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, improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and refreshes you in summer, and 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, equipment you need, where to do it, 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 also 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 wherever 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: o o o 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:

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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: o 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: o o o 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. Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

The arm stroke: o o o 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: o 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 (1) that your arms move with equal strength, otherwise you will swim off to one side, and (2) that your body rolls from side to side so that your arms catch enough water to propel you forward. The leg kick: o o o o It's 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. Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.

The arm stroke: o o o 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: o o 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: o o o o 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: o o o o 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: o o o o 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. Freestyle: Flutter kick, feet go up and down in short quick strokes.) Backstroke: Like flutter kick but you are fliped on your back. Breaststroke: On your stomach legs go down and out then snap together Butterfly: Legs and feet together with up and down motions

there are just three basic kicks. Butterfly/Dolphin Kick- Powerful, fluid kick from the hips down, feet together. This is the only kick allowed in butterfly events, and is also done during the underwaters (after dives and turns, before breaking the surface) during freestyle and backstroke events as well. Doing this kick will disqualify you in a breaststroke race. Flutter/Freestyle Kick- Kick in which feet move independently in rapid flutter motion. This is the kick that you see swimmers do for freestyle and backstroke events (excluding the underwaters). This kick will disqualify you if you do it in a breaststroke or butterfly event.

Breaststroke/Frog Kick- Most technical kick. Beginning with legs straight and together, knees bend to bring feet up, then legs separate and feet arc out and down, eventually bringing legs back together in starting position. The movement is similar to the way frogs swim, hence it commonly being referred to as 'frog kick.' This kick is only used for breaststroke, although technically it is allowed in freestyle (virtually all competitors elect to preform the much faster flutter kick).

Six types of swimming strokes incorporate different kick movements and arm motions to propel your body across the surface of the water. Individual swimming strokes may require efficient technique, muscular strength and endurance than other strokes. Each stroke features particular characteristics, such as speed, easy breathing, low physical labor and technical mastery. Front Crawl The crawl is a common stroke for freestyle competitions and may be the fastest stroke. Perform the crawl face down. Extend one arm and push water beneath your body. Alternate using each of your arms for this motion to allow one to recover while the other pushes back against the water beneath your body. Combine your arm movements with a flutter kick to propel your body across the surface of the water. Adult Swimming Book A Learn-to-Swim Book That Works. Learning to Swim Begins On Land! www.conquerfear.com Sponsored Links Backstroke Perform the backstroke face up on the surface of the water. Reverse the alternating crawl stroke arm motion for the backstroke. Combine the arm motion with a flutter kick to propel you across the surface of the water. According to USAswimming.org, an Olympian backstroker may rotate on to the stomach only to perform a flip turn but must finish on his back. Olympic backstroke competitions require swimmers to resurface from a flip turn within 15 meters from the wall. Breaststroke Perform the breaststroke on your stomach. Simultaneously push your arms out in front of your body from your chest. Keep your arms extended as you pull the water back along the same horizontal plane as the surface of the water with both arms. Use a frog-like kick for this stroke by simultaneously bending your knees to match the same horizontal plane as your arms. Extend your legs straight back as you push the water back with your arms. Butterfly The butterfly stroke uses dolphin kick that features simultaneous undulating up and down feet and arm movements. Both of your arms propel this stroke by simultaneously pushing back and recovering above the surface of the water. The butterfly stroke requires coordinating movements in most of your body's major muscle regions. Major muscle groups involved in the butterfly include your legs, chest, shoulders and abdominal muscles. Teenbodybuilding.com suggests that the butterfly requires more efficient technique than any other stroke. Sidestroke Lay on your side on the surface of the water for the sidestroke. Extend the submerged arm straight above your head. Repeatedly extend your submerged arm and pull back against the water to propel your body across the surface of the water. Keep the elbow on your exposed arm close to your body throughout the stroke. The sidestroke kick is a scissor kick that requires simultaneously bending and extending your legs. Dog Paddle The dog paddle is a basic swim stroke. Lay chest-down on the surface of the water. Alternate fluttering your hands palms-down. Alternate bending your knees and flutter kicking with your feet to propel this stroke. This stroke resembles the movement that fourlegged animals like dogs or horses use to swim in the water.