Swimming and Lifeguard Training: The most frequently asked questions.

I drink water when I breathe. What am I doing wrong ;

Correct breathing is strong and continuous. We exhale all the air before turning to the side and inhaling. Usually beginner swimmers hold their breath in the water and when they turn on their side they continue to exhale. Thus, when inhalation begins, the turning of the head towards the center (into the water) has also begun. Thus they inhale air but at the same time also water.

When a small child learns to Lifeguard recertification, the first exercise he does is to stand on the wall of the pool and do breathing exercises so that he gets used to the correct inhalation - exhalation.

I feel like my feet are sinking. What should I do ?

It is very common for athletes in other sports to sink their feet. This can be due to a number of factors with the most common being that they have weak legs in the water (regardless of whether they are very strong in cycling or running) or have their heads too high. This, of course, in combination with the fatigue from the other sports activities. Proper leg strengthening and proper head position can help us significantly, as will spending time on flexibility exercises and stretching.

I try to do plank legs but I stay in the same spot or move forward too slowly.

To propel forward we must be able to propel backwards a mass of water. The most important thing is to increase the flexibility in the ankles and do the movement (small and high frequency) from above. We have written a related article on training legs in freestyle swimming.

I feel very tight in the water. What can I do;

It makes sense for athletes who do other sports to be very tight. A structured flexibility program is needed both before training in the water and at any other time. Flexibility is an important factor in our improvement in the water.

Should I Lifeguard and swim every day?

We are used to hearing that it is good to have daily contact with water. This is correct, but another contact and another training. Most amateur athletes prefer to swim every 48 hours to give their muscles time to rest. Daily training can have the opposite effects as it can have negative effects on our technique due to fatigue of both the muscles and the central nervous system.

Every time I train I try - I aim - to swim more and more continuously?

The worst training approach is to swim continuously motivated by our insecurity as to whether we can cover a certain distance which is usually the distance of the race.

We can't approach swimming the same way we approach running or cycling.

What is the best way to improve my Lifeguard training technique?

Lifeguard training with a coach who specializes in technique training for adult athletes. Someone may be an excellent swimming coach but lack the patience and/or experience to deal with athletes without a swimming background. In Greece there are not many coaches who specialize in adult learning.

What's the best way to figure out what I'm doing wrong?

In addition to training with a coach who will see the mistakes I make, it is helpful to have someone take videos of us from all angles, front-back-side.

Do I feel like I'm going up and down in the water?

For this to happen it is most likely that either at the inlet of the arm we are pushing water down or at the outlet of the arm we are pushing water up or both.