Using swimming as a cross training exercise can offer runners many benefits. Being suspended in water gives you the opportunity to exercise with zero impact, therefore giving your legs and joints a welcome break while still working and improving your cardio
and muscular fitness. Swimming can also be a great way to recover the day after a particularly long or difficult run. If you are like most runners though swimming is not your strong suit. We are human being after all and were not built to be proficient in the water. Many of us tend to fight the water rather than working with it. Becoming a better swimmer is the first step to enjoying your time in the water and reaping the benefits that cross training in the water has to offer. Here are five tips to becoming a better swimmer:
- Learn balance - pay attention to your body's position in the water. Try to keep your body balanced and horizontal in the water avoid unnecessary movement.
- Relax your body - don't struggle or try to fight the water.
- Learn to roll from your core- when you roll from stroke to stroke focus on using your core to roll your body.
- Avoid drag in the water - stay as horizontal as you can, keep your body long and narrow as possible to reduce the amount of drag you will experience.
- Fluency - focus on coordinating your propelling movements. learn to move and stroke in a relaxed and harmonious way.