TRAINING TIPS

How to get the most from your training

We want you to fully enjoy your training and, if you are building up to an event, prepare you for your big day in the best way possible. Swimming is a great exercise to choose, not least because the buoyancy and resistance you'll experience in the water will help you.

Benefits of buoyancy

Minimal stress impact on the joints and body. A body immersed in water bears approximately 90% of its own weight. Offers a route for excluded groups to exercise and be healthier e.g. the larger or obese person, those with injury, or illness.

Benefits of water resistance

The density of water is approximately 800 times that of air, offering 12 to 14 times more resistance than that of training on dry land. Water is capable of providing full-body resistance allowing a more balanced all over body workout, which can result in better and more complete muscular development. The resistance of water does not allow for sudden body movements reducing the chances of muscle strain and injury. To produce more power in water you have to increase your efforts against a constant resistance.

Swimming is an all over body workout

As muscles typically work in pairs (i.e. triceps and biceps or quadriceps and hamstrings), each group will encounter water resistance and be worked more effectively. To create this same effect on dry land you would need to re-position or use different exercises to work both of these and opposing muscle groups.

You can find more training tips and advice here.

If you're starting out, our training plan will build you up to a mile gradually.