The art of propelling the body through the water has held a strong attraction for humankind since antiquity. According to Pool Comfort, ancient Egyptian drawings from as far back as 2500 BC depict people swimming. Whether you swim recreationally or compete, you are getting a very effective cardiovascular exercise: An hour of vigorous swimming can burn 650 calories -- more than walking or biking -- while working every muscle in the body. Learning different strokes can add variety to your workout.
Front Crawl
The front crawl, which also is called the forward crawl and the freestyle, is the fastest and most efficient stroke. Swim Teach notes that the front crawl gets its power from the alternating arm movement; leg kicks serve primarily to stabilize the body. According to Swim City, the first part of the circular movement occurs when one the arm enters the water and "catches" it; the pushing -- or gliding -- movement takes place as the arm travels to the back and then out of the water. This is followed by arm recovery, as the other arm raises and pulls. Legs perform a flutter kick, moving up and down in opposition to each other. Swim Teach says that although six kicks normally accompany every arm cycle, endurance swimmers might use as few as two to conserve energy. Breaths are taken by turning the head to the side of the recovering arm.
Backstroke
The backstroke is not as fast or efficient as the front crawl but it can be a relaxing change of pace for the recreational swimmer, and also is used competitively. The swimmer begins the stroke on his back, with the waterline just under his ears, his chin tucked in, his legs extended at shoulder width and his arms extended straight over his head. Arms move alternately, with each hand entering the water with the arm fully extended, then moving forward, down and out in a circular path. Six flutter kicks should accompany each arm cycle. Swim Teach says you should inhale as one arm recovers and exhale with the recovery of the other arm.
Breastroke
Breastroke, the oldest swimming style, is a versatile stroke that can be used not only in competition but also as a restful way to navigate through the water in a pool or calm lake. According to Breastroke World, legs are kicked out to the sides and then brought back smoothly together in a frog-style motion, while the arm stroke begins with the hands in front of the chest in a prayer position. The arms then extend straight forward with palms still together, separating at the top of the arc and moving outward and away from each other and back to the sides. The action of the hands moving out and away from each other moves the chest upward and raises the face from the water for a breath.
Butterfly
According to Swim Teach, the butterfly, the next fastest stroke after the forward crawl, is the most physically demanding. Arms move simultaneously rather than alternately, sweeping around in an arc that the City College of San Francisco describes as a "keyhole' shape." The stroke begins with a "catch," or outward sculling motion, followed by a mid-pull that sweeps the arms inward and backward. The recovery phase occurs when the arms finish their press forward and swing wide; they are then pitched down and out for the "catch" of the next stroke. Legs move in a dolphin kick: kept together and extended downward with a whiplike motion, then pulled back up. The downbeat of the first kick automatically forces the head deeper and the hips up. As the head comes up, the hips drop, allowing the legs to recover There are two kicks for each arm cycle, with inhaling occurring at the end of the second kick and exhaling taking place during the underwater arm pull.
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