Do you also like swimming? Nice! We like to keep it that way. In the information below you can read how to keep swimming fun and what the general ‘swimming rules’ are.
Medical information
If you have medical complaints that may affect exercise during swimming, it is advisable to discuss these medical complaints with your doctor before starting swimming. If an exercise or movement doesn’t feel right while swimming, stop doing it. If necessary, report to the pool staff or the trainer if support is required.
Feeling acidification of the muscles during an exercise is not bad, but this should not cause stabbing pain. In the latter case, stop the exercise in question or even stop your swimming session altogether. The same goes for your breathing. It is okay to be out of breath while swimming, but this should not lead to hyperventilation.
Never swim alone. This applies to both the pool and the open water. If there is a supervisor present in the pool, you can of course just swim. If you would like to swim in open water, always ask someone to accompany you and supervise you.
Warming-up
It is important to gently warm up your body. Start each swim with some stretching exercises. Examples of stretching exercises can be found in the training schedules aimed at land training. You then continue your warm-up with a calm swim of a number of lanes with a stroke of your choice.
Hydration
You lose a lot of fluid while swimming. You don’t notice it because you’re in the water. Our advice is to always take a water bottle with you when you go swimming. Do you often have cramps while swimming? Drink water before you go swimming. In most cases of cramping, this is due to a lack of fluid in the body.
Swimming equipment
Swimming goggles are essential when swimming. It protects the eyes against chlorine and it also provides a lot of orientation in and underwater. For swimmers with long hair, it is recommended to fasten the hair or to use a swimming cap, so that no hair can get into the eyes while swimming. It is recommended to wear close-fitting swimwear, this promotes resistance in a positive way.
To perform certain technique exercises, aids can be used such as a swimming board, pull buoy, zoomers, or a snorkel. View these products in our webshop.
Training schedules
Coach has more than 40 different swimming training programs aimed at improving swimming technique and fitness. Within the fitness module, there are training schedules with the swimming strokes front crawl, breaststroke, and open water. For the technique module, there are training schedules in all strokes; front crawl, breaststroke, open water, butterfly, and backstroke.
- Front Crawl Condition – 25m pool
- Front crawl Fitness – 50m pool
- Front Crawl Technique
- Front Crawl Hard Core Condition
- Breaststroke Fitness – 25m pool
- Breaststroke Fitness – 50m pool
- Breaststroke Technique
- Open water – pool schedule
- Open water – open water
- Open water – City Swim Programmer
- Butterfly Technique
- Back Crawl Technique
- Land training Core Stability
Other swimming tips
Experience shows that swimming is more pleasant when there are lines in the water. Ask the pool staff if lines are allowed in any part of the pool.
Agree with each other in the lane that you will circle so that you do not collide with each other. This means that you swim on one side of the black line and back on the other side. Usually, swimmers keep to the right side of the black line in the lane (so they swim in a counterclockwise direction). It is important to take each other into account at all times.
Stay fit with swim-specific core and strength training
A swimsuit/bathing suit and go to that pool. What on earth could you need more to go swimming? At most a pair of goggles against the water in your eyes, but that’s all you need, right? That’s how I started my ‘swimming career’. Stubborn that I was, I did not buy any of the recommended materials. See first, then believe ;).
Think again. Soon I also had a bag full. And now I can hardly imagine what swimming would be like without all these materials.
As a recreational job swimmer, you indeed need little to be able to swim your laps in a relaxed manner. As a (beginning) sports swimmer, you have quite a few materials with you.
Which Materials are really indispensable?
Swimming goggles
I think the swimming goggles are the number 1 attribute next to your swimwear that is really indispensable. Protection of your eyes against the (chlorinated) water and good visibility underwater. Good swimming goggles are personal and depend on the fit. But it is definitely indispensable!
Swimming cap
Whether or not a bathing cap is a bit personal. I would recommend it to women with longer hair. No more hair in front of your eyes. But once you get used to it, men can also enjoy swimming. Especially if you use earplugs against water in your ear, a bathing cap can be nice.
Snorkel
The snorkel is personally my best friend and my favorite tool. We are not talking about a snorkel that you can use to watch fishing while on holiday. But a ‘frontal snorkel’. Or the tube in the middle, so that you are not limited with your stroke.
Opinions about the snorkel are divided. But with snorkel, you can swim so much more relaxed. Don’t take breathing into account, but breathe continuously. During technique exercises, the snorkel gives so much more peace of mind. Yes, it also takes some getting used to, but then addicted ;).
Swimming board
The swimming board is an aid, especially for your legs. By holding the plank you can fully focus on your leg stroke. It also provides variety in swimming.
Pull Buoy
The Pull Buoy (leg float) has the opposite effect of the swimming board. You hold it between your legs so that your legs stay high in the water. This allows you to fully focus on your arm stroke. Due to the higher location, you also have less resistance.
Zoomers
Zoomers are small flippers that aid in swimming techniques. With zoomers, you go through the water smoother and faster. This makes swimming easier, which is especially nice for a novice swimmer. You already have so many points of interest. But also for the advanced swimmer, zoomers are widely used. For example to train legs.
Backpack
With all that stuff, a good backpack is handy. Apart from the backpack, there is also such a thing as a ‘mesh bag’. This is a perforated bag that is mainly used for your wet stuff. Really ideal. I throw in everything I’ve used while swimming and it dries along the way. This way my backpack doesn’t get wet on the inside and it stays beautiful for longer. By the way, if I have to, all my materials can also fit in my swimming backpack. But still, I swear by the mesh bag. I never have to worry about whether I have everything with me, everything is included as standard.
Bidon
The water bottle. Maybe not the first tool you think of. But just like with other sports, you also sweat while swimming. You just don’t notice. But just because you don’t notice it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. It is therefore advisable to put a bottle with some water to the side and to continue to drink enough.
Other auxiliary materials
The above are the most commonly used auxiliary materials in the front crawl courses. But as you move on to swimming, there are many more resources. Such as paddles, but also a tempo trainer to train stroke frequency, or even resistance aids.
