For a nation that is supposed to love it, we are appallingly bad at swimming.
Statistics from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport suggest that 12
million Britons are habitual swimmers, with 22 per cent of adults and 50 per
cent of children regularly taking a dip in their local pool - and more than
19,000 expected to take the plunge in next month's Swimathon (see panel,
facing page). However, according to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA),
another 12 million are unable to swim at all and many of those who learnt at
school have techniques so poor that they are likely to cause muscle strains,
neck and back pain.
Swimming is compulsory on the national curriculum at Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11)
and although schools have the option to introduce it, Ofsted has found that
most lessons take place in Year 5, when children are 9 and 10. As a result,
one child in five leaves primary school unable to swim the 25m specified by
the Government as a target. Swimming is relegated to optional status at
state secondary schools, so those who haven't managed to swim the length of
a small pool by the time they are 11 are unlikely to catch up. “After
primary school, many people feel embarrassed that they can't swim,” says
David Sparkes, chief executive of the ASA. “And that puts a barrier in
people's minds.”
Such a narrow window of opportunity for learning means that those who can swim
may never master it well. Steven Shaw, a former competitive swimmer and
teacher of the Alexander Technique, says that examples of appalling style
can be spotted in pools around the country. He says that swimming badly will
hinder your progress and enjoyment and can result in pain. Classic mistakes
made by recreational swimmers include: holding the head too high in the
front crawl, which strains the neck and back muscles; hunching the shoulders
in breaststroke, which causes poor posture and shallow breathing; and a lack
of rotation in the hips during backstroke decreases shoulder mobility and is
a potential cause of neck and upper-back pain.
“Breast-stroker's knee” is a common injury
“Craning the neck and snatching it out of the water to breathe in the
breaststroke puts cumulative strain on the spine and can lead to a type of
whiplash injury,” says Shaw, the author of Master the Art of Swimming.
“Likewise, ‘breaststroker's knee', the most common knee injury in swimming,
is the result of repeated stress on the medial collateral ligament when
people perform the narrow whip kick.” Shaw advocates a wider breaststroke
kicking action to increase hip mobility and to minimise the risk of knee
injury.
Even the butterfly, widely regarded as the most difficult stroke, can become
less challenging when tweaks are made to technique. “Swimming continuous
butterfly seems out of reach to many people because it leaves them
exhausted,” he says. “But, with the right technique, it is not necessarily
any more challenging.” He says that most people try to kick their legs too
ferociously, which interrupts the flowing action of the arms, and to breathe
on every stroke, rather than alternate strokes, which causes
hyperventilation.
In general, physiotherapists rate swimming and aqua workouts as the best
exercise for those with joint problems or injuries - but only when it is
done well. “Water acts as a giant cushion and is much kinder to joints and
tendons because it supports your body weight,” says Sammy Margo, the
spokeswoman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. “Equally, bad
swimming can aggravate existing injuries and trigger new problems.” If you
get into “a bad groove” when you swim, “you will cause abnormal
biomechanics, with subsequent wear and tear, mainly to the neck and
shoulders, though also to the knees and back”, she says.
A study at the Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia in 2005
identified some of the problems experienced by regular swimmers. These were
low back injuries, as a result of repetitive stress during turns and the
strain of poor head position; shoulder injuries, owing to lack of
flexibility and overuse; and spinal problems, caused by poor head
positioning when turning to breathe in front crawl.
Huge benefits in tweaking technique
Sometimes, all that is needed to minimise these risks are slight tweaks to
technique, but the benefits are immense. A study published in the European
Journal of Applied Physiology earlier this year indicated that improving the
technique of a group of swimmers resulted in them expending less energy per
length but completing a set distance more speedily.
Other studies that have compared elite and recreational swimmers have revealed
how the top performers' superior technique enables them to use oxygen 50 per
cent more efficiently, so they swim faster for longer. Shaw says that, done
properly, swimming can be therapeutic. When the butterfly is mastered, for
instance, it mobilises the spine and is “a great stroke for people with
sciatica and stiff or tense backs who often experience relief from their
pain when they swim this way”. Breaststroke improves mobility of the hips,
ankles, wrists and spine.
Stephanie West, a spokeswoman for the ASA, says the association has launched
schemes to help people improve their swimming. Everyday Swim is a national
campaign run in conjunction with Sport England that aims to increase
participation by 2 per cent this year. Likewise, the ASA Kelloggs Swim
Active programme offers free instruction at selected pools to families with
young children. If you've never learnt, contact your local council for
information on adult and children's beginner sessions in your area.
“It is amazing how quickly a fear of the water or bad swimming habits can be
overcome with the right instruction,” West says. “The health benefits of
regular swimming include aerobic fitness and overall muscle toning and
strengthening. Often all it takes to get the most out of swimming is a
little effort and direction.”
For more details on the Everyday Swim campaign and the Swim Active programme,
log on to www.britishswimming.org
Take the plunge
Fancy a challenge to test your swimming technique? Join Swimathon, the world's
largest swimming fundraising event, on April 17-20, at more than 500 public
and private swimming pools across the UK. More than half a million people
have taken part in Swimathon during its 22-year history, swimming a total of
more than 570,000 miles, the equivalent of circling the Earth 23 times.
More than 19,000 UK swimmers are expected to take part this year to raise
money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Swimathon Foundation, the
charity that promotes and arranges the annual fundraising event. There are
events for all abilities and you can also enter teams of 2-5 people to
spread the distance you swim over several days. What's stopping you diving
in?
Visit www.swimathon.org for details.
Gadgets for the fast lane
Finis Tempo Trainer, £19.15
This “personal pace coach” works like a metronome during piano practice. This
small waterproof electronic device works best when worn underneath a cap or
placed under a goggle strap near the temple. It produces a small beep, which
helps to keep your stroke pace consistent and will even alert you when you
start to slow down or lose rhythm. It allows you to set your own personal
goals, monitoring your improvement as you go. It is also ideal for runners
and cyclists.
Stockists www.swimtec-uk.com
Suunto Memory Belt, from £100
Heart monitors are a useful means of assessing how hard you are exercising.
They work by measuring your heart rate using a strap worn over your chest,
which transmits the information to a watch. Suunto has designed a waterproof
model, which records and stores your heart's activity during swimming. The
collected data can then be downloaded on to a PC after your session for
analysis. Alternatively, the monitor can transmit the data in real-time to a
pool-side trainer, who can tell if you need to work harder.
Stockists www.sunto.com
Freelap Stopwatch, £115, Timing pole H2O, £120
Timing lengths in the pool with a conventional stop- watch would be a
logistical nightmare for the solo swimmer, but Freelap has designed a system
that uses transmitters to register your speed and the number of laps swum. A
timing pole is placed at either end of the pool, which sends a signal within
a 2m radius to a waterproof stopwatch worn on the wrist. The time for each
length is automatically updated every time you pass the end of the pool, and
is displayed on the watch and stored for downloading on to Freelap's
software after the workout.
Stockists www.hssports.co.uk
