Core Strength is all the rage at the minute and we are going to talk about Good Core Strength and Improving your Swimming with ServiceYourBody.ie. Most of you know it is important to have good core strength to help prevent injury and improve sports performance.

Unfortunately while you probably have good strength from all the training you do, you need to know how to engage your core and utilise the strength effectively. I know from my own swimming classes I am told that a good swim stroke technique must be fluid and relaxed, with your arm and kicking action also being nice and relaxed.

However, this is where this ends, I find engaging my core helps to stablise my swim stroke, improve my body alignment in the water, and connect my arms and kick to develop a better technique.

Simply by lightly drawing your belly button in will engage your core more, and by activating (squeezing) your glutes a little will help improve the strength of your kick. Squeezing the glutes will also help the alignment of your legs in the water, keeping them higher so as they are not weighing you down.

It is important to only activate core and glutes lightly and this takes practice, it is also a lot more tiring so you need to build up your core endurance so this becomes your bodies natural position when swimming.

 

One simple exercise to try is a front plank, keeping shoulders tucked back and down, curl your toes under you, stay relaxed through shoulders and draw your belly button in slightly so as you feel your core engaging, squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the floor so as your back is flat and hips are level.

If you are not able to do this or can’t hold this position for any length of time, we would recommend attending some of our Body Maintenance classes.

 

You may find it challenging to learn to engage the core, at ServiceYourBody.ie we run Body Maintenance classes that are mix of Pilates, Mobility and Flexibility. The classes are designed to build core strength and endurance, you will also learn to tune into your body so as you can activate and draw on your core strength.

In addition to helping you develop great core strength, the classes will also improve your overall posture, balance and strength. Please conact us at ServiceYourBody.ie Lucan if you wish to book in for a class.