Swimming Techniques: How To Improve Your Swimming Style

Swimming is one of the best all-round exercises to improve physical fitness. To reap the awesome benefits of this calorie-cutting, muscle-strengthening exercise, you’ve got to familiarise yourself with swimming techniques.

If you’re looking for a swimming technique that allows you to move faster, reduce the risk of shoulder injuries, or simply improve your endurance, we’ve listed our top picks to suit all abilities:

Swimming Stroke Techniques

Freestyle / Frontcrawl

Front crawl is what most people picture when thinking about swimming.

Every article in existence, listing popular swimming techniques, will include frontcrawl. It’s also known as a freestyle swimming technique, as it’s most used at competitive events. This is simply because it’s the fastest and most efficient. It provides a great upper-body workout, as it’s relatively low-impact, but can burn up to 600 calories.


How to do it: To perform the front crawl, lie on your stomach in the water. Move your arms forward, over your head, in a windmill motion that propels you forward. Your legs should be moving in a flutter motion behind you, as you control your breathing between strokes. It’s a good idea to move your head to the side to breathe when you have your arms stretched in opposite directions. One ear should be out of the water as you switch sides.

Backstroke

The backstroke requires the same set of movements as frontcrawl but, as the name suggests, is done in reverse. Because it’s the only swimming technique performed solely on your back, it relies a lot on timing, and spatial awareness – and a little intuition. It can be tricky.

While it may not burn as many calories as frontcrawl or be quite as quick, it is the perfect low-impact swimming technique for beginners.

How to do it: Lay flat on your back. When you’re in position, start kicking. Your legs should be straight, close together, and positioned just below your hips. Kick from your hips instead of your knees, as this will give you more power. As you kick forward, move your arm above your head in a windmill motion, as above.

Breaststroke

The breaststroke is one of the most commonly used swimming techniques. It doesn’t require you to submerge your head, which is the reason it’s often used by beginners and young swimmers – and those without a decent pair of swimming goggles.

Where calories are concerned, it’s a slow burner we’re afraid. 30 minutes of swimming can burn up to 200 calories. However, it’s considered a much better cardiovascular workout than other strokes. It helps strengthen the heart and lungs, while toning the thighs, upper back, triceps, and lower legs.

How to do it: The breaststroke is performed with the stomach facing downward. You move your arms in a half-circular motion in front of your body. Your legs and feet kick in a similar motion in sync with your arms. The breaststroke swimming technique is often likened to a frog!

Butterfly

The butterfly. This swimming technique is loathed by many, celebrated by some, and mastered by a select few. It’s notorious for being the most challenging technique to master. Micheal Phelps, is world-famous for the butterfly swimming technique, with 6 Olympic gold medals to his name for individual butterfly events.

But for us non-Olympic swimmers, is it possible to master the butterfly? While it’s by no means a beginners swimming technique, it can be achieved with a little practice. You certainly can’t be afraid to look a fool. You will, most certainly, be flapping about trying to get the stroke right at first.

How to do it: To butterfly, start with your stomach facing the water. Move both of your arms over your head, at the same time, to propel yourself forward. Your legs will perform a dolphin kick, which requires your legs to remain straight and together. The best time to breathe is when your arms are just about to come out of the water, and you’re about to perform the next forward movement.

Why should you improve your swimming style?

Losing weight is not about swimming lengths of the pool a couple of times, as you chat away to your bestie, before heading to the vending machine to pick up your favourite snack. Well, perhaps it was as a child (that was the best bit) But now, you have a weight loss goal to smash, so it’s time to get serious with swimming.

Different muscles are used for different swimming styles, so mastering these movements will allow you to get in a full-body workout, as you alternate between styles. For safety, the ability to switch up your swimming style can keep you from the dangers of a particular situation and, in some cases, can save a life.

Swimming Techniques

There are many different swimming techniques to test out, so don’t limit yourself to a single style. Hit the pool with confidence and increase your endurance with these popular swimming techniques.

Want to discover more ways to improve your fitness and health? Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates from our experts: