Firstly, always start by warming up – it increases blood flow to all parts of your body, hence helps to avoid that “shock” you might feel when the gun goes and you hit the water for the first time.
Secondly, aim to contain your nervous energy in the first few minutes and instead take it easy… by keeping your strokes long and slow you’ll often swim faster in a better body position than when rushing, but it’s also much less stressful.
Thirdly, remember to focus on breathing out more than breathing in – you need to get rid of the air before you can refill your lungs (this is the single biggest breathing fault swim coaches see in beginners). Fast shallow breaths will only result in you feeling out of breath and panicked.
Lastly and most importantly, if at any time you do feel like the sea has got the better of you, simply roll on to your back to relax, breathe deeply and feel your body rise and fall with each breath as your buoyancy changes, and just go with the waves. You’ll find that you float with your mouth out of the water on your back and especially in a wetsuit. So always remember you can rely on this position if you ever panic.
We hope these tips help you to enjoy your swim more, and motivate you to make the jump to gradually longer and longer distances as your confidence and skill levels grow.
For more tips or to enquire about Squads, OceanClinics or Private Tuition please go to www.futuredreams.co.nz
Parnell Baths Squads / Tepid Baths Squads / OceanClinics
Private Tuition, Program Writing
Underwater Swim Analysis
Website: www.futuredreams.co.nz
Email: swim@futuredreams.co.nz
Telephone: 021 288 8715
