Freestyle is probably the most well-known of the swimming strokes. Here is what you need to know about performing this stroke and its benefits:. Freestyle is also known as the front crawl. When swimming this stroke, your body will be in a prone position on your stomach and face toward the water. Both your arms and legs will pull you through the water, while your torso remains stable. Your arms will move in an alternating fashion.
One arm will arc up out of the water while the other is on the downswing, close to your torso in the water. Each arm will reenter the water at an angle, fingers held straight and together, to minimize resistance. While your arms pull you forward through the water, your legs will be hard at work too.
You will use the flutter kick to complete the freestyle stroke technique. The flutter kick is achieved by constantly moving your legs in a tight, scissor-like movement beneath the water. Your knees will bend slightly, but your legs will remain relatively parallel to the surface beneath you at all times. You can adjust the number of kicks per complete cycle of arm movement depending on how quickly you want to swim.
Your legs are an important part of freestyle, but keep in mind that they provide just about 10 percent propulsion in the bodies of practiced swimmers. Freestyle often looks intimidating to inexperienced swimmers because it requires you to put your face in the water. Once you get used to putting your face in the water, adding breathing to the freestyle cycles is relatively easy.
As one arm swings up and out of the water, you simply turn your face to the side and take a breath. As the arm comes down, lower your face back into the water.
Some swimmers alternate sides when it comes to breathing while others stick to one side. You can burn hundreds of calories with just a half an hour of swimming freestyle. What are the biggest benefits of this stroke? Freestyle, favored by long-distance swimmers, is considered the most efficient stroke.
Freestyle takes you farther than other strokes w ithout expending more energy. If you like to set your swimming workouts to a lap count, this will help you reach your goal faster. Freestyle also gives you a full body workout. It works the muscles in your arms, legs, core and back. If you are looking for a particular swimming stroke to tone your back muscles, freestyle is definitely the way to go.
While freestyle has multiple benefits, keep in mind that this stroke can be more difficult to master than other options, such as breaststroke. The best swimming stroke is a matter of opinion. If you are new to swimming, breaststroke might be the easiest place to start. Breakstroke is also a good option for anyone looking for a slower alternative to freestyle. Here is what you need to know about breaststroke technique and benefits:. Like freestyle, breaststroke involves separate movements for your arms and legs.
Your body is in the same horizontal position as it is during freestyle, but you will use different motions to propel yourself through the water. Your arms will together at the same time in a half-circular motion underneath the water. Your arms, bent at the elbow, will sweep apart and then together again toward your chest, remaining underwater the entire time you swim this stroke. As your arms move in this rhythm, your legs will be busily pushing you forward with a technique known as the whip kick or the frog kick.
When executing this kick, your legs should be behind you approximately hip-distance apart. With your knees bent and your feet flexed, kick your legs apart and then sweep them together again to form one smooth line. Repeat this motion in concert with the arm movement. The optimal rhythm allows your arms to rest while you kick and vice versa. The final piece of breaststroke is your breathing. It is possible to complete the arm and leg motions of this stroke with your head completely above water.
If you want to add in the breathing technique to complete the stroke, you will duck your head beneath the water each cycle of the stroke. Use your shoulders to lift your head out of the water and take a breath. As your arms sweep forward in the water, all your shoulders to drop and take your head under the water once again. If you are looking for swim stroke advantages, there is a lot to love with breaststroke. For every 30 minutes of swimming breaststroke, you wil l burn approximately calories.
Breastroke is considered the easiest stroke to learn, which means you can concentrate on the workout without worrying too much if you are getting your movements just right.
Plus, if you aren't comfortable putting your face in the water, you can still swim this stroke. Like all swim strokes, breaststroke works multiple different muscle groups. This swimming style is a particularly good option for working your chest muscles and your hamstrings.
Your thigh muscles, core muscles and arm muscles will also benefit from breaststroke. If you want to do extra arm work, add some pull drills using a pull buoy and paddles.
Swimming gives your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and ankles a workout. Breaststroke, in particular, tones the inner thigh. For additional leg and ab toning, try incorporating a kickboard into your workout. All strokes tone your upper back and chest, and the core work will also help trim your waistline. The twisting motion of the freestyle and backstroke tones the abdominals and lower back, while the breaststroke and butterfly tone the chest and back.
Swimming, like exercise in general, is good for the psyche. Written by: Arena at 23 September '17 0. Just for Women. Breaststroke: Breaststroke kicking, known as the whip kick, uses similar muscles, but the adductor and abductor inner and outer thigh muscles come more into play. Front crawl: Shoulder overuse or impingement injuries are most common because of the overhead motion, but this is more likely to happen to a professional swimmer than to a recreational one.
Breaststroke: Groin and knee injuries are more common, especially if you have a screwkick. Swimming with your head above the water strains the muscles and puts pressure on the cartilage between your vertebra. Front crawl vs Breaststroke. Cardio fitness Front crawl: Swimming uses all major muscle groups and boosts cardio fitness and endurance.
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