If swimming wasn’t already a great activity on its own, the skills you develop as you complete your laps across the pool are also remarkably beneficial when you apply your swimming skills to other sports. From children enjoying some football on the weekends, to professional athletes training for a competition, swimming boosts your performance out of the water by helping you work on a range of different core skills and abilities. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Going Swimmingly London to book your own private swimming lesson in South West London for all ages to have the chance to improve on the following aspects of their training.
Apply the following swimming skills to other sports
Increased lung capacity
Anyone who has ever swam some laