FLEXIBILITY FOR SWIMMERS

Good flexibility is an essential requirement for anyone who participates in competitive sports.

One of the causes of poor performance in swimming is often due to lack of flexibility, the limitation of range of movement in the joints, in particular the shoulder and ankle joints. It restricts the extent to which a limb can be placed in the water to give maximum effect for efficient stroke technique, hence the speed and endurance of a swimmer will suffer. Where there is stiffness in a joint the muscles have to work harder to overcome this stiffness and the body is using up valuable energy which could otherwise be used to swim faster.

By increasing the range of movement in the shoulder, spine and ankle joints, vital energy is saved, technique improves and the swimmer is able to swim faster, harder and longer.  It also prevents injury like torn muscles and aching shoulder joints, which is very common amongst swimmers with poor flexibility.

As one gets older, flexibility becomes less, even with regular training in the water. It is therefore important that swimmers do flexing and stretching exercises regularly. For young swimmers, especially those who are just starting to train, it is even more important to exercise because a marked loss of flexibility occurs between the ages of 11 and 13 years, to maintain their natural flexibility throughout their swimming life.

Flexibility exercising requires a serious commitment on the part of the swimmer. A swimmer needs to exercise at least once a day for about 10 to 15 minutes at a time and do the exercises correctly and with purpose in mind. Exercising once a week or now and then or just going through the motions has no benefit whatsoever and is time wasting.

Every swimmer can find time to exercise once or twice every day for 15 minutes. The exercises are simple, require no equipment, no special rooms and can be done anywhere, whilst watching T.V., for example. Some exercises can even be done in the back of a car on the way to the pool, whilst waiting for the bus or when walking home from school.

All swimmers should also do some flexing and stretching before getting in the water to prepare the muscles for the work and after training to prevent stiffening up. Those who do weight training, flexing and stretching is important before and after the weight work.

In general, simple mobility exercises, stretching the spine, shoulder, hip and ankle joints are all that is basically required. However, a swimmer who has a particular weakness should consult the coach who may then design a special programme to overcome this problem.

Any flexing exercise which involves bouncing and jerking movements should not be used as this could cause painful damage to the muscle and the joint. Forced stretch where another person is attempting to force the joint that little bit further, should be avoided unless that person is experienced and qualified. Remember, the other person cannot feel what the swimmer feels. By the time the swimmer tells him ‘it hurts”, it may be too late; the damage is done and that could mean the swimmer is a long time out of the water waiting for the damage to heal up.
Simple Rules for Flexing and Stretching Exercises
1. Always warm up well before starting.
2. Relax before stretching any particular joint or muscle.
3. Gently stretch the muscle to a point where it feels comfortable and tight and just aching, but no further.
4. Hold the exercise position at its maximum stretch point for a period of 5 to 10 seconds.
5. Repeat the exercise 3 times. This will allow the muscle to stretch further without discomfort.
6. Relax the muscles after each exercise is completed by shaking out.
7. Enjoy it — you’ll feel great afterwards.

The following pages describe some very simple exercises and the time it takes to do each one of them. There are also some examples of exercise routines which could be followed when watching T.V. or on other occasions. Exercises may be done in any order, however, it is best to concentrate on one part of the body at a time.

Of course, there are many more exercises which could be done, but the aim is to keep it simple and effective, easy to remember and no trouble to do.

Beware it is a large file

 SEARCH | GLOSSARY | LINKS | HELP | COMMENTS | CONTACT US | WHAT'S NEW: 29 April 2008