Secret To Leveling Up Your Swimming Skills In Just 5 Steps

Swimming's a fun way to stay fit, but as many of you know, it's incredibly hard to master. Today I'll run you through 5 essential skills to help your swimming. First up, Breathing. We all know how to breathe. Pretty simple. Try finding your breathing. With your arms strokes underwater, and it gets much harder. A lot of people take a big gasp of air, then desperately try to hold it. Understandable, I guess. But what happens? Is more breathlessness, because by holding on to hold that breath, CO2 builds up, and we feel out of breath. What we want is a good, normal breath, and then as soon as our head goes back under, we start trickling that breath over the next few strokes. Then we're ready for another breath, making it smooth and continuous. Instead of gasping and holding to get the knack, just practice. Grip the wall, inhale, then lower yourself while slowly releasing your breath. Then bouncing back up off the floor, and repeat. Next is another fundamental skill, Streamlining. To get a bit geeky for. Second, water is 784 times denser than air. So we feel far more resistance. Moving through water than, say, running or walking outside in air. It's very important to reduce that resistance when moving through water. We can achieve it by reducing our size. Individually, we can accomplish this by streamlining. Say we push off the wall in a wide, spread-out starfish position. With arms and legs spread out, we'll feel far more resistance than if we're neatly curled up, arms over our heads, feet together. Drill this move, push off the wall, hands stacked, arms fully extended. Keep your arms overhead, chin tucked, ankles together, toes pointed. Glide. See how far you can get off one push. Take this same skill into your Swimming too. Steer clear of any extra motions that create drag-through. The goal is to move the tiniest object through the water. Now, we're going to look at kick. Some of you might be surprised I'm including a kick or adding it so quickly. In fact, your kick gives you excellent balance and rhythm. Perfect your stroke, learn the mechanics, and grasp how the kick moves. It'll set you up nicely. Power it from the hips, keeping the knee soft. Try not to bend the knee too much, but also don't fully lock it out. Push that leg all the way out. Then point your toes so you keep that line going. Smooth motion flowing right down to your ankles, feet, and extending out toward the toes. To start, I'd suggest using Grab a kickboard, drape your arms over it, and lift your head, that way. Just focus on your legs. If you find it hard to move forward at first, try to stay relaxed. Your ankle flexibility. Small fins can also assist in this motion, and ankle flexibility. Next up, turns. When you're ready to to string multiple links together, you'll want to turn. You've got a couple of options here, the standard touch turn, but also the somersault turn. Obviously, the touch turn is the easier one of the two. Like its name implies, you move toward the wall. Make contact with it or take hold of it using one hand. Pull your knees toward your chest and sweep your legs beneath you. Set both feet flat against the wall. After that, remove that hand from the wall. Overhead, clear of the surface. And back in as you push off. Place both hands together in a neat, streamlined position. While you drive off the wall and glide. For most, the touch turn is a pretty good start and may be all you need. You can get pretty quick with practice. If you're looking to step it up, try the flip turn, it's certainly faster. Once you've got it down. Naturally, picking up this skill takes real work, so you could. Want a step-by-step look at flip-slash-tumble turns? Watch our in-depth video. A helpful walkthrough that breaks each one down. But for the moment, I'll give you a brief rundown. Head to the wall and finish with one last arm pull from above. Or just after the T-mark on the floor. By now, one hand should be heading back. To your hip while the other pulls you forward. In the direction of the wall. Start tucking your chin toward your chest. And begin the somersault. A good way to picture it. Is like reaching down for your toes. Using both hands. But before you touch your toes. Swing your feet above the surface toward the wall. Set both feet against the wall, knees gently bent. Use your knees to soak up the momentum. Gradually bring both hands together in a streamlined position. With arms overhead, drive off the wall. Roll onto your front while gliding. Okay, the last thing I'll show you today is the skull drill. And there are several. Of different skull drills out there. So I'll start you with the same one that. When I took up swimming, this was the first skill I was shown as well. Rest on your back, ankles pressed together. And rest your hands at your sides. Next, have a go at tracing an 8 with your fingers. Your wrist should drive most of the movement. With a gentle bend at the elbows. By slightly angling the hands. Basically, you'll be making small propellers. Using one hand at a time. Your goal is to propel yourself headfirst. Down the pool using only your hands. Now don't fret if you're not getting. Pick this one up immediately. This can genuinely be difficult and time-consuming. Additionally, this exercise is rather slow-paced. If you're struggling, you could also use a pull buoy. Between your thighs merely to help keep them buoyant. Letting you concentrate fully on the task at hand. Using that skill. But if it isn't starting to click for you yet. And once you've really got it down, you can step up your game. Then begin turning your hands the other way. So that means you'll enter feet first. Along the pool, which is pretty neat. Now, if you're curious. How on earth is this even related to swimming? Actually, a fair amount. It teaches you that all-important feel. For the water and improves your ability. To grab and perch on the water. Basically how we power through. Water while swimming.