ALL ABOUT SWIMMING

Swimming is a sport that consists of swimming and aims to travel a certain distance in the least
possible time and may have to use a specific swimming style.

HISTORY OF SWIMMING

Swimming activity has been around for thousands of years. There are engravings that show people
in the middle of the water supposed to swim, taking as date 7000 AC
In ancient Greece, swimming has become a prerequisite for becoming a soldier so that they can improve
their fitness. Over the years, several cultures have given some relevance to swimming activity, but none
have made it very popular. In the seventeenth century, the Japanese began to take swimming lessons at
school compulsory.
It was only in the nineteenth century that the West really began to give some value to this activity,
and over the years new styles of swimming emerged until it finally became a regulated export.
Swimming is an Olympic modality since the first Games of the modern era and since then the export
has evolved greatly and has had different champions and records achieved.
One of the most notorious swimmers ever won dozens of medals recently, from 2004 to Beijing in 2008
and already with some decline in 2012, but nevertheless strong, Michael Phelps dominated swimming
in the most varied styles, imposing several records and becoming the athlete with the most medals of
the Olympic Games since its existence, and this record is far greater than the athlete who previously
held it.

SWIMMING STYLES

As has been said, over time numerous swimming styles have emerged, thus making the export diversify
and increase its popularity. In competition, 4 styles are used, they are:

BREASTSTROKE
This is considered the oldest style there is. It consists of the athlete being with the chest facing down
and makes a movement where he pushes the two arms forward at the same time and then opens them,
simultaneously doing the same with the legs. The easiest way to understand it is to imagine open and
close scissors.
The distances covered are:
50 meters
100 meters
200 meters

CRAWL
In the Crawl, the swimmer is facedown and makes a circular
movement with the arms, alternating the left with the right,
almost like two propellers. The legs also make a synchronized
up / down movement alternately.
The distances covered are:
50 meters
100 meters
200 meters
400 meters
800 meters
1500 meters

Backstroke
This style has everything equal to that of the crawl in
movements of arms and legs, having only the
peculiarity of being done of back (the sweep facing
upwards).
The distances covered are:
50 meters
100 meters
200 meters

Butterfly
Here the athlete is boosted by using both arms
simultaneously, almost like the movement of being diving.
The feet stand together and make a simultaneous up-and-down movement, similar to a dolphin’s fin.
The distances covered are:
50 meters
100 meters
200 meters

There are also tests called “proofs of styles” which can be done individually or by stamps, in which all

styles are used every x meters and in a predefined order.

SWIMMING POOL

The pools can measure 2 different lengths: 25 meters (short pool) or 50 meters (Olympic pool).
The only thing that changes between them is just the length.
The pool should have 2 meters deep and is divided by lanes along its entire length, there being a
distance between them of 2,5 meters thus representing the designated track for each swimmer.
The side margins should be 50 centimeters between the wall and the nearest streak.
It must also have a starting block for each of the swimmers, having its platform at least 50 centimeters
from the water level (up to the maximum of 70 centimeters) and its slope can not exceed 10 degrees.
These platforms are a square with 50 centimeters of side and have non-slip material for the
swimmer to have a match without problems.

REFEREES OR STAFF
The umpire team established by the International Swimming Federation is a bit extensive as we will see
now:
Referee: Responsible for developing the race and have the final say on any decision. There are 2, one
for men and one for women.

Judge of Departure: This is what signals the game with an electronic signal. Here also exist 2, one for
each genre,

Judges of Swim: These are 4 per race, 2 on each side of the pool and will accompany the swimmers by
the pool to check if these are to swim properly the style, without errors or flaws.
Judges of the Revolution: There are 16 per race, each one near one end of the swimmer’s lane (there
are 8 tracks) to see if this one turns well.

Scorer: This is in a special room to take care of the results that show in the electronic markers and the
indications of the judges.

False exit rope judge: Responsible for the rope that is located 15 meters from the edge of the pool and
that marks the place where the swimmer already has to be at the top of the water. If any of them do not
meet this requirement at the start then the rope falls into the water and is started again.

OTHER FORMS OF SWIMMING

There are other forms of swimming without being the “pure” that is composed of these things that
we talked about earlier.
For example, there is open water swimming that is done in the open sea and also has the same
objective but with much greater distances (several kilometers, sometimes making the connection
between two islands). And there are other more different types like Diving, Synchronized swimming,
water jumping, among others

SWIMMING EQUIPMENTS
Swimsuit
Competitive swimwear seeks to improve upon bare skin for a speed
advantage and coverage. In 2009, FINA rules and regulations were altered
and suits made with polyurethane were banned because they made athletes
more buoyant. These rules also banned suits which go above the navel or
below the knee for men and suits which extend past the shoulders or cover
the neck for women.[19]
SWIM CAP
 A swim cap (a.k.a. cap) keeps the swimmer's hair out of the way to reduce drag. Caps may be made
of latex, silicone, spandex or lycra.

GOGGLES

Goggles keep water and chlorine out of swimmers' eyes. Goggles may be
tinted to counteract glare at outdoor pools. Prescription goggles may be
used by swimmers who wear corrective lenses.

SWIM FINS

Rubber fins are used to help kick faster and build strength and technique, but are illegal in a
race. They also improve technique by keeping the feet in the proper position while kicking.

DRAG SUIT

Swimmers use drag suits in training to increase resistance. This allows a

swimmer to be challenged even more when practicing and let the
swimmer feel less resistance when racing. Drag suits are not used in
competitive races.

HAND PADDLES

Swimmers use these plastic devices to build arm and shoulder strength
while refining hand-pulling technique. Hand paddles attach to the hand
with rubber tubing or elastic material. They come in many different shapes
and sizes, depending on swimmer preference and hand size.

KICKBOARD

A kickboard is a foam board that swimmers use to support the weight of the
upper body while they focus on kicking. Kicking is the movement of the
legs only which helps to increase leg muscle for future strength.

PULL BUOY

Often used at the same time as hand paddles, pull buoys support
swimmers' legs (and prevent them from kicking) while they focus on
pulling. Pull buoys are made of foam so they float in the water. Swimmers
hold them in between the thighs. They can also be used as a kickboard to
make kicking a little harder.

ANKLE BANDS

Improving balance will minimize the need for this kick to provide an
upward, instead of a forward vector, and in some cases completely corrects
the kick. Using an ankle band will have the immediate effect of turning off
your kick, which then forces you to make efforts to correct your balance. If
 you are successful in discovering these, then the ankle band has done part of its job.[20]
SNORKEL

A snorkel is a plastic device that helps swimmers breathe while swimming.

This piece of equipment helps the swimmer practice keeping their head in one
position, along with training them for the proper breathing technique of
breathing in through the mouth and out the nose. This technique is the
opposite of a common runner's breathing pattern, which is in the nose and out
the mouth.

TEMPO TRAINER

A beeping clock attached to a swimmers cap or goggles helps maintain a

certain arm tempo or speed. As each beep is heard, the next stroke, or cycles
of strokes, should be taken.

ZOOMERS

A type of rubber swimming fins, zoomers are cut off fins with the holes in the
bottom. They help make the swimmer kick faster, but at the cost of working
harder.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING?

There are plenty of reasons to swim! Here's a list that should get you motivated.

LOW IMPACT

There's no ground impact when you swim, and so you protect the joints from stress and strain. In
fact, the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, so
much so that they sponsor water classes all over the country (check http://www.arthritis.org for
information). Water aerobics classes are also desirable for this reason, because even if you do jump and
hit the bottom of the pool, you do so with less force because you're buoyant in the water. Not only that,
but if you wear or hold a flotation device during a water aerobics class, the impact is even less.

BUILDS MUSCLE MASS

In a study of men who completed an eight-week swimming program, there was a 23.8% increase
in the triceps muscle (the back of the arm). My take on muscle mass and swimming is that if you have
been doing no resistance exercise at all and you start to swim, you will certainly get more toned and you
may even gain mass like the men in this study. But even without the gain in mass, it's well worth the
strength and tone that you will almost certainly gain.
BURNS CALORIES

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently
you swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more
body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original
research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned
about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the
same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only
3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is
dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than
running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to
running at light intensity.
 INTRODUCTION TO SWIMMING

Swimming is an activity that burns lots of calories, is easy on the joints, supports your weight,
builds muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and
refreshes you in summer, and is one that you can do safely into old age. In this article, I'll review the
history of swimming, the benefits, the strokes, how to get started, what to wear, the equipment you
need, where to swim, and more.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF SWIMMING?

Human beings have been swimming for millennia. According to Wikipedia, Stone Age cave
drawings depict individuals swimming and there are written references in the Bible and the Greek
poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" dating back 1,500 to 2,000 years. There are even Egyptian clay
seals from 4000 BC showing four swimmers doing a version of the crawl, and the most famous
swimming drawings were apparently found in the Kebir desert and were estimated to be from around
4000 BC.
According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, literature specifically related to
swimming grew in the middle ages. It is believed that the first book devoted to swimming was
Colymbetes by Nicolas Wynman written in 1538, and a more widely recognized text, De Arte Nantandi,
was published in Latin by Everard Digby in 1587. The encyclopedia also reports that swimming was
required of knights and that Romans built bathhouses and pools in the cities they conquered to serve as
social clubs and places to exercise.
Organized swimming began in the 1800s and 1900s with the creation of swimming associations
(for example, the Amateur Swimming Association in 1886) and clubs that competed against each other.
There are reports from that era of swimming clubs in England, France, Germany, and the United States.
High-profile events also contributed to swimming's visibility. For instance, Matthew Webb swam the
English Channel in 1875.
Competitive swimming continued to grow in popularity during the 1800s and was included in the
first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis included the 50-,
100-, 220-, 440-, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 440-yard breaststroke,
and a 4x50-yard freestyle relay.
By the 20th century, swimming had become mainstream. Indoor pools were beginning to appear,
most towns with populations over 20,000 had public outdoor pools, and swimming clubs became
increasingly popular for recreation. Women participated for the first time in swimming in the Olympic
Games in Stockholm in 1912, and Johnny Weissmuller (considered by many authorities to be the
greatest swimmer of all time and who later went on to Tarzan fame in movies) became the first person
to swim 100 meters in less than one minute.
Today swimming is the second most popular exercise activity in the United States, with
approximately 360 million annual visits to recreational water venues. Swim clubs, recreation centers,
Y's, and many other facilities feature swimming pools. Many high schools and colleges have
competitive swim teams, and of course, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Millions
of Americans are swimming each year. Are you one of them? If not, the following information may
help get you started.
WHAT ARE THE SWIMMING STROKES?
Breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and crawl (freestyle) are the most popular swim strokes. The
breaststroke and butterfly are more difficult to learn than the backstroke and crawl.
 Breaststroke
The breaststroke involves exquisite timing, and in fact, you can be disqualified from competition if you
miss even one stroke. The stroke involves form that causes your body to bob up and down as you glide
forward through the water. This is a difficult stroke and not one to choose if you're just learning how to
swim. The basics are that your arms pull, you breathe, you kick (arms alternate with the kick), and you
glide. Here are details.
The leg kick:
Bring the knees to chest.
Thrust the legs backward and straight.
Snap the legs together to push the water and propel you forward (frog kick).
The arm stroke:
Start with the arms overhead.
Pull on the water, and bring arms toward the chest.
Keep the hands cupped.
Return arms to starting position.
The breathing:
Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

BUTTERFLY
Like the breaststroke, this is a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners because it requires
perfect timing and a good deal of strength. During the stroke, the legs move together in a dolphin kick
(imagine a mermaid), the arms move together to push the water downward and backward, and the torso
undulates like an earthworm as the body moves forward through the water.
The leg kick:
Bend the knees slightly, and keep them together.
Make a downward thrust by straightening the knees and whipping the feet downward.
There should be two kicks for every arm stroke.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms together, and pull through the water with the hands cupped.
Face the palms outward, and press down and outward.
Swing the arms forward above the water in a sweeping motion to complete the stroke.
The breathing:
Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.

BACKSTROKE
The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl in that you use an
alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick. Two keys to a proper backstroke are that your arms move
with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to one side, and that your body rolls from side to side
so that your arms catch enough water to propel you forward.
The leg kick:
Is a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.
The breathing:
Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.
You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing is less coordinated
with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should always be out of the water.

CRAWL (FREESTYLE)

This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple flutter kick and
windmill arm motion, like the backstroke, only on your belly. The most difficult part is coordinating the
breathing since your face is in the water most of the time.
The leg kick:
It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (the should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.
Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you swim straight.
Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.
The breathing:
Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a breath.
Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because it will slow you
down.
Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when the head returns
to the water.
Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the opposite arm stroke.

THE FREESTYLE FLIP TURN (WHEN SWIMMING THE CRAWL)

There are a couple of options for turning around when you reach the wall during lap swimming. You
can simply touch the wall and turn around and start swimming again or you can do a flip turn. The flip
turn is essentially a somersault in the water where you flip and turn and use your legs to power-kick off
the wall. The flip turn, when completed properly, is fast, efficient, and time-saving. If you've ever
watched Olympic swimming, you see the swimmers gracefully execute their flip turns. Here are the
basics.
Start the somersault before reaching the wall by tucking the chin and pulling the knees into a tuck
position.
Blow out air to avoid inhaling water.
Straighten out the body-tuck halfway through the flip and extend the legs toward the wall.
You will be on your back at this point.
Push off the wall.
Roll over onto the belly and glide toward the surface of the water.
Hold the glide until you break the surface of the water, and then start stroking immediately.
The flip turn takes practice, but with consistent work, you can master it. It's worth trying if you swim
laps for exercise.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR SWIMMING?

SWIMSUIT

You'll need a swimsuit unless you plan on skinny-dipping! Like many other things, technology has
entered the swimsuit arena as well. Fabrics are designed for minimal resistance through the water, they
tend to last a long time, and they resist fading even when used repeatedly in chlorinated pools. Of
course, not all of us would be comfortable in the skimpy racing suits that you see Olympians wear, but
the good news is that you can find more modest suits at sporting goods and department stores as well as
through a number of online vendors (see the resources section). Comfort is the most important quality
in selecting a swimsuit. You're less likely to swim if you're uncomfortable in your suit.

GOGGLES

Goggles protect your eyes from chlorine (and anything else that may be in the water), and they help you
keep your eyes open while you swim so that you can see where you're going. You can even get
prescription swim goggles if you wear glasses (check with your optician for availability). To find the
right pair of goggles, do the following:
Put the goggles over your eyes without slinging the strap over your head.
Press the goggles into your eye sockets and let go.
The goggles should stay in place.
Experiment until you find the pair that fits your eyes best.

BATHING CAPS

Bathing caps can serve several purposes. Some pool managers will require individuals with long hair to
wear caps to keep hair from getting into the pool, and some people just like to protect their hair from the
chlorine in the water. You may also decide to wear a bathing cap to cut down on resistance in the water.
This really works, and so if you're looking to increase your time a bit, a bathing cap might help. Many
caps are made of latex, although you can find silicone, neoprene (keeps you warm), and Lycra as well.
Choose the one that fits your head and is most comfortable.

FLOTATION DEVICES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

There are a number of flotation devices and other equipment available to help you learn how to swim,
improve your swimming times if you start to get competitive, and add resistance to your water workouts
to build muscular strength and tone. Flotation devices help keep you afloat so that you can slow down
and work on your swim stroke without sinking or causing too much fatigue, and they help with
confidence for individuals who don't know how to swim. Read on to learn more about floatation
devices.

KICKBOARDS

Kickboards are devices made of foam or other materials that float, and they come in a variety of shapes
and sizes. The main purpose is for you to hold on and stay afloat while your legs do all the work. It's
good exercise for coordinating your kicking, and it gives your arms a rest. One technique that I suggest
to swimmers who want to keep swimming continuously without a break is to leave a kickboard at the
end of the pool, and when they get tired, grab the kickboard and do a lap or two with it until they get
their arm strength back, and then drop the kickboard off at the end of the pool and swim again until they
need the kickboard again. Many pools have kickboards available to try out.

PULL BUOYS

Like kickboards, pull buoys are flotation devices that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but unlike a
kickboard, which gives the upper body a rest, pull buoys are placed between the legs to keep the legs
afloat without kicking so that you can work your upper body. Pull buoys are excellent training devices
for building upper-body strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness. They can also help you work
on your form because you can swim slowly and deliberately without sinking.
FINS

Fins fit on your feet and add propulsion to your kicks (think of a duck's webfoot). They are great
training for your legs and will help you swim faster. They come in long fins for beginners who want to
work on their stroke and build up leg strength and ankle flexibility and short fins to help you go faster
without overworking your legs. Fins should fit snugly but not so tight that they cut into your foot or cut
off circulation. Wear socks with your fins if that feels more comfortable.

HAND PADDLES

Hand paddles attach to your hands and add propulsion to your arm stroke because they move more
water. They can be a lot of work for the arms and shoulders because of the resistance in the water, and
for this reason, they are used in water aerobic classes to mimic the resistance exercises that you do on
land with dumbbells (for example, biceps curls). Hand paddles make a water workout difficult, and so
you should warm up in the water without them first, and then build up slowly like you would with any
resistance exercise workout so that you don't overwork your arms and shoulder joints.

GLOVES

Gloves, like hand paddles, also add resistance for your arms, although they are smaller than paddles and
so the resistance is lighter. These might be a better choice than paddles if you're just starting out with
resistance exercises in the water.

WATER DUMBBELLS

Some manufacturers produce dumbbells made of foam for use in the water. They add resistance like
paddles or gloves, but you can release them quickly after a set and then grab them again when you're
ready. Water creates lots of resistance, and so water dumbbells will make you stronger if you use them
consistently. They're fun!

NOODLE

A noodle is a flexible, tube-shaped flotation device that you can wrap under your arms or around your
waist to keep you buoyant so that you can keep moving in the water (kids love to play with them). The
advantage of being able to keep moving is that you can work on your stroke without fatigue and
increase your strength and endurance.
AQUA JOGGER

Aqua jogger is a flotation device that you wear like a belt. Like a noodle, it permits you to keep on
moving without fatigue, so that you can work on your stroke as well as your strength and aerobic
fitness, but it's more heavy-duty than a noodle and will accommodate heavier people and create more
resistance. Aqua joggers also allow you to participate in water aerobic classes and water running
without having to know how to swim or break frequently.

WATER TREADMILL

Did you read that right? Yep, water treadmill. There are two types. One is a device that you install in
your pool that works with a propeller to create a current of water that you swim in place against (okay,
it's not really a treadmill, but you do swim in place). This type is a great training aid and is also used for
rehabilitation, but it is very expensive, depending on the model and whether you have it installed when
your pool is being built or in an existing pool. The other type is a treadmill that is designed for use in
water. You walk on it just like any land-based treadmill, only there is less strain on your joints because
of the water. This type of treadmill is frequently used in rehabilitation. See the resources section or
search online for "water treadmill" to learn more.
There is one other option for swimming in place, and it's inexpensive. Swim stretch cords attach to the
side of a pool and to your body so you can swim without going anywhere, or they come with a drag belt
(sort of like a mini-parachute) that catches water as you swim and drag it behind you. Both are fine
options for getting a great workout.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING?

There are plenty of reasons to swim! Here's a list that should get you motivated.

LOW IMPACT

There's no ground impact when you swim, and so you protect the joints from stress and strain. In fact,
the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, so much
so that they sponsor water classes all over the country (check http://www.arthritis.org for information).
Water aerobics classes are also desirable for this reason, because even if you do jump and hit the bottom
of the pool, you do so with less force because you're buoyant in the water. Not only that, but if you wear
or hold a flotation device during a water aerobics class, the impact is even less.

BUILDS MUSCLE MASS

In a study of men who completed an eight-week swimming program, there was a 23.8% increase in the
triceps muscle (the back of the arm). My take on muscle mass and swimming is that if you have been
doing no resistance exercise at all and you start to swim, you will certainly get more toned and you may
even gain mass like the men in this study. But even without the gain in mass, it's well worth the strength
and tone that you will almost certainly gain.
BURNS CALORIES

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you
swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more
body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original
research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned
about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the
same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only
3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is
dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than
running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to
running at light intensity.
JOVELYN VELASQUEZ
ABM-2

INTRODUCTION TO SWIMMING

Swimming is an activity that burns lots of calories, is easy on the joints, supports your weight,
builds muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and
refreshes you in summer, and is one that you can do safely into old age. In this article, I'll review the
history of swimming, the benefits, the strokes, how to get started, what to wear, the equipment you
need, where to swim, and more.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF SWIMMING?

Human beings have been swimming for millennia. According to Wikipedia, Stone Age cave
drawings depict individuals swimming and there are written references in the Bible and the Greek
poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" dating back 1,500 to 2,000 years. There are even Egyptian clay
seals from 4000 BC showing four swimmers doing a version of the crawl, and the most famous
swimming drawings were apparently found in the Kebir desert and were estimated to be from around
4000 BC.
According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, literature specifically related to
swimming grew in the middle ages. It is believed that the first book devoted to swimming was
Colymbetes by Nicolas Wynman written in 1538, and a more widely recognized text, De Arte Nantandi,
was published in Latin by Everard Digby in 1587. The encyclopedia also reports that swimming was
required of knights and that Romans built bathhouses and pools in the cities they conquered to serve as
social clubs and places to exercise.
Organized swimming began in the 1800s and 1900s with the creation of swimming associations
(for example, the Amateur Swimming Association in 1886) and clubs that competed against each other.
There are reports from that era of swimming clubs in England, France, Germany, and the United States.
High-profile events also contributed to swimming's visibility. For instance, Matthew Webb swam the
English Channel in 1875.
Competitive swimming continued to grow in popularity during the 1800s and was included in the
first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis included the 50-,
100-, 220-, 440-, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 440-yard breaststroke,
and a 4x50-yard freestyle relay.
By the 20th century, swimming had become mainstream. Indoor pools were beginning to appear,
most towns with populations over 20,000 had public outdoor pools, and swimming clubs became
increasingly popular for recreation. Women participated for the first time in swimming in the Olympic
Games in Stockholm in 1912, and Johnny Weissmuller (considered by many authorities to be the
greatest swimmer of all time and who later went on to Tarzan fame in movies) became the first person
to swim 100 meters in less than one minute.
Today swimming is the second most popular exercise activity in the United States, with
approximately 360 million annual visits to recreational water venues. Swim clubs, recreation centers,
Y's, and many other facilities feature swimming pools. Many high schools and colleges have
competitive swim teams, and of course, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Millions
of Americans are swimming each year. Are you one of them? If not, the following information may
help get you started.
WHAT ARE THE SWIMMING STROKES?
Breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and crawl (freestyle) are the most popular swim strokes. The
breaststroke and butterfly are more difficult to learn than the backstroke and crawl.

Breaststroke
The breaststroke involves exquisite timing, and in fact, you can be disqualified from competition if you
miss even one stroke. The stroke involves form that causes your body to bob up and down as you glide
forward through the water. This is a difficult stroke and not one to choose if you're just learning how to
swim. The basics are that your arms pull, you breathe, you kick (arms alternate with the kick), and you
glide. Here are details.
The leg kick:
Bring the knees to chest.
Thrust the legs backward and straight.
Snap the legs together to push the water and propel you forward (frog kick).
The arm stroke:
Start with the arms overhead.
Pull on the water, and bring arms toward the chest.
Keep the hands cupped.
Return arms to starting position.
The breathing:
Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

BUTTERFLY
Like the breaststroke, this is a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners because it requires
perfect timing and a good deal of strength. During the stroke, the legs move together in a dolphin kick
(imagine a mermaid), the arms move together to push the water downward and backward, and the torso
undulates like an earthworm as the body moves forward through the water.
The leg kick:
Bend the knees slightly, and keep them together.
Make a downward thrust by straightening the knees and whipping the feet downward.
There should be two kicks for every arm stroke.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms together, and pull through the water with the hands cupped.
Face the palms outward, and press down and outward.
Swing the arms forward above the water in a sweeping motion to complete the stroke.
The breathing:
Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.

BACKSTROKE

The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl in that you use an
alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick. Two keys to a proper backstroke are that your arms move
with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to one side, and that your body rolls from side to side
so that your arms catch enough water to propel you forward.
The leg kick:
Is a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.
The breathing:
Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.
You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing is less coordinated
with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should always be out of the water.

CRAWL (FREESTYLE)

This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple flutter kick and
windmill arm motion, like the backstroke, only on your belly. The most difficult part is coordinating the
breathing since your face is in the water most of the time.
The leg kick:
It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (the should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.
Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you swim straight.
Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.
The breathing:
Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a breath.
Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because it will slow you
down.
Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when the head returns
to the water.
Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the opposite arm stroke.

THE FREESTYLE FLIP TURN (WHEN SWIMMING THE CRAWL)

There are a couple of options for turning around when you reach the wall during lap swimming. You
can simply touch the wall and turn around and start swimming again or you can do a flip turn. The flip
turn is essentially a somersault in the water where you flip and turn and use your legs to power-kick off
the wall. The flip turn, when completed properly, is fast, efficient, and time-saving. If you've ever
watched Olympic swimming, you see the swimmers gracefully execute their flip turns. Here are the
basics.
Start the somersault before reaching the wall by tucking the chin and pulling the knees into a tuck
position.
Blow out air to avoid inhaling water.
Straighten out the body-tuck halfway through the flip and extend the legs toward the wall.
You will be on your back at this point.
Push off the wall.
Roll over onto the belly and glide toward the surface of the water.
Hold the glide until you break the surface of the water, and then start stroking immediately.
The flip turn takes practice, but with consistent work, you can master it. It's worth trying if you swim
laps for exercise.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR SWIMMING?

SWIMSUIT

You'll need a swimsuit unless you plan on skinny-dipping! Like many other things, technology has
entered the swimsuit arena as well. Fabrics are designed for minimal resistance through the water, they
tend to last a long time, and they resist fading even when used repeatedly in chlorinated pools. Of
course, not all of us would be comfortable in the skimpy racing suits that you see Olympians wear, but
the good news is that you can find more modest suits at sporting goods and department stores as well as
through a number of online vendors (see the resources section). Comfort is the most important quality
in selecting a swimsuit. You're less likely to swim if you're uncomfortable in your suit.

GOGGLES
Goggles protect your eyes from chlorine (and anything else that may be in the water), and they help you
keep your eyes open while you swim so that you can see where you're going. You can even get
prescription swim goggles if you wear glasses (check with your optician for availability). To find the
right pair of goggles, do the following:
Put the goggles over your eyes without slinging the strap over your head.
Press the goggles into your eye sockets and let go.
The goggles should stay in place.
Experiment until you find the pair that fits your eyes best.

BATHING CAPS

Bathing caps can serve several purposes. Some pool managers will require individuals with long hair to
wear caps to keep hair from getting into the pool, and some people just like to protect their hair from the
chlorine in the water. You may also decide to wear a bathing cap to cut down on resistance in the water.
This really works, and so if you're looking to increase your time a bit, a bathing cap might help. Many
caps are made of latex, although you can find silicone, neoprene (keeps you warm), and Lycra as well.
Choose the one that fits your head and is most comfortable.

FLOTATION DEVICES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

There are a number of flotation devices and other equipment available to help you learn how to swim,
improve your swimming times if you start to get competitive, and add resistance to your water workouts
to build muscular strength and tone. Flotation devices help keep you afloat so that you can slow down
and work on your swim stroke without sinking or causing too much fatigue, and they help with
confidence for individuals who don't know how to swim. Read on to learn more about floatation
devices.

KICKBOARDS

Kickboards are devices made of foam or other materials that float, and they come in a variety of shapes
and sizes. The main purpose is for you to hold on and stay afloat while your legs do all the work. It's
good exercise for coordinating your kicking, and it gives your arms a rest. One technique that I suggest
to swimmers who want to keep swimming continuously without a break is to leave a kickboard at the
end of the pool, and when they get tired, grab the kickboard and do a lap or two with it until they get
their arm strength back, and then drop the kickboard off at the end of the pool and swim again until they
need the kickboard again. Many pools have kickboards available to try out.

PULL BUOYS
Like kickboards, pull buoys are flotation devices that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but unlike a
kickboard, which gives the upper body a rest, pull buoys are placed between the legs to keep the legs
afloat without kicking so that you can work your upper body. Pull buoys are excellent training devices
for building upper-body strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness. They can also help you work
on your form because you can swim slowly and deliberately without sinking.

FINS

Fins fit on your feet and add propulsion to your kicks (think of a duck's webfoot). They are great
training for your legs and will help you swim faster. They come in long fins for beginners who want to
work on their stroke and build up leg strength and ankle flexibility and short fins to help you go faster
without overworking your legs. Fins should fit snugly but not so tight that they cut into your foot or cut
off circulation. Wear socks with your fins if that feels more comfortable.

HAND PADDLES

Hand paddles attach to your hands and add propulsion to your arm stroke because they move more
water. They can be a lot of work for the arms and shoulders because of the resistance in the water, and
for this reason, they are used in water aerobic classes to mimic the resistance exercises that you do on
land with dumbbells (for example, biceps curls). Hand paddles make a water workout difficult, and so
you should warm up in the water without them first, and then build up slowly like you would with any
resistance exercise workout so that you don't overwork your arms and shoulder joints.

GLOVES

Gloves, like hand paddles, also add resistance for your arms, although they are smaller than paddles and
so the resistance is lighter. These might be a better choice than paddles if you're just starting out with
resistance exercises in the water.

WATER DUMBBELLS

Some manufacturers produce dumbbells made of foam for use in the water. They add resistance like
paddles or gloves, but you can release them quickly after a set and then grab them again when you're
ready. Water creates lots of resistance, and so water dumbbells will make you stronger if you use them
consistently. They're fun!

NOODLE
A noodle is a flexible, tube-shaped flotation device that you can wrap under your arms or around your
waist to keep you buoyant so that you can keep moving in the water (kids love to play with them). The
advantage of being able to keep moving is that you can work on your stroke without fatigue and
increase your strength and endurance.

AQUA JOGGER

Aqua jogger is a flotation device that you wear like a belt. Like a noodle, it permits you to keep on
moving without fatigue, so that you can work on your stroke as well as your strength and aerobic
fitness, but it's more heavy-duty than a noodle and will accommodate heavier people and create more
resistance. Aqua joggers also allow you to participate in water aerobic classes and water running
without having to know how to swim or break frequently.

WATER TREADMILL

Did you read that right? Yep, water treadmill. There are two types. One is a device that you install in
your pool that works with a propeller to create a current of water that you swim in place against (okay,
it's not really a treadmill, but you do swim in place). This type is a great training aid and is also used for
rehabilitation, but it is very expensive, depending on the model and whether you have it installed when
your pool is being built or in an existing pool. The other type is a treadmill that is designed for use in
water. You walk on it just like any land-based treadmill, only there is less strain on your joints because
of the water. This type of treadmill is frequently used in rehabilitation. See the resources section or
search online for "water treadmill" to learn more.
There is one other option for swimming in place, and it's inexpensive. Swim stretch cords attach to the
side of a pool and to your body so you can swim without going anywhere, or they come with a drag belt
(sort of like a mini-parachute) that catches water as you swim and drag it behind you. Both are fine
options for getting a great workout.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING?

There are plenty of reasons to swim! Here's a list that should get you motivated.

LOW IMPACT

There's no ground impact when you swim, and so you protect the joints from stress and strain. In fact,
the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, so much
so that they sponsor water classes all over the country (check http://www.arthritis.org for information).
Water aerobics classes are also desirable for this reason, because even if you do jump and hit the bottom
of the pool, you do so with less force because you're buoyant in the water. Not only that, but if you wear
or hold a flotation device during a water aerobics class, the impact is even less.

BUILDS MUSCLE MASS

In a study of men who completed an eight-week swimming program, there was a 23.8% increase in the
triceps muscle (the back of the arm). My take on muscle mass and swimming is that if you have been
doing no resistance exercise at all and you start to swim, you will certainly get more toned and you may
even gain mass like the men in this study. But even without the gain in mass, it's well worth the strength
and tone that you will almost certainly gain.
BURNS CALORIES

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you
swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more
body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original
research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned
about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the
same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only
3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is
dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than
running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to
running at light intensity.

HOW DO I GET STARTED WITH SWIMMING?

Take a lesson if you don't know how to swim! It's never too late to learn. Your local recreation center,
Y, fitness center, or senior center might have a pool, and if they do, chances are they offer swim lessons
(plus, if it's indoors, you can swim all year long!). You may have the choice of group or private lessons.
Opt for a private lesson if you have a strong fear of the water and feel you need special attention,
otherwise a group lesson will work just fine.
A qualified swim instructor will have some type of certification (for example, the American Red Cross-
certified lifeguard and swim instructor) and will be willing to speak with you before you get started to
explain how things work. Adults generally need one hour for beginning sessions, but that may vary
based on your health and fitness level (children younger than 6 years of age need 15-30 minutes and 6-
to 12-year-olds need 30-45 minutes). The instructor should use kickboards, float belts, or other flotation
devices to assist you if necessary, and they should be sensitive to any fear of the water you might have.
When you first start, you should expect to learn breathing and stroke techniques separately, and then the
instructor will integrate your lessons as you get more comfortable and skilled. You might start in the
shallow end where you can stand and work on breathing techniques, by the side of the pool and hold on
while you kick, or perhaps hold on to a kickboard and kick across the pool to work on kicking strokes.
Depending on your skill and comfort in the water, you might move quickly to a float belt or other
flotation device and start working on your arm strokes and coordinating them with kicking. Your
instructor will know how quickly to progress.
 SIWMMING

Swimming, in recreation and sports, the propulsion of the body through water by combined arm and leg
motions and the natural flotation of the body. Swimming as an exercise is popular as an all-around body
developer and is particularly useful in therapy and as exercise for physically handicapped persons. It is
also taught for lifesaving purposes. For activities that involve swimming, see also diving, lifesaving,
surfing, synchronized swimming, underwater diving, and water polo.

History

Archaeological and other evidence shows swimming to have been practiced as early as 2500 bce in
Egypt and thereafter in Assyrian, Greek, and Roman civilizations. In Greece and Rome swimming was
a part of martial training and was, with the alphabet, also part of elementary education for males. In the
Orient swimming dates back at least to the 1st century bce, there being some evidence of swimming
races then in Japan. By the 17th century an imperial edict had made the teaching of swimming
compulsory in the schools. Organized swimming events were held in the 19th century before Japan was
opened to the Western world. Among the preliterate maritime peoples of the Pacific, swimming was
evidently learned by children about the time they walked, or even before. Among the ancient Greeks
there is note of occasional races, and a famous boxer swam as part of his training. The Romans built
swimming pools, distinct from their baths. In the 1st century bce the Roman Gaius Maecenas is said to
have built the first heated swimming pool.

The lack of swimming in Europe during the Middle Ages is explained by some authorities as having
been caused by a fear that swimming spread infection and caused epidemics. There is some evidence of
swimming at seashore resorts of Great Britain in the late 17th century, evidently in conjunction with
water therapy. Not until the 19th century, however, did the popularity of swimming as both recreation
and sport begin in earnest. When the first swimming organization was formed there in 1837, London
had six indoor pools with diving boards. The first swimming championship was a 440-yard (400-metre)
race, held in Australia in 1846 and annually thereafter. The Metropolitan Swimming Clubs of London,
founded in 1869, ultimately became the Amateur Swimming Association, the governing body of British
amateur swimming. National swimming federations were formed in several European countries from
1882 to 1889. In the United States swimming was first nationally organized as a sport by the Amateur
Athletic Union (AAU) on its founding in 1888. The Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur
(FINA) was founded in 1909

Strokes
The earliest strokes to be used were the sidestroke and the breaststroke. The sidestroke was originally
used with both arms submerged. That practice was modified toward the end of the 19th century by
bringing forward first one arm above the water, then the other, and then each in turn. The sidestroke was
supplanted in competitive swimming by the crawl (see below) but is still used in lifesaving and
recreational swimming. The body stays on its side and the arms propel alternately. The leg motion used
in sidestroke is called the scissors kick, in which the legs open slowly, under leg backward, upper leg
forward, both knees slightly bent, and toes pointed. The scissoring action of the legs coming smartly
together after opening creates the forward propulsion of the kick.

The breaststroke is believed to be the oldest of strokes and is much used in lifesaving and recreational
swimming as well as in competitive swimming. The stroke is especially effective in rough water. As
early as the end of the 17th century, the stroke was described as consisting of a wide pull of the arms
combined with a symmetrical action of the legs and simulating the movement of a swimming frog,
hence the usual term frog kick. The stroke is performed lying face down in the water, the arms always
remaining underwater. The early breaststroke featured a momentary glide at the completion of the frog
kick. Later the competitive breaststroke eliminated the glide. In the old breaststroke, breath was taken in
at the beginning of the arm stroke, but in the later style, breath was taken in near the end of the arm pull.

The butterfly stroke, used only in competition, differs from the breaststroke in arm action. In the
butterfly the arms are brought forward above the water. The stroke was brought to the attention of U.S.
officials in 1933 during a race involving Henry Myers, who used the stroke. He insisted that his stroke
conformed to the rules of breaststroke as then defined. After a period of controversy, the butterfly was
recognized as a distinct competitive stroke in 1953. The frog kick originally used was abandoned for a
fishtail (dolphin) kick, depending only on up-and-down movement of the legs. Later swimmers used
two dolphin kicks to one arm pull. Breathing is done in sprint competition by raising the head every
second or third stroke.

The backstroke began to develop early in the 20th century. In that stroke, the swimmer’s body position
is supine, the body being held as flat and streamlined as possible. The arms reach alternately above the
head and enter the water directly in line with the shoulders, palm outward with the little finger entering
the water first. The arm is pulled back to the thigh. There is a slight body roll. The kick was originally
the frog kick, but it subsequently involved up-and-down leg movements as in the crawl. The backstroke
is a competition stroke, but it is also used in recreational swimming as a rest from other strokes,
frequently with minimum arm motion and only enough kick to maintain forward motion.

The crawl, the stroke used in competitive freestyle swimming, has become the fastest of all strokes. It is
also the almost unanimous choice of stroke for covering any considerable distance. The stroke was in
use in the Pacific at the end of the 19th century and was taken up by the Australian swimmer Henry
Wickham about 1893. The brothers Syd and Charles Cavill of Australia popularized the stroke in
Europe in 1902 and in the United States in 1903. The crawl was like the old sidestroke in its arm action,
but it had a fluttering up-and-down leg action performed twice for each arm stroke. Early American
imitators added an extra pair of leg actions, and later as many as six kicks were used. The kicks also
varied in kind. In the crawl, the body lies prone, flat on the surface of the water, with the legs kept
slightly under the water. The arms move alternately, timed so that one will start pulling just before the
other has finished its pull, thus making propulsion continuous. Breathing is done by turning the head to
either side during recovery of the arm from that side. Since 1896 the crawl has been used in more races
than any other stroke.

Distance swimming
Any swimming competition longer than 1,500 metres (1,640 yards) is considered distance swimming.
Most long-distance races are in the 24- to 59-km (15- to 37-mile) range, though some, such as the Lake
George marathon (67 km [41.5 miles]) and the Lake Michigan Endurance Swim (80 km [50 miles]),
both in the United States, have been longer. FINA governs distance swimming for 5-km, 10-km, and
25-km (3.1-mile, 6.2-mile, and 15.5-mile) races. In 1954 a group of amateur and professional marathon
swimmers formed the Fédération Internationale de Natation Longue Distance; and in 1963, after
dissension between amateur and professional swimmers, the World Professional Marathon Swimming
Federation was founded. Throughout the 1960s the latter group sanctioned about eight professional
marathons annually, the countries most frequently involved being Canada, Egypt, Italy, Argentina, and
the United States. The British Long Distance Swimming Association has sponsored races on inland
waters of from 16.5 to 35.4 km (10.25 to 22 miles).

The first type of distance swimming to be regulated by FINA was English Channel swimming, which
captured the popular imagination in the second half of the 19th century. Captain Matthew Webb of
Great Britain was the first to make the crossing from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 1875; his
time was 21 hours 45 minutes. The map distance was 17.75 nautical miles (33 km), but the actual
distance of a Channel Swim is frequently lengthened by tides and winds. No one matched Webb’s feat
until 1911, when another Englishman, T.W. Burgess, made the crossing. In 1926 the American
swimmer Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the Channel, crossing from Cap Gris-Nez,
France, to Dover in a record-setting time for man or woman of 14 hours 31 minutes. Since then, except
for the World War II years, crossing swims have been made annually. Several swimmers have made 10
or more crossings. The Channel Swimming Association was formed in 1927 to control swims and
verify times. By 1978 the record had been lowered to 7 hours 40 minutes by Penny Dean of the United
States, and by the 1990s successful crossings had been made by swimmers as young as 12 and as old as
65. Various swimmers had crossed both ways with only brief rests between the swims. Open-water
distance swimming events of 10 km (for men and women) were added to the Olympic program in 2008.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING?

There are plenty of reasons to swim! Here's a list that should get you motivated.

LOW IMPACT
 There's no ground impact when you swim, and so you protect the joints from stress and strain. In
fact, the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, so
much so that they sponsor water classes all over the country (check http://www.arthritis.org for
information). Water aerobics classes are also desirable for this reason, because even if you do jump and
hit the bottom of the pool, you do so with less force because you're buoyant in the water. Not only that,
but if you wear or hold a flotation device during a water aerobics class, the impact is even less.

BUILDS MUSCLE MASS

In a study of men who completed an eight-week swimming program, there was a 23.8% increase
in the triceps muscle (the back of the arm). My take on muscle mass and swimming is that if you have
been doing no resistance exercise at all and you start to swim, you will certainly get more toned and you
may even gain mass like the men in this study. But even without the gain in mass, it's well worth the
strength and tone that you will almost certainly gain.

BURNS CALORIES

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently
you swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more
body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original
research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned
about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the
same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only
3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is
dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than
running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to
running at light intensity.
 INTRODUCTION TO SWIMMING

Swimming is an activity that burns lots of calories, is easy on the joints, supports your weight,
builds muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and
refreshes you in summer, and is one that you can do safely into old age. In this article, I'll review the
history of swimming, the benefits, the strokes, how to get started, what to wear, the equipment you
need, where to swim, and more.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF SWIMMING?

Human beings have been swimming for millennia. According to Wikipedia, Stone Age cave
drawings depict individuals swimming and there are written references in the Bible and the Greek
poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" dating back 1,500 to 2,000 years. There are even Egyptian clay
seals from 4000 BC showing four swimmers doing a version of the crawl, and the most famous
swimming drawings were apparently found in the Kebir desert and were estimated to be from around
4000 BC.
According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, literature specifically related to
swimming grew in the middle ages. It is believed that the first book devoted to swimming was
Colymbetes by Nicolas Wynman written in 1538, and a more widely recognized text, De Arte Nantandi,
was published in Latin by Everard Digby in 1587. The encyclopedia also reports that swimming was
required of knights and that Romans built bathhouses and pools in the cities they conquered to serve as
social clubs and places to exercise.
Organized swimming began in the 1800s and 1900s with the creation of swimming associations
(for example, the Amateur Swimming Association in 1886) and clubs that competed against each other.
There are reports from that era of swimming clubs in England, France, Germany, and the United States.
High-profile events also contributed to swimming's visibility. For instance, Matthew Webb swam the
English Channel in 1875.
Competitive swimming continued to grow in popularity during the 1800s and was included in the
first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis included the 50-,
100-, 220-, 440-, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 440-yard breaststroke,
and a 4x50-yard freestyle relay.
By the 20th century, swimming had become mainstream. Indoor pools were beginning to appear,
most towns with populations over 20,000 had public outdoor pools, and swimming clubs became
increasingly popular for recreation. Women participated for the first time in swimming in the Olympic
Games in Stockholm in 1912, and Johnny Weissmuller (considered by many authorities to be the
greatest swimmer of all time and who later went on to Tarzan fame in movies) became the first person
to swim 100 meters in less than one minute.
Today swimming is the second most popular exercise activity in the United States, with
approximately 360 million annual visits to recreational water venues. Swim clubs, recreation centers,
Y's, and many other facilities feature swimming pools. Many high schools and colleges have
competitive swim teams, and of course, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Millions
of Americans are swimming each year. Are you one of them? If not, the following information may
help get you started.
WHAT ARE THE SWIMMING STROKES?
Breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and crawl (freestyle) are the most popular swim strokes. The
breaststroke and butterfly are more difficult to learn than the backstroke and crawl.

Breaststroke
The breaststroke involves exquisite timing, and in fact, you can be disqualified from competition if you
miss even one stroke. The stroke involves form that causes your body to bob up and down as you glide
forward through the water. This is a difficult stroke and not one to choose if you're just learning how to
swim. The basics are that your arms pull, you breathe, you kick (arms alternate with the kick), and you
glide. Here are details.
The leg kick:
Bring the knees to chest.
Thrust the legs backward and straight.
Snap the legs together to push the water and propel you forward (frog kick).
The arm stroke:
Start with the arms overhead.
Pull on the water, and bring arms toward the chest.
Keep the hands cupped.
Return arms to starting position.
The breathing:
Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

BUTTERFLY
Like the breaststroke, this is a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners because it requires
perfect timing and a good deal of strength. During the stroke, the legs move together in a dolphin kick
(imagine a mermaid), the arms move together to push the water downward and backward, and the torso
undulates like an earthworm as the body moves forward through the water.
The leg kick:
Bend the knees slightly, and keep them together.
Make a downward thrust by straightening the knees and whipping the feet downward.
There should be two kicks for every arm stroke.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms together, and pull through the water with the hands cupped.
Face the palms outward, and press down and outward.
Swing the arms forward above the water in a sweeping motion to complete the stroke.
The breathing:
Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.
 BACKSTROKE

The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl in that you use an
alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick. Two keys to a proper backstroke are that your arms move
with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to one side, and that your body rolls from side to side
so that your arms catch enough water to propel you forward.
The leg kick:
Is a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.
The breathing:
Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.
You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing is less coordinated
with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should always be out of the water.

CRAWL (FREESTYLE)

This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn. It is a simple flutter kick and
windmill arm motion, like the backstroke, only on your belly. The most difficult part is coordinating the
breathing since your face is in the water most of the time.
The leg kick:
It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (the should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.
The arm stroke:
Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.
Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you swim straight.
Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.
The breathing:
Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a breath.
Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because it will slow you
down.
Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when the head returns
to the water.
Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the opposite arm stroke.

THE FREESTYLE FLIP TURN (WHEN SWIMMING THE CRAWL)

There are a couple of options for turning around when you reach the wall during lap swimming. You
can simply touch the wall and turn around and start swimming again or you can do a flip turn. The flip
turn is essentially a somersault in the water where you flip and turn and use your legs to power-kick off
the wall. The flip turn, when completed properly, is fast, efficient, and time-saving. If you've ever
watched Olympic swimming, you see the swimmers gracefully execute their flip turns. Here are the
basics.
Start the somersault before reaching the wall by tucking the chin and pulling the knees into a tuck
position.
Blow out air to avoid inhaling water.
Straighten out the body-tuck halfway through the flip and extend the legs toward the wall.
You will be on your back at this point.
Push off the wall.
Roll over onto the belly and glide toward the surface of the water.
Hold the glide until you break the surface of the water, and then start stroking immediately.
The flip turn takes practice, but with consistent work, you can master it. It's worth trying if you swim
laps for exercise.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR SWIMMING?

SWIMSUIT

You'll need a swimsuit unless you plan on skinny-dipping! Like many other things, technology has
entered the swimsuit arena as well. Fabrics are designed for minimal resistance through the water, they
tend to last a long time, and they resist fading even when used repeatedly in chlorinated pools. Of
course, not all of us would be comfortable in the skimpy racing suits that you see Olympians wear, but
the good news is that you can find more modest suits at sporting goods and department stores as well as
through a number of online vendors (see the resources section). Comfort is the most important quality
in selecting a swimsuit. You're less likely to swim if you're uncomfortable in your suit.

GOGGLES
Goggles protect your eyes from chlorine (and anything else that may be in the water), and they help you
keep your eyes open while you swim so that you can see where you're going. You can even get
prescription swim goggles if you wear glasses (check with your optician for availability). To find the
right pair of goggles, do the following:
Put the goggles over your eyes without slinging the strap over your head.
Press the goggles into your eye sockets and let go.
The goggles should stay in place.
Experiment until you find the pair that fits your eyes best.

BATHING CAPS

Bathing caps can serve several purposes. Some pool managers will require individuals with long hair to
wear caps to keep hair from getting into the pool, and some people just like to protect their hair from the
chlorine in the water. You may also decide to wear a bathing cap to cut down on resistance in the water.
This really works, and so if you're looking to increase your time a bit, a bathing cap might help. Many
caps are made of latex, although you can find silicone, neoprene (keeps you warm), and Lycra as well.
Choose the one that fits your head and is most comfortable.

FLOTATION DEVICES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

There are a number of flotation devices and other equipment available to help you learn how to swim,
improve your swimming times if you start to get competitive, and add resistance to your water workouts
to build muscular strength and tone. Flotation devices help keep you afloat so that you can slow down
and work on your swim stroke without sinking or causing too much fatigue, and they help with
confidence for individuals who don't know how to swim. Read on to learn more about floatation
devices.

KICKBOARDS

Kickboards are devices made of foam or other materials that float, and they come in a variety of shapes
and sizes. The main purpose is for you to hold on and stay afloat while your legs do all the work. It's
good exercise for coordinating your kicking, and it gives your arms a rest. One technique that I suggest
to swimmers who want to keep swimming continuously without a break is to leave a kickboard at the
end of the pool, and when they get tired, grab the kickboard and do a lap or two with it until they get
their arm strength back, and then drop the kickboard off at the end of the pool and swim again until they
need the kickboard again. Many pools have kickboards available to try out.

PULL BUOYS

Like kickboards, pull buoys are flotation devices that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but unlike a
kickboard, which gives the upper body a rest, pull buoys are placed between the legs to keep the legs
afloat without kicking so that you can work your upper body. Pull buoys are excellent training devices
for building upper-body strength, endurance, and cardiorespiratory fitness. They can also help you work
on your form because you can swim slowly and deliberately without sinking.

FINS

Fins fit on your feet and add propulsion to your kicks (think of a duck's webfoot). They are great
training for your legs and will help you swim faster. They come in long fins for beginners who want to
work on their stroke and build up leg strength and ankle flexibility and short fins to help you go faster
without overworking your legs. Fins should fit snugly but not so tight that they cut into your foot or cut
off circulation. Wear socks with your fins if that feels more comfortable.

HAND PADDLES

Hand paddles attach to your hands and add propulsion to your arm stroke because they move more
water. They can be a lot of work for the arms and shoulders because of the resistance in the water, and
for this reason, they are used in water aerobic classes to mimic the resistance exercises that you do on
land with dumbbells (for example, biceps curls). Hand paddles make a water workout difficult, and so
you should warm up in the water without them first, and then build up slowly like you would with any
resistance exercise workout so that you don't overwork your arms and shoulder joints.

GLOVES

Gloves, like hand paddles, also add resistance for your arms, although they are smaller than paddles and
so the resistance is lighter. These might be a better choice than paddles if you're just starting out with
resistance exercises in the water.

WATER DUMBBELLS

Some manufacturers produce dumbbells made of foam for use in the water. They add resistance like
paddles or gloves, but you can release them quickly after a set and then grab them again when you're
ready. Water creates lots of resistance, and so water dumbbells will make you stronger if you use them
consistently. They're fun!

NOODLE

A noodle is a flexible, tube-shaped flotation device that you can wrap under your arms or around your
waist to keep you buoyant so that you can keep moving in the water (kids love to play with them). The
advantage of being able to keep moving is that you can work on your stroke without fatigue and
increase your strength and endurance.

AQUA JOGGER

Aqua jogger is a flotation device that you wear like a belt. Like a noodle, it permits you to keep on
moving without fatigue, so that you can work on your stroke as well as your strength and aerobic
fitness, but it's more heavy-duty than a noodle and will accommodate heavier people and create more
resistance. Aqua joggers also allow you to participate in water aerobic classes and water running
without having to know how to swim or break frequently.

WATER TREADMILL

Did you read that right? Yep, water treadmill. There are two types. One is a device that you install in
your pool that works with a propeller to create a current of water that you swim in place against (okay,
it's not really a treadmill, but you do swim in place). This type is a great training aid and is also used for
rehabilitation, but it is very expensive, depending on the model and whether you have it installed when
your pool is being built or in an existing pool. The other type is a treadmill that is designed for use in
water. You walk on it just like any land-based treadmill, only there is less strain on your joints because
of the water. This type of treadmill is frequently used in rehabilitation. See the resources section or
search online for "water treadmill" to learn more.
There is one other option for swimming in place, and it's inexpensive. Swim stretch cords attach to the
side of a pool and to your body so you can swim without going anywhere, or they come with a drag belt
(sort of like a mini-parachute) that catches water as you swim and drag it behind you. Both are fine
options for getting a great workout.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING?

