[inti-net] Swimming good for body but important to change strokes – Most prefer the breaststroke

http://news.kuwaittimes.net/2012/05/13/swimming-good-for-body-but-important-to-change-strokes-most-prefer-the-breaststroke/

Swimming good for body but important to change strokes – Most prefer the breaststroke

BERLIN: Most people learn how to swim as children, often in formal lessons ending with the issuance of a swimming certificate. As adults they jump pretty fearlessly into swimming pools and lakes. A lot of them swim incorrectly, however, putting undue strain on their body. "The big advantage of swimming is that it negates the force of gravity somewhat," remarked Herbert Loellgen, president of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention. "It therefore puts less strain on the joints compared with sports like jogging or tennis." What is more, Loellgen said, swimming strengthens the cardiovascular system-particularly if you swim at least a few hundred metres at a stretch-and breathing deliberately while swimming can have a calming effect on the psyche.

Many adults are aware of the benefits and regularly swim laps in indoor and outdoor pools. Most prefer the breaststroke. "It's the most common stroke in Germany because it's the first one we learn," noted Andreas Bieder, a swimming expert at the German Sport University in Cologne. "But you often see people swimming it in an extremely vertical position"-like a duck, in other words, with the head always above water and the buttocks being pulled toward the water's surface. "As a result, the neck is bent far backwards and the back of the cervical vertebrae (located in the neck) are strongly compressed, which strains them" and can cause tension, Bieder said. "Many people's cervical vertebrae are already strained due to office and desk work, so it's not good if they're overstrained during swimming, too."

So it is better to regularly submerge the head when performing the breaststroke, Bieder advised. "You inhale above water and exhale underwater. The vertebrae are bent when you inhale, but extended when you exhale" – which relieves them considerably, he said. But as Beate Ludewig, an instructor for the German Swimming Federation, pointed out: "A lot of people are afraid to put their head underwater." One reason is that they have been swimming for years with their head above water, and another is that "it's a human instinct not to go underwater." These people can accustom themselves to submersion, though, for example in special adult courses, said Ludewig, or they can try to do it on their own. "You can practice at home in the bathtub by putting your face underwater – at first briefly and then for longer," she said.

Another option is to work on submersion straightaway in a pool. "You should practice at the pool's edge and get used to the feeling of your head going underwater," Ludewig advised. Once the person feels more confident exhaling underwater, he or she should practice swimming with the head moving into and out of the water. "You've got to take your time and practice gradually," she said.
According to Ludewig, it typically takes about 10 hours of practice to become comfortable with head submersion. "And if it takes someone 20 hours, it doesn't matter," she said. "In any case, you shouldn't be ashamed if you're fearful."

Many people believe the backstroke is better for the back. "This hasn't been scientifically proven but seems plausible" because the head is supported by the water so the neck muscles are not tensed, Bieder said. "It's important to be truly relaxed, however, and not constantly worry about water sloshing across your face," otherwise there's a risk of tenseness. The front crawl is a bit different. "Here, too, you also exhale underwater and inhale above water, which takes a load off the spine," Loellgen said. But there are disadvantages. Crawl swimmers are not suffered gladly in crowded pools lacking a designated lane for them. And a lot of people find this swimming stroke's combination of arm and leg movements, and inhaling and exhaling, difficult to master. Loellgen offered the following tip: "It's good to regularly change the stroke; that way you don't overstrain any part of the body." – dpa

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