Swim Better Weekly - One small change to make swimming easier.

Hi there, Mark here. Hope all is well with you.

Welcome to this week’s Swim Better Weekly - one small change to make swimming easier.

The problem

Swimming feels like pushing through the water rather than slipping smoothly through it.

You may kick harder and pull faster, yet still feel slow or tired because the water seems to resist every movement.

Why it happens

Your body meets less resistance when it forms a long, narrow shape.

If your head lifts or your arms and legs spread apart, your shape becomes shorter and wider. That gives the water more to push against and makes moving forwards harder.

Try this in the pool

Practise a gentle push and glide in shallow water, with a responsible friend or swimming teacher standing a short distance in front of you.

1. Face away from the wall, place one foot against it and stretch your arms forwards with one hand resting over the other.
2. Lower your face into the water, place your head between your arms and push away from the wall gently.
3. Keep your body long and still. Glide towards your helper before putting your feet down and returning to standing.

Practise this for around 5 minutes using several short glides before trying the same long body shape during a short, easy swim.

A quick safety reminder: never swim or practise alone. Use a supervised pool and stay within a depth that feels safe for your current ability. If you’re nervous or unable to swim independently, practise with a qualified swimming teacher or another responsible person close by.

Watch out for…

Don’t lift your head as soon as your feet leave the wall.

Looking forwards breaks your streamlined shape and can cause your hips and legs to drop. Keep your head between your arms and look down until the glide slows.

Remember

Long and narrow helps you glide.

Want more help?

A confident push and glide helps you feel how an efficient swimming position should begin.

​The Complete Beginners Guide to Swimming contains a gradual push-and-glide progression, along with practical exercises for developing balance, confidence and movement through the water.

See you next week,

Mark
Swim Teach

P.S. A good glide comes from your shape, not from pushing as hard as possible.