Whether you swim for leisure or competition, you can choose from four basic swimming strokes to propel your body across the water. Swimming is a total-body workout that requires your arms and legs to efficiently work together. Understanding each swimming stroke can help you identify which you prefer and ensure you practice proper form when swimming.
Freestyle
Considered the fastest of the swimming strokes, the freestyle or front crawl is commonly used for long-distance swims. To perform, your arms alternate in a windmill-like fashion, each one moving through the water and air in opposition. The fingers are kept together as you slice through the water. At the same time, you also kick your legs in opposition. The kicks do not need to be large; instead, smaller flutter kicks are more effective and require you to use less energy. Swimmers using this stroke must turn their head to the side to breathe in new air.
Backstroke
Considered a more leisurely swimming stroke, the backstroke is performed while floating face-up. Windmill arm motions similar to those used in the freestyle stroke are employed with this stroke, except the arms rotate in the opposite direction. You still will kick the legs in a fluttering or flapping motion. This stroke requires strong abdominal muscles, which help you to float in the water and keep your back as straight as possible.
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is named because the hands move from the chest to push outward. Once the arms are extended, your hands separate, using a semi-circular motion to return to your chest. At the same time, your legs are coming up together in a scissor-type movement where the feet come in toward the buttocks, then push backward as you push the arms out. This stroke is slightly different from the other strokes because the legs are doing most of the work instead of the arms.
Butterfly
The butterfly stroke relies heavily on the arms and legs. To perform, you push the arms --- both at the same time, as opposed to the alternating windmill motion of the freestyle and backstroke --- up and around, rotating the shoulders. The feet are hinged together, lifting out of the water as you propel the arms up and over the water. The hips push forward and the legs kick together as one as if your legs are a tail. This position closely mirrors the way that dolphins swim. Those who swim the breaststroke must be powerful because the stroke requires strength, particularly in the shoulder muscles.
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