Stretching: Swimming Fastest, Ernest W. Maglischo writes: “Swimmers should perform specialized flexibility exercises only
for those joints in which a limited range of motion interferes with efficient swimming.” Dr. Maglischo clearly believes that training
programs should be based on the latest scientific research.
So don’t do your favorite stretches because they don’t hurt, do the ones that do cause discomfort. Remember to inhale then gently go
into stretch relaxing and exhaling. Repeat and hold for 20 – 30 secs.
Static stretching should be done at home while relaxing, watching TV etc.
Swimmers who complain that their muscles get “tight” during competition might want to try lengthening their warm-up and warmdown sessions. This may relieve the tightness and thus eliminate the need for stretching during the span of the competition. If the
tightness persists, swimmers can probably indulge in a limited amount of stretching—just enough to remind a tight muscle where its
normal limits should be—without degrading performance.
One area where flexibility can make a noticeable difference is in helping swimmers achieve stroke symmetry. Differences in bilateral
flexibility can affect body roll, arm recovery, arm pull, and even kicking. For example, a freestyle swimmer who rolls more to the right
than to the left will swim in a lopsided manner. Equalizing flexibility on both sides of the body will leave the swimmer with a stroke
that is more graceful and more rhythmic.
Warm-up: Warming-up (dynamic stretching) and Static stretching are both activities that affect muscles—but in different ways.
Warming-up has the goal of raising the temperature of a muscle, while stretching has the goal of elongating a muscle. Warm muscles
are less likely to sustain injuries than cold muscles and stretching without warming up first can cause injury.
Shoulder Flexibility :As the 4 modern stroke techniques do not require swimmers to have extraordinary shoulder flexibility, today’s
swimmer needs shoulder flexibility in what might be called the “athletic normal” range. That is, a degree of flexibility that is just a little
better than that of the average Joe or Jane. This level of flexibility enables a swimmer to do such things as: fully extend the arms at the
front of all strokes, get a deep catch in backstroke, and recover the arms above the surface of the water in butterfly.
The streamlined hand-on-hand push-off position, when performed on land or in the water, the elbows should be locked with the
biceps squeezing the ear flaps against the head. This should be accomplished without shoulder pain or excessive muscle tightness. A
swimmer having trouble assuming or holding this position is demonstrating subpar shoulder flexibility.
Ankle Flexibility: Ankle flexibility is one area where a swimmer might benefit from having a better than average range of motion. This is
because a swimmer would be better served by having a fish-like tail instead of feet. And since growing a tail is not an option, having
flexible ankles is the next best thing.
In all swimming strokes, the ability to extend the foot and point the toes enhances the kick. Some forms of training—such as
running—tend to decrease ankle flexibility. An inflexible ankle not only inhibits kicking but can actually create unnecessary drag by
causing the feet to act like the flaps on airplane wings.
A swimmer with normal ankle flexibility should be able to kneel on a mat and sit back on the heels with the toes pointing backwards.
The tops of the feet and the lower legs should form straight lines against the mat. If this is painful or cannot be held for 30 seconds,
ankle flexibility is deficient.
For breaststrokers, the ankles also need to be flexible in the opposite direction (dorsiflexion). To test for flexibility in this direction a
swimmer should stand with feet shoulder width apart and slowly lower into a deep squat while keeping the feet flat on the floor. A
swimmer with normal ankle flexibility should be able to maintain this position for 30 seconds without pain and should not have to
struggle against falling backwards. Mature girls may have to extend their arms forward as counterbalance to the hips.
It should be noted that some swimmers may not be able to achieve normal levels of flexibility. The reasons for this can range from
something as simple as having inherently tight muscles, to something as unusual as the presence of an extra bone that inhibits range
of motion. Swimmers who are plagued by these kinds of problems may have to adapt their strokes to compensate for flexibility
limitations.
Bill McKeon SwimkickSwim.com