About Swimming Techniques

Some time last year I started swimming regularly. Although I learned to swim as a child I didn't really get into it properly until recently. In the beginning I wasn't sure where to begin in terms of strokes and techniques, plus I was concerned about breathing options as I'm mildly asthmatic. Anyway, in this article I thought I would provide an accessible introduction to the basic principles of swimming strokes and techniques, with videos and links to other resources around the Web. If you're interested in swimming but are baffled about what your options are, this should hopefully help you get started.

I'm going to focus particularly on the Shaw method to explain swimming technique, but the information is general enough to be useful to you even if you choose to take a different approach.

First, it's worth pointing out that swimming techniques and swimming strokes are not the same thing. The main strokes are breaststroke, freestyle (or front crawl), backstroke and butterfly. Technique has more to do with the details of how you carry out these strokes. Before we talk about techniques, let's briefly introduce the strokes.

Breaststroke

Breaststroke is my favourite, and is a great option for people who are swimming in a non-competitive way, i.e. for fitness or fun. In the breaststroke, you are face down in the water moving forward. You use your arms in a pulling motion and your legs in what's known as the "frog" kick. Getting the timing right takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it you'll be able to to it without even thinking about it. Here's a video demonstrating:

This video demonstrates breaststroke according to the Shaw method, but the basic principle is the same for any breaststroke technique. The stroke involves three main ingredients, pulling with your hands, kicking with the legs and gliding along before starting the process again. With breaststroke, your legs do most of the work. The stroke appeals to many swimmers because you can see where you are going as you swim.

Freestyle/ Front Crawl

Freestyle, or front crawl, is another popular stroke. With freestyle you can swim a lot faster than with breaststroke, but it's a little trickier for beginners, particularly if you're nervous in the water, as you can't see where you're going at least some of the time. With freestyle your arms work much harder than with breaststroke. Here's a video:

As with breaststroke, the recommended technique is to have your head under the water for at least some of the stroke. This can seem intimidating if you're just getting started with swimming, but as I'll discuss below, it makes an enormous difference to how effective and enjoyable your swimming is.

Backstroke

Backstroke is similar to freestyle, but you do it on your back. The arms work pretty hard in backstroke, and a good level of mobility is required. With backstroke you have the advantage of not having to worry about breathing technique, but the downside is that your view ahead is very limited, which can be a bit risky in a busy pool! Here's a backstroke video:

The backstroke is an enjoyable stroke, but it does have serious limitations if, like me, you swim in a hectic public pool.

Butterfly

Butterfly stroke is a complex, demanding one, so I won't spend much time talking about it. It's really a stroke to have a go at once you have at least one of the others under your belt. The butterfly stroke involves arms and legs moving in a symmetrical motion not unlike the breaststroke, but the range of motion is far greater. Here's a video:

We've covered the basics of strokes, so let's get on to the main purpose of this article: techniques. A swimming technique dictates the details of how you actually execute a stroke. Competitive swimmers use many advanced techniques with their strokes, in some cases using different strokes when training and competing. Many techniques are designed to improve efficiency and performance - in general a technique will aim to produce a specific result of some kind.

I first learned about techniques when I started getting into the breaststroke and was concerned about the impact on my breathing, since I'm asthmatic. I do the Buteyko method for my asthma, which involves breathing exercises and techniques, one of which is trying not to breathe through the mouth. As I mentioned above, to carry out a stroke such as breaststroke correctly, you need to put your head under the water, and the only way to get enough air in is to breathe through the mouth during the brief part of the stroke when your head is above water.

Having had a look for asthmatic swimming techniques without much luck, I came across the Shaw method, which uses the Alexander Technique. Using the method is a bit like incorporating aspects of yoga into your swimming, and is particularly suited to people who are nervous in the water - it's basically designed to make the experience of swimming more enjoyable and relaxing. Unlike a competitive technique, this type of method is not designed to make you go faster, but to alter the experience and the physical/ mental impact of your swimming time.

For me, using the Shaw method has essentially given me control over my breathing and allowed me to breathe at a speed that suits me. If you are asthmatic and hoping to get the best out of swimming, I'd recommend using both a method for swimming and a method such as Buteyko to strengthen your breathing in general. I also find using a steam room before and after my swim helps enormously.

Breathing is a key ingredient in any swimming technique. As I mentioned above, breathing is a major consideration for me, but it's an important factor for anyone hoping to get the best out of their swimming. The way you breathe when swimming affects how good a workout you get, as it determines the level of cardiovascular exercise you're getting, meaning the extent to which your heart and lungs are working hard - the primary benefit of swimming.

For most strokes, to breathe correctly you do need to swim with your head under the water some of the time. This can be an intimidating prospect to many people, but I would urge you to try it - just make sure you invest in a pair of goggles first so that you can see what's going on... If you've ever tried swimming regularly with your head above the water you might be aware of the extent to which keeping your head up pulls you back, as well as giving you aches and pains in the neck and back.

When you start successfully swimming with your head under the water the experience becomes much more natural and relaxing, and with your goggles on you can enjoy being in the water that much more. Try not to worry too much about panicking and getting it wrong at first - I often wonder how many swimming pools worth of water I've swallowed in the past!

Relaxation is possibly the single most important aspect of learning to enjoy swimming. If you can relax in the water you will naturally find yourself floating more easily and enjoying the experience that much more. Of course this is easier said than done, and does take time. My advice would be to spend some of the time you take in the pool not swimming, but just floating around and enjoying being there.

If you do find yourself anxious in the water or have breathing issues like myself, I would thoroughly recommend trying a technique like the Shaw method. One of the main aims is to help you relax in the water. You can of course take classes in this or any other technique, but to start with it's worth simply having a look at one of the many online videos and guides.

Finally, I'd just like to mention another few tips I think I would have found useful back when I was starting to get into swimming.

Speak to people at your local pool. I've gotten lots of great advice from the experienced swimmers at mine.

Have a go at open water swimming. I love swimming in the sea, but unfortunately living in Scotland makes it a bit extreme! However, if you live somewhere reasonably warm or go on holiday somewhere nice, the experience of swimming in open water can be incredibly rewarding.

Enjoy it! If you're anything like me you'll find exercise a bit of a pain unless you happen to enjoy it. With the right stroke and technique, swimming can be one of the most enjoyable experiences out there. As well as keeping you in good shape, a swim can be a great stress buster too.