improve life for people of all ages and it provides a way to exercise when injured bones ...
Medical professionals and physical therapists frequently recommend swimming as a therapeutic exercise for their scoliosis patients. Because buoyancy supports a swimmer's back in the water, swimming places a low amount of stress...
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a family of diseases that limit airflow and strain the heart. Swimming and other aerobic exercises can reduce symptoms of COPD to improve quality of life by teaching your body ...
Swimming is one of many recreational ways that you can have fun and get aerobic exercise at the same time. However, when swimming in ponds, lakes and even certain parts of the ocean, you don't have the protection of chemicals t...
After you've completed your strength training at the gym, head for the pool to improve your cardiovascular fitness. An aerobic activity like swimming gets your heart and lungs working harder, helping to balance out anaerobic we...
How much you need of each depends on both your body size and the type of swimming you engage in. Seek the advice of a dietitian or sports nutritionist if you have specific concerns about swimming and nutrition.
Swimming is an active sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and fitness levels, including preschoolers. Preschool ages between 3 and 5 are a good time to institute the basic fundamentals of swimming techniques. Swimming lessons...
The uric acid causes inflammation in joints, often the big toe. After a first attack of gout, 50 percent of people will have another gout attack in their lifetime. Some dietary changes can help to reduce gout inflammation. Swim...
The stakes are high in Olympic swimming, so judges scrutinize the performance of each swimmer. The Federation Internationale de Natation or FINA establishes and enforces rules and regulations for Olympic swimming events. As the...
Diarrhea, or loose bowel movements, is cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the most common recreational water illness. Swimming makes it easy to spread diarrhea because water can get contaminated so easil...
The procedure is used to fix tears and perforations of the eardrum and to correct infections that may occur in the small bones of the ear. Exercise and activities that change the pressure in the ear, including swimming and divi...
Swimming is great exercise for people of all ages. It burns calories, increases metabolism, strengthens heart and lungs and firms every muscle without any strain on joints. It requires little equipment — a swimsuit, goggl...
Tendonitis on the outside of the elbow is called tennis elbow; tendonitis on the inside of the elbow is called golfer's elbow. The first phase of treatment for tendonitis is rest, so if you have tennis or golfer's elbow, don't ...
If you are recovering from a hernia, exercise is an important part of your healing process; you need to strengthen the muscles around your injury and keep your cardiovascular system in good shape. Swimming is safe as long as yo...
You cannot blow your nose, chew gum or even swim immediately after the surgery. As time passes and the bandages come off, you may start to think about resuming your normal daily activities. There are a few rules governing swimm...
Your freestyle stroke differs from other strokes because of the muscle movements involved with the propulsion of your body. While most observers notice the arm motion first, the rest of your body also has a role in sending you ...
Long-term exposure to chlorine can aggravate the symptoms of these diseases. Limiting time spent in chlorinated water and the use of nasal plugs can, however, dramatically reduce the incidence of swimming-induced nasal irrita...
If your symptoms are mostly mild and nasal, sinus or chest congestion is your biggest complaint, you might not have to cancel your workout. In some cases, swimming with congestion is beneficial, but only if it doesn't affect ot...
Perhaps you remember from your childhood being told about the dangers of swimming on a full stomach. The theory behind this warning is that swimming on a full stomach might restrict blood flow to your muscles and cause painful ...
Whether your child should swim with a fever depends on several factors, including your child's age, other symptoms and how high the fever is. Also consider the nature of the swimming activity: Recreational swimming is probably ...
Swimming and cycling are both effective cardio exercises for weight loss. The question of which is better will be determined by your personal preference. You'll be more likely to stick to an exercise routine if it's something y...
The triathlon is a distance event, but there are several different types of triathlons that test athletes of varying experience levels. One of those is the Half-Ironman triathlon that requires the participant to swim 1.2 miles,...
When done in a 25-yard pool, it takes 20 laps to complete this event; when done in a 50-yard pool, it takes 10 laps. The 500-yard free is considered a middle-distance event. It requires a combination of sprinting and distance s...
The whole-body benefits of swimming are just one reason it is the second most popular sports activity in the United States behind walking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From toddlers to the elderl...
Swimming offers many benefits as a full-body exercise. Every stroke uses multiple large muscle groups in your upper and lower extremities while placing far less stress on your joints than land-based exercises. The backstroke, w...
Choose from complex carbohydrates and low-fat foods to fuel your swim and lean proteins to build and maintain muscle mass. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water and sports drinks. Several nutrients are important for imp...
But a study in the "International Journal of Current Scientific Research" in 2011 shows chest expansion increases with swimming and allows greater peak expiratory flow rate, suggesting more efficient oxygen consumption, a benef...
Any aerobic activity, such as swimming, jogging or cycling, done on a regular basis for 20 to 30 minutes is beneficial to your health. Swimming has some particular advantages: It is a low- to no-impact sport that's easy on the ...
Indoor swimming pools offer avid swimmers the opportunity to indulge their passion for paddling year-round, even in climates with cold winters. Swimming indoors leads to several health benefits, but it should not be your only f...
Food remains an important part of any swimmer's training regimen, because energy is needed to train and compete throughout the season. You cannot simply eat a healthy meal right before an event and expect to have enough energy....
Swimming can be aerobic or anaerobic, depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. It remains aerobic at milder intensities below the lactate threshold that allows oxygen to be used for energy production. Anaerobic ...
Competitive swimming is an exhausting sport that can leave you feeling chronically fatigued. A healthy diet during your training and competition season can give you the energy you need to succeed. Eating healthy carbohydrates i...
If you are uncertain of your level, ask a local swimming instructor to recommend the best practice routines for your ability. In general, beginning swimmers should start working up to a mile per practice. As they progress, begi...
Competitive swimming events feature strict rules and regulations, keeping the competitors safe and ensuring that every race comes to a fair conclusion. If you behave in an unsportsmanlike manner, misuse the lane dividers, wear ...
As a swimmer, your nutritional needs depend on the type of swimming in which you participate. As a long-distance swimmer, for example, your dietary needs differ from those of a casual, recreational swimmer or one who competes i...
Whether you've paid for swimming lessons, there's a birthday party or your child is simply dying to head to the pool, holding him back because of a chest cold sometimes feels cruel. Chest colds often have little outward symptom...
Scabies is caused by the human itch mite burrowing along the skin and laying eggs. Itchy blisters and red patches form over the eggs. Scratching can lead to serious skin infections and skin infections can lead to blood and kidn...
Distance swimmers possess mental and physical toughness, and they sometimes tease sprinters for being lazy, but swimming sprints takes strength and excellent conditioning. Distance is a relative term when swimming in a pool, bu...
Swimming offers both mental and physical benefits. It's also a relatively low-cost sport, requiring little more than goggles, a cap and swimsuit. To get the most from a workout, have a coach observe you and offer tips. In the a...
The muscle of your arms, including the triceps, propel you through the water when swimming. If your triceps are sore from prior exercise, it can be difficult to jump in the pool and begin swimming immediately. Regular swimming ...
If you ever find yourself in this situation without a boat to climb on to or a short swim to land, you need to know what to do to survive. It is vital that you conserve energy, and the best way to do that is to know how to surv...
The flutter kick, the kick you use to swim freestyle and backstroke, might be more of a puzzle than a secret. There are a number of important techniques to master, which can improve your flutter kick, but the difference between...
Swimmers have among the highest metabolisms of all athletes, so proper nutrition is essential, especially on the day of a meet. Many swimmers have a large meal the day before a meet and then snack periodically throughout the da...
Fist gloves are a swimming aid meant to increase your natural feel for the water. While many naturally-gifted swimmers have a strong sense of how to use their full arms and body to power their strokes, most swimmers need to lea...
Post-traumatic, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can all affect the shoulder joint. MayoClinic.com indicates that exercise is important in helping to increase strength and flexibility as well as reduce joint pain associa...
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that provides a full body workout. It tones and stretches both the upper and lower body muscles while also burning calories. Swimming strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves lun...
Small capillaries in the white of your eye can burst, causing a bright red spot to appear. This often occurs during physical exertion such as swimming or other activities. This condition, known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, ...
Swimmers and beginning swimmers can find several uses for a swimming board, or kickboard. The lightweight foam designs of kickboards are generally very similar but there are some slight differences among brands. All kickboards ...
Rosacea cannot be cured, but symptoms can be managed. You are encouraged to live a normal life and exercise to keep in shape, just as any other person who does not have rosacea should. Swimming with rosacea may require a few ad...
The difference between a swim dive and a performance dive is the depth you achieve in the water. When racing, a deep dive delays the time between the start and your first strokes. Unlike a performance dive where you enter the w...
Swimming is propelling yourself through the water with your arms and legs. As long as you stroke and kick, forward momentum and buoyancy support you on the surface. If your arms and legs tire, the only way to rest without sinki...
