Body Awareness Training Allows You To Put The Load Where You Want It – To Swim Smooth

Swim Smooth Video image

Click image for link to Swim Smooth Site, and watch that kick, using the quads for power. There was a valuable body awareness training lesson here, for FitOldDog, after 65 years of swimming.

Your best teachers are often your students, which is true when it comes to body awareness training, because as you guide them it causes you to think, “That’s great advice, but do I do that?”

psoas muscles

The psoas muscles are big, and very important for your movement across the surface of this lovely planet. One aspect of body awareness training, is knowing where your muscles are. Click image for source.

The best running book I ever read, ‘Running With The Whole Body,’ by Jack Heggie, showed me how to shift load, during running stride recovery, from my hip flexors to my spinal spring. Recently, I was giving some swimmers advice, at their request, and I recommended that they watch Swim Smooth. A couple of days later after a swim, I noticed, once again, that my hip flexors, notably my psoas muscles, were very tight again, as I climbed out of the water – they always were after a long swim. I thought, maybe I can fix that by changing the way I kick, which at that point was from the hips, engaging my psoas muscles for a gentle kick, but of very long duration (1,000s of times/workout).

I watched Swim Smooth for the nth time, and noticed that the kick came largely from the quads. I adapted this to my swim the next time in the pool, and my swimming (even after 65 years of this great sport) was immediately more relaxed. I also found that I could develop better timing, and my body was slightly higher in the water. Furthermore, my psoas muscles did not tighten up so much. Excellent, because I need them for the bike and the run (though less for the run, now, thanks to Jack Heggie).

Never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks, and this is increasingly important if you want to be active into old age.

I do!

Wishing You Happy Laps!

 

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Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.