There are plenty of reasons to swim! Here's a list that should get you motivated.

LOW IMPACT

There's no ground impact when you swim, and so you protect the joints from stress and strain. In fact,
the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends swimming and water activities for this reason, so much
so that they sponsor water classes all over the country (check http://www.arthritis.org for information).
Water aerobics classes are also desirable for this reason, because even if you do jump and hit the bottom
of the pool, you do so with less force because you're buoyant in the water. Not only that, but if you wear
or hold a flotation device during a water aerobics class, the impact is even less.

BUILDS MUSCLE MASS

In a study of men who completed an eight-week swimming program, there was a 23.8% increase in the
triceps muscle (the back of the arm). My take on muscle mass and swimming is that if you have been
doing no resistance exercise at all and you start to swim, you will certainly get more toned and you may
even gain mass like the men in this study. But even without the gain in mass, it's well worth the strength
and tone that you will almost certainly gain.
BURNS CALORIES

Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you
swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more
body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original
research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned
about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the
same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only
3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is
dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than
running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to
running at light intensity.

HOW DO I GET STARTED WITH SWIMMING?

Take a lesson if you don't know how to swim! It's never too late to learn. Your local recreation center,
Y, fitness center, or senior center might have a pool, and if they do, chances are they offer swim lessons
(plus, if it's indoors, you can swim all year long!). You may have the choice of group or private lessons.
Opt for a private lesson if you have a strong fear of the water and feel you need special attention,
otherwise a group lesson will work just fine.
A qualified swim instructor will have some type of certification (for example, the American Red Cross-
certified lifeguard and swim instructor) and will be willing to speak with you before you get started to
explain how things work. Adults generally need one hour for beginning sessions, but that may vary
based on your health and fitness level (children younger than 6 years of age need 15-30 minutes and 6-
to 12-year-olds need 30-45 minutes). The instructor should use kickboards, float belts, or other flotation
devices to assist you if necessary, and they should be sensitive to any fear of the water you might have.
When you first start, you should expect to learn breathing and stroke techniques separately, and then the
instructor will integrate your lessons as you get more comfortable and skilled. You might start in the
shallow end where you can stand and work on breathing techniques, by the side of the pool and hold on
while you kick, or perhaps hold on to a kickboard and kick across the pool to work on kicking strokes.
Depending on your skill and comfort in the water, you might move quickly to a float belt or other
flotation device and start working on your arm strokes and coordinating them with kicking. Your
instructor will know how quickly to progress.
Clarisse D. Quinto

XII- ABM 4

AQUATIC/SWIMMING

Swimming is a movement through water using one’s limbs and usually without artificial apparatus. Swimming is an
activity that can be both useful and recreational.

History
Swimming has been known since prehistoric times; the earliest records of swimming date back to Stone Age
paintings from around 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the earliest references include the
Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and other sagas.

In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a German professor of languages, wrote the first swimming book, The Swimmer or
A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming.

Competitive swimming in Europe started around 1800, mostly using breaststroke. In 1873 John Arthur Trudgen
introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native Americans. Due
to a British disregard for splashing, Trudgen employed a scissor kick instead of the front crawl's flutter kick. Swimming was
part of the first modern Olympic games (1896 in Athens). In 1902 Richard Cavill introduced the front crawl to the Western
world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Butterfly was
developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952.

As occupation
Some occupations require the workers to swim. For example, abalone- or pearl-divers swim and dive to obtain an
economic benefit, as do spear fishermen.

Swimming is used to rescue other swimmers in distress. In the USA, most cities and states have trained lifeguards, such
as the Los Angeles City Lifeguards, deployed at pools and beaches. There are a number of specialized swimming styles
especially for rescue purposes (see List of swimming styles). Such techniques are studied by lifeguards or members of the
Coast Guard. The training for these techniques has also evolved into competitions such as surf lifesaving.

Swimming is also used in marine biology to observe plants and animals in their natural habitat. Other sciences use
swimming, for example Konrad Lorenz swam with geese as part of his studies of animal behavior.

Swimming also has military purposes. Military swimming is usually done by special forces, such as Navy SEALS.
Swimming is used to approach a location, gather intelligence, sabotage or combat, and to depart a location. This may also
include airborne insertion into water or exiting a submarine while it is submerged. Due to regular exposure to large bodies
of water, all recruits in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are required to complete basic swimming or
water survival training.
Swimming is also a professional sport. Companies sponsor swimmers who are at the international level. Cash awards are
also given at many of the major competitions for breaking records.

Professional swimmers may also earn a living as entertainers, performing in water ballets.

Styles
A style is also known as a stroke. "Stroke" can also refer to a single completion of the sequence of body movements
repeated while swimming in the given style.

Several swimming styles are suitable for recreational swimming; many recreational swimmers prefer a style that keeps
their head out of the water and has an underwater arm recovery. Breaststroke, side stroke, head up front crawl and dog
paddle are the most common strokes utilized in recreational swimming. The out-of-water arm recovery of freestyle or
butterfly gives rise to better exploitation of the difference in resistance between air and water and thus leads to higher
speed.

It is possible to swim by moving only legs without arms or only arms without legs. Such strokes may be used for special
purposes, for training or exercise, or by amputees and paralytics.

Advantages of swimming
The organization inure. Located faster and better able to adapt to environmental changes even when they are extreme,
while not facing the risk of any damage to health.
The functioning of the heart and circulatory affected positively. The increase in metabolism, stress and resistance of water
during bathing have a significant effect on the heart and circulatory system ... we are good!
It increases the functional capacity of respiratory muscles. Swimming is directly linked to adequate and regular supply of
oxygen. Good breathing technique strengthens the respiratory muscles.
Combat weaknesses and faults in posture. Due to the buoyancy maintain proper posture and overall anchorage
mechanism, ligaments and joints are not charged at all.
Simultaneously exercise all muscles of the body heavily. It is one of the few forms of exercise while participating in almost
the same percentage of all the muscles for work.
Exercising in water causes euphoria and makes placing and exploding hormones responsible for the good will and euphoria
of the organization.

A very competitive sport

Swimming is mostly an individual sport, there is no team involved in it as there is in football.

Swimmers compete as individuals in competitions, and their fate relieson their own hands, not the coach,not the “team”
mates but their own.

The aquatic sport of swimming involves competition amongst participants to be the fastest over a given distance under self
propulsion.

The different events include 50, 100, and 200 yards/meters in breaststroke,freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, the
'50', '100', '200', '400', '800' and '1500' free, and the '100', '200', and '400' Individual Medley,also known as the 'IM',
which consists of all strokes in equal proportion, starting with butterfly then backstroke, breaststroke, and then freestyle.

There are also medley relays, which combine strokes swum by four relay partners leading off with Backstroke, then
Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle. In this, swimmers only swim one stroke, such as 100 yards (American) or meters of
butterfly, while other swimmers take the other strokes. Medley relays are swum up to 400 meters, freestyle relays up to
800 meters, with each participant swimming an equal "leg" from the racing blocks.

Regulation swimming pools are either 25 or 50 meters or yards across. Racing or training from one side to the other
is known as a lap (one way), so a coach may say four laps in place of 100 yards/ or 200 meters. Typical public pools, school
pools, and regulation private pools tend to be 25 meters/yards long and Olympic competition is always in fifty meter pools.

Swimming has been part of the modern Olympic Games since inception in 1896. Along with the other aquatic
disciplines of diving synchronised swimming and water polo, the sport is governed internationally by the Fédératio
Internationale de Natation (FINA), and each country has its own National Governing Body(NGB) such as United States
Swimming.