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Flexibility for Swimming - are you stretching enough? |
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Having good flexibility throughout the body can affect your swimming performance, and injury risk in a number of different ways.
Good flexibility allows swimmers to hold a better streamline position in the water, allowing the body to move forward with less resistance. Good flexibility can also improve your ability to move through the recovery phase of your stroke and also allow you to have a longer reach in your freestyle stroke. How well you are able to perform your starts and turns is also affected by flexibility of your lower back and legs!
A RHP Physiotherapy Swimming Screen checks flexibility in all of the key areas for a fluid stroke and compares them to known desirable ranges. The screening can highlight which areas could be affecting technique or causing your injury problems. Screenings can be done on an individual basis in the clinic or for groups at your club pool.
Focus on Streamline
Want to Improve Your Streamline Position?
The better your streamline position, the faster you will travel through the water. To test your streamline ability, perform those 2 simple tests.
1. Standing streamline
- Stand side-on to a mirror and put your arms up into the streamline position
- Looking from the side, draw an imaginary line from the point of your elbow, through the middle of your shoulder, down the side of your chest and through the middle of your hip.
- This line should be vertical and straight!!
2. Combined Elevation Test (CET)
- Lie face down on a bed (Your chin on the end of the bed and arms over the end).
- Keeping your arms straight with thumbs touching together, lift your arms up as high as you can (ie towards streamline position), keeping your chin on the bed.
- Have someone look at you from side on. Have them draw an imaginary line along the middle of your upper arm (humerus bone) to your shoulder and compare this with a horizontal line drawn along the side of your chest.
- The line along your arm should be horizontal or above the horizontal line.
If your standing streamline is not vertical or your CET is not horizontal, try the stretches below or call RHP Physiotherapy on 07 3856 5566 to find out how we can help.
Below are 2 examples of stretches to improve your streamline and help you swim faster and have less injuries.
It is important to stretch for 15-20 mins at least 3-4 times per week and before and after training sessions. Take care when stretching your muscles. You should hold a COMFORTABLE STRETCH for 30 seconds and repeat 2 – 3 times on each side. You should feel NO PAIN with normal stretching. Pain means you are causing damage to your muscles. Discontinue if you experience pain in the shoulders or spine. Clunking in the shoulder indicates a problem and requires professional attention.
At RHP Physiotherapy we provide assessments and exercise/conditioning/strengthening programs to all swimmers from juniors to world champions.
Want to know MORE about other stretches and strength exercises to help you improve your performance?
Call Jim on (07) 3856 5566 or visit www.rhpphysiotherapy.com.au
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