Learn to Swim - Treading Water

Welcome to SwimLife Pro's video tutorial on learning how to tread water. For beginner swimmers who are concerned with not being ready to start treading water, please check out our free video tutorial on the basics of buoyancy at www.swimlifepro.com. Treading water is a non-mobile swimming motion that is designed to keep your head above the surface of the water. This motion requires very little expended energy, making it very efficient to do continuously Typically, treading water is used as an efficient tool to stay in one area of any body of water that is too deep for you to stand. Treading water can be divided into three major parts. Your head and body position, your legs, and your arms. Together these three parts encompass the entire stroke. Treading water is unique in that it can utilize two different kicks to be performed correctly. The modified breaststroke kick, and the egg beater kick. Treading water utilizes a stationary head position in order to remain in place on the surface of the water. For the duration of your treading, your head should remain still and relaxed, just above the surface of the water in a neutral resting position. This will allow you to breathe freely, if needed, at all times while performing this stroke correctly. Your body's position in the water while treading should also remain stationary, resting just below the surface of the water. In order to have a greater buoyancy in the water, it is much easier to hold your breath. Your lungs act in a similar manner as balloons. Filling your lungs with air will allow you to tread much easier on the surface of the water. While treading water, one of the two efficient types of kicks you can use is called the modified breaststroke kick. This is a symmetrical, full leg kick that is derived from your hips. For the modified breaststroke kick, there are two feet positions that are necessary for you to know. The flexed foot, and the pointed foot. For the flexed foot, stand on any flat surface and try to raise your toes off the ground as high as you can. This will closely resemble the flexed foot while trying to perform the modified breaststroke kick. For the pointed foot, bring the top of your feet in line with your shins, pointing your toes away from your knees. This should create a flat surface from your knees to your toes. In addition, there are two separate phases for the modified breaststroke kick. The power phase, which creates the majority of the upward thrust of the kick, and the recovery phase, which resets your legs in preparation for the next kick. Inside the power and recovery phases, the modified breaststroke kick can be divided into three separate parts. The up flex, out flex, and around point. Collectively, these three parts combine to make one fluid motion from beginning to end. The first two parts of the modified breaststroke kick, the up flex and out flex, combine to make the recovery phase. At the beginning of the recovery phase, the up flex, your legs should be straight and together with your knees and feet relaxed. Start the recovery phase by raising your knees towards the surface of the water, simultaneously widening your legs so that your knees are roughly shoulders width apart. Bend your legs at the knees, bringing your heels as far up towards your buttocks with flexed feet as comfortably possible. While treading, if you discover that your face is lowering in the pool during the up flex, you are likely raising your knees too high, too quickly. There is a fine line between downward gravity and upward thrust that will allow your head to stay in one position on the surface of the water. The second part of the recovery phase, the out flex, is the most important part of the modified breaststroke kick, determining how much power your legs will be able to kick with. During the out flex, keep your knees at shoulders width, only allowing your lower legs and feet to change position. Start the out flex by rotating your feet outwards, away from the center of your body, maintaining flexed feet, while simultaneously driving your feet as far away from each other as comfortably possible. The further you bring your feet away from each other during the out flex, the more power you will be able to kick with for the power phase. Leading into the power phase, it is important during the out flex that your feet remain as flexed as possible. The power phase of the modified breaststroke kick, the around point, requires a strong and precise kick. Your feet for the around point follow a wide set sweeping motion back to the beginning of the recovery phase. Start the power phase by driving your feet towards the bottom of the pool, giving emphasis to the soles of your feet staying flat against the direction of your kick. As your flexed feet reach full outward extension, finish the around point by turning the soles of your feet in towards each other, bringing both feet together to a point with power and symmetry. For the entire around point, it is important to keep your knees no greater than shoulder's width apart. This will help to create a stronger, more effective kick. While treading water, the second type of efficient kick that you can use is called the egg beater kick. This kick utilizes a smaller, yet consistent downward thrust with one foot at a time in order to keep your head level on the surface of the water. It does not matter if you choose the modified breaststroke kick or the egg beater kick while treading water, so long as it feels natural. The egg beater kick can be divided into two different parts. The power phase, which creates the majority of the upward thrust of the kick, and the recovery phase, which resets your legs in preparation for the next kick. In addition, only the flexed foot position is used for the egg beater kick. Inside the power and recovery phases, the egg beater kick can be broken into three separate parts. The up flex, out flex, and thrust. Collectively, these three parts combine to make one continuously repeating motion from beginning to end. The first two parts of the egg beater kick, the up flex and out flex, combine to make the recovery phase. For the duration of the egg beater kick, both of your legs will be constantly rotating in and out of the power and recovery phases. When one of your legs is in the power phase, your other leg should be in the recovery phase. Start the recovery phase by raising one knee towards the surface of the water to be level with your hips, while simultaneously widening your legs so that your knee is roughly shoulders width apart. Bend your leg at the knee, bringing your heel as far up towards your buttocks with the flexed foot as comfortably possible. The second part of the recovery phase, the out flex, is the most important part of the egg beater kick, determining how much power your legs will be able to kick with. Start the out flex by driving your recovering knee down towards the bottom of the pool. While maintaining a flexed foot, drive your foot as far away from the center of your body as comfortably possible. The further you bring your foot away from the center of your body during the out flex, the more power you will be able to kick with for the power phase. Leading into the power phase, it is important during the out flex that your foot remains as flexed as possible. The power phase of the egg beater kick utilizes a motion called the thrust. Your foot for the thrust should drive down towards the bottom of the pool back to the beginning of the recovery phase. Start the thrust by driving your flexed foot down towards the bottom of the pool, giving emphasis to the sole of your foot staying flat against the direction of your kick. As your leg extends, widen your foot away from the center of your body rather than kicking straight below your hips. This will allow your foot to travel over a greater distance, creating a stronger, more effective kick. While treading water, your arms will be using the motion called sculling. This is a variable and dynamic arm motion that utilizes both sideways and downward thrust in order to keep your head resting in place above the surface of the water. As you tread, your body will constantly fluctuate its buoyancy, allowing for the need of varying strengths of your arm movements in order to keep your head in as close to the same position as possible. While sculling, your arms will have the potential to move in two different directions. Inwards, where your arms should move in towards the center of your body, and outwards, where your arms should move away from the center of your body. The direction your hands should face while treading is determined by whichever direction your arms are traveling. If your arms are traveling inwards, your palms should be facing inwards as well. If your arms are traveling outwards, your palms should also be traveling outwards as well. The inward and outward movements of your arms consist of one continuous power phase. Both directions your arms travel serve the same purpose of keeping your head in place above the surface of the water and should not be affected by the timing of your kick. The direction your arms travel while sculling is determined by what your head needs in order to stay on the surface of the water for that particular moment. The most important part of sculling is knowing exactly what angle your hands need to have. It is essential while sculling to keep your head in place on top of the water. For the majority of your treading, you will not need to worry too much about moving side to side or forwards and backwards in the water. Your primary goal will be to negate gravity's downward push while you swim. The majority of your effort will be used to keep your head above the water. It is always important to know and remember that whatever direction you move your hands while treading water, your body will move in the opposite direction. Learning how to properly scull is a matter of testing it in the water. The best and most common method for this is to hold your hands at a 45 degree angle as you move your arms in either direction. This will allow for a longer, more controlled and effective downward thrust, rather than quick and jerking movements straight up and down. The longer your arms stride, the smoother and more effective your treading will be. Thank you for watching SwimLife Pro's video tutorial on learning how to tread water. Please make sure to check out our other video tutorials in each of the six official strokes at www.swimlifepro.com.