Although it might be intimidating for amputees to get into a pool, the benefits can be enormous. As Fred Lambeck, a member of the U.S. Disabled Swimming Team explains, "It uses all the major muscle groups, whereas most other ac...
It starts at the lower half of the spine and hip and travels up to attach to the top of the upper arm. The latissimus dorsi is responsible for drawing the upper arm downward and backward and rotating it inward. The ability to p...
If you are considered average height or short for your age and gender, you may be disappointed to learn that your body type puts you at a disadvantage in swimming. Athletic performances, including swimming, are influenced by a ...
Swimming takes a little coordination. You need to move your legs and arms in tandem, as well as time your breathing and swimming strokes for maximum efficiency. Swimming skills also include diving into the water to get a good, ...
The idea that menstruation and swimming are not compatible is an old wives' tale. Physically there is no reason you cannot going swimming if you have your period. It is the hygiene issues that might keep some women on dry land....
Hospitalized patients with catheters and immunocompromised individuals are at increased risk of developing a UTI. Infants and children are also prone to infection, especially when they have vesicoutheral reflux. The incidence o...
A competitive swimmer tapers off his training routine as a big event approaches. The purpose is to deliver optimal performance on race day, and a fresh swimmer is likely to be a faster swimmer. A taper is a physical and mental ...
With a G-tube and colostomy bag, you can continue to live a full life with all the things you have enjoyed, including swimming.
Still, while exercise is just as important during pregnancy as it is before, the bigger your belly gets, the harder exercise becomes. Swimming isn't only safe during pregnancy, but it's perhaps one of the most beneficial exerci...
Heading out to the swimming pool can be a way to relax in the summer sun, but for some individuals, it's a time for exercise. Swimming for fitness is typically regarded as a low-impact form of exercise that is safe on the body,...
Swimming is a sport that can be enjoyed by athletes of any age. Whether you are swimming for fitness or pleasure, proper technique will help make the experience more enjoyable. Flip turns are a basic skill used by swimmers to t...
Finding ways to exercise that are both safe and comfortable can help you reap the benefits of fitness while protecting your pregnancy. Swimming is ideal for more mature pregnancies, as it allows you to be weightless and safe wh...
Experiencing plugged-up sinuses when you swim can interfere with your athletic performance and cause you to feel frustrated and miserable. Most of the time, congestion in your sinuses during swimming results from water getting ...
Taping injured ankles and digits is common in many sports, as is using adhesive to cover wounds. In swimming, waterproof tape can keep the adhesive from losing its stickiness and coming off, leaving the wound or injury suscepti...
Many animals have the gift of knowing how to swim from birth. Unfortunately, humans don't, and must learn from practicing. Swimming takes a combination of both physical and mental skills, as well as technique. But once you lear...
Swimming provides many healthy benefits for the body and mind. It's cardiovascular exercise that's gentle on your muscles, bones and joints. Some people may be afraid to jump in the water because they don't know how to swim or ...
However, once the incision has healed and you begin to recuperate, normal activities can again become a part of your life. Check with your doctor first before you resume any exercise, including swimming.
Purple fingers during or after swimming, or any type of exercise, may indicate a circulation issue. A variety of factors, including Raynaud's phenomenon and thoracic outlet syndrome, cause poor circulation. Swimmers with more ...
Although this indicates that we are all dependent on oxygen, the label "oxygen-dependent" applies solely to people who require the use of oxygen tanks due to a medical condition. Whether you require the use of an oxygen tank fu...
For the beginner or intermediate swimmer, bloating, belching and stomach pains often follow a long swim. This is commonly due to aerophagia, or the act of ingesting air while swimming. The potential causes of aerophagia while s...
Proper form is essential to fast, efficient swimming. Learning proper form, like keeping your feet together during the butterfly stroke, can be difficult. Manufacturers in the swim equipment industry have developed new tools to...
Swim jig fishing takes a delicate hand and a lot of stamina in your casting arm. A swim jig is designed to mimic a fish, frog or large insect swimming erratically in mid-water. Unlike some popper and surface lures, swim jigs si...
This is very important for swim-team members who need to swim together. Circle swimming means swimming in circles. It is an organized swim pattern to avoid bumping into other swimmers. It requires than you swim on one side of t...
Bouncing your way to health with rebounding on the trampoline is a fitness option with similar benefits to swimming. Bouncing is a low-impact exercise that blasts calories, tones muscle and improves your endurance. However, no ...
Philippe Croizon was the first quadruple amputee to swim across the English Channel. According to Disabled and Productive, Croizon swam the 21-mile crossover without the full use of his arms and legs in just 13 1/2 hours. Docto...
Many people enjoy swimming as a way to relax and get some physical activity. This form of exercise is easier on the joints than weight-bearing exercises such as running, although some people experience symptoms after a swim, su...
Swimmers who want to compete in a USA Swimming sectional swim meet need certain qualifying times to enter. You must read the information for the meet you want to enter to find the sectional cut times. There is no single place y...
A burst of energy, known as the runner's kick, enables her to sprint those last couple hundred meters to win the race. In swimming, however, the term refers to an inefficient kicking motion that slows the swimmer down. Whether ...
A purple tinge to the skin indicates a lack of oxygen caused by restricted blood flow to the region. There are a number of reasons why blood vessels at the surface of the skin may constrict, and it is not uncommon for this to...
Learn how to swim before going on a snorkeling trip. Snorkeling involves staying afloat, swimming to points of interest and diving into deeper waters. If you do not know how to swim, you will feel less relaxed and comfortable w...
Aerobic activity plays an integral part in keeping your body strong, healthy and at an appropriate weight. When you're tired of the basic gym workout or running outdoors, swimming can change up your routine while providing a s...
The Summer Olympic Games remain the best, and largest, venue for competitive, professional swimmers. For those too young to compete with veteran professional swimmers, 1998's World Youth Games once served as their biggest inter...
Swimming is the second-most popular sport in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with more women than men participating. This well-liked activity has many health benefits for everyone but offers particular p...
Facial tension can cause a variety of complications while swimming. It can affect your breathing rhythm, make it hard to relax, decrease your swimming speed, reduce your intensity and make it more difficult to swim. Because the...
A distal radius fracture is a condition where a break occurs in the small bone of your forearm near your wrist. Also known as a broken wrist, this condition often requires therapeutic exercises to help restore strength and rang...
Swimming is a good form of exercise, using every muscle in your body, enabling you to stay in shape, and is easy on your joints. Swimming one to two lengths of the pool can make you tire easily. To swim longer, structure your w...
The swimmers must stay underwater for lengthy periods while performing high-difficulty maneuvers. The next time you watch a synchronized swimming event, remember how much these athlete put into performing at a high level while ...
Synchronized swimming incorporates dancing and gymnastics when individuals perform elaborate synchronized routines in a pool. Synchronized swimming began as a contest for men, but was considered more appropriate for women becau...
The freestyle stroke in swimming is sometimes called by different names --- such as the American crawl or the front crawl --- but regardless of what you call it, the freestyle is one of the most fundamental strokes in swimming....
If you don't do anything to calm the stress, the stress can potentially cause health concerns. One of the best ways to calm down is to participate in physical activity, such as swimming. Swimming not only calms you down to reli...
Professional swimmers might just have the most athletic bodies in the world of sports because they are long, lean and muscular. Swimmers have the type of physique they do for a reason. Swimming offers you an excellent way to sc...
Exposure to pool chemicals; chronic conditions such as allergies or asthma; or respiratory infections can all cause you to cough as you swim. Fortunately, you can prevent or treat coughing related to swimming by changing your r...
Assuming that a sore chest after swimming is not caused by muscle pain or a viral or bacterial infection, chlorine-induced asthma may be the culprit. A sore chest after swimming laps may be indicative of severe inflammation of ...
Swimming is often recommended for fitness, because it works major muscle groups while burning calories. When sustained for a long period of time, swimming can cause an increase in appetite because of aerobic exertion that requi...
Swimming is a total body workout that builds both muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Freestyle swimming is one of the fastest of four main swimming strokes. When performed correctly, freestyle swimming is an efficient strok...
You may desire to join in the fun of underwater swimming yet not be able to do it without holding your nose. Learning breath control starts with relaxing in the water, becoming comfortable splashing water on your face and subme...
In addition to being a fun pastime, swimming is often recommended for its health benefits. Moving through the water provides you with natural resistance and helps you to strengthen and tone your muscles. In addition, the buoyan...
Figures for synchronized swimmers are a mandatory element of competition for junior -- 16- to 19-year-olds -- and younger participants. Figures take the place of technical routines performed by older swimmers at the Olympic Gam...
Proper wrist position when swimming is designed to help you improve your speed and precision while in the pool. Wrist position in the pool varies depending on the type of stroke you are performing as well as your particular goa...
Swimming is an excellent way to get in shape, but spending time in an over-chlorinated pool is associated with certain health hazards, such as asthma. While swimming in the ocean, stay on the lookout for sea creatures such as j...
Swimming was the second most popular sport in the United States in 2008, according to the Census Bureau. Diving into the water is as much fun as swimming, especially when you know how to do the different types of dives. Discern...
Swimming is an effective exercise activity to develop cardiovascular endurance, because it causes your body to use the aerobic energy system to fuel your movements. When exercise activities are submaximal and done over a period...
The sidestroke is not an Olympic swimming event but still is an important stroke. The stroke is one of the most effective methods of swimming while trying to tow another person to shore. The sidestroke isn't fast, but it is rel...
Paralympic swimming among international sports caters to people with disabilities, combining limb loss, cerebral palsy, spinal-cord injury and other conditions across a range of categories. Rather than distinguish people by dif...
Torn fascia, or pulled muscles, can be a painful experience with a slow recovery. Healing torn fascia generally requires immobilization. However, if exercise is cleared by your doctor, swimming would be a suitable choice due to...
Basic sculling keeps you from sinking in the water and is a first safety skill that beginning swimmers learn, yet expert synchronized swimming performances also depend on sculling movements. All four competitive swimming stroke...
Swimming is an aquatic physical activity that can help you accomplish multiple fitness goals. Physical points of swimming include the multiple components of physical fitness that you can improve with the activity. The buoyancy ...
Swimming requires a significant amount of aerobic fitness and strength, and the body uses several different muscle groups for each stroke. For example, the quadriceps -- or the muscles located on the front of the thigh -- are r...
Proper form streamlines the body and allows for a longer, cleaner glide as you propel your body through the water. Once you have these components in place, the impact of your hip movement should function like the rotational for...
Many people probably remember being cautioned against swimming right after eating. The fear of cramps and subsequent difficulty swimming stems from a widely perpetuated myth of the dangers of eating and immediately swimming. Th...
Talk to your swimming instructor or coach to find out exactly what to bring to swimming. The basic essentials for swimming are the same for most classes or practice sessions. Pack all your dry items in one bag and bring a secon...
Getting in that routine workout might feel too important to miss, even when you are sick. While some forms of exercise might feel like too much, swimming is an effective, low-impact activity that can get your heart rate up, bur...
Muscular strength measures how much weight you can lift at one time. This is different from muscular endurance, which measures how many times you can lift one weight. In swimming, muscular strength translates into how powerful ...
Swim trunks for men look like shorts but are made specifically for wearing in the water. Different styles of trunks have certain features, but mostly they are designed to be comfortable while swimming. Most, but not all, men's...
In the hot spring and summer months, taking a dip can be a quick and reliable way to escape the heat. For many swimmers, however, a rash called swimmer's itch can be an unfortunate side effect of such recreation. The conditi...
Swimming is not a particularly beneficial alternative treatment for allergy and asthma in children, as allergic reactions to chlorine fumes are linked to an increased incidence of asthma and allergies. Current medical studies ...
Many swimming events take place at the Olympics, with each having its own scoring criteria. Synchronized swimming uses judges to determine the winner of an event, while swimming races rely on the swimmers' times to reach a conc...
Spend a day at the pool or an hour swimming laps and you feel spent. Water-related tiredness often occurs after a water workout or time passed splashing away in the summer sun. Many reasons exist as to why the body experiences ...
Swimming is a total body, moderate to vigorous intensity workout. Strong abdominal muscles are beneficial to you as a swimmer. They keep your body buoyant in the water and prevent unnecessary side-to-side movement, making you a...
An earache can occur after swimming if you have swimmer's ear, an infection of the outer ear canal. Swimmer's ear can cause a particularly painful earache and decreased hearing due to inflammation in the ear. The condition does...
Most perforations heal in two to three weeks without treatment, but some may linger for longer periods or require surgical correction. Swimming, especially underwater, is not recommended after a burst eardrum because water that...
Swimming can be an excellent cardiovascular workout and a valuable addition to your exercise regimen. Several medical conditions necessitate the use of a urinary catheter to drain the bladder and this can present unique challen...
Internal conditions, particularly autoimmune diseases, can affect the skin as well. According to the "Cecil Textbook of Medicine," there are many hundreds of reasons for the skin to develop problems. Skin conditions after swimm...
One big caveat: You should never let somebody who can't swim get in the water unsupervised using an inner tube trainer. However, these devices can help a new swimmer conquer fears of being in the water. With the help of an inne...
Swimming strokes are accompanied by certain types of kicks. Both the backstroke and freestyle stroke are performed with flutter kicks, which help propel your body forward. Flutter kicks complement the movements made by your upp...
From the unusual use of the word "love" in tennis to golf's "hole in one," every sport has its own terminology, including swimming. The different swim strokes, apparel and accessories all have unique names. If you're taking up ...
When you perform strenuous physical activities, your body needs even more oxygen to keep up with your cells' need for energy. With sports like swimming, your supply of oxygen becomes significantly limited, but there are ways yo...
Once you get over your fear of the water, swimming is an easy activity to learn. Unlike other sports and activities that require many different types of movements, basic swimming consists of a few, simple movements performed at...
Swimming is a popular form of exercise that many people enjoy as recreation or competitively. Becoming a successful swimmer takes a lot of hard work and time, but with the help of a coach or a better understanding of the scienc...
For swimmers, it is especially important to eat good-quality food frequently throughout the day. Exercising on a full stomach can be uncomfortable and exercising hungry can be a struggle. It is also important to stay well-hydra...
A swimming turnaround involves a series of maneuvers that makes reversing directions faster and easier. To master this skill, first try the swimming turnaround while hanging onto the edge of the pool. Practice each step until y...
Had Phelps not worked as diligently on his butterfly stroke, the public would know him as a phenomenal athlete, but not one who broke Mark Spitz's record. That being said, if you want to be a great swimmer, every part of your b...
A torn fascia can occur as the result of jumping or placing excessive pressure on the bottom of your foot and normally requires immobilization with a fiberglass cast or a walking boot. If your doctor opts to place you in a walk...
The scissor kick is a lower-body movement that helps propel swimmers through the water. It is easy for beginners to learn because it requires only a simple opening and closing of your straightened legs to provide forward moment...
Swimming is the only activity that, when done correctly, your face is in the water half of the time. Whether you're swimming the backstroke, freestyle or butterfly, proper technique requires inhaling and exhaling at the right t...
Both walking and swimming have their advantages. Walking and swimming are excellent forms of exercise that will do your body good. By walking, swimming or mixing the two, you'll be healthier and probably happier, since exercise...
Swimming is a sport that relies heavily on your shoulders, leaving them susceptible to injury. Swimmer's shoulder is a broad term used to describe almost any pain or inflammation in the shoulder due to swimming. Typically broug...
Passing gas is a sign of a normally functioning digestive system, and what seems excessive might be well within the range of normal. However, if you pass gas during or after swimming, especially if you are around others, you mi...
When you swim at a steady pace, your body relies on its aerobic system to produce energy. Eventually the energy from that system is depleted, and you switch to the anaerobic system. This crossover of energy systems is known as ...
The crawl makes for a full-body workout that is gentle on the muscles and joints. In order to swim effectively with the crawl stroke, keep your body as straight as possible. To maintain this position, keep your eyes focused on ...
Swimming is one of the few cardiovascular activities that you still can do with a knee injury. One of the worst things about having a knee injury is the down time from working out; it can be tough when your muscles atrophy from...
Animals are born with the knowledge of how to swim. But humans need to be taught. This is why some people go their whole lives without ever learning. The ability to swim is important for your own safety and for the safety of ot...
Swimming is a strength-training exercise because the water creates resistance against your muscles, placing a great demand on your body. A swim workout can provide your body with a challenge, targeting all the major muscles of ...
The food you put into your body can have a huge impact on swimming performance. The impact can be positive or negative, depending on the composition of what you eat, the amount you consume and the timing of your meals and snack...
Wondering whether swimming or rowing is harder is similar to wondering whether it's harder to run or ride your bike. Both activities can be challenging in their own right. A person with physical limitations might find swimming ...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that swimming is the second most popular sports activity in the United States. It's an aerobic activity that some people see as just plain fun while others swim for exercis...
Swimmers are serious athletes and as such, they put their bodies through rigorous training. If you're an athletic or competition swimmer, you may notice that certain parts of your body are especially sore after a training sessi...
Swimming in the ocean is a great cardio workout, as well as a way to keep cool during warm summer months. But ocean swimming also comes with its share of danger. Check with lifeguards or watch the news for water conditions, and...
Feeling dizzy after you swim can hamper your plans and lead you to avoid swimming altogether. Most of the time, dizziness after swimming is mild and short-lived and not a cause for medical concern. Prevent or treat dizziness af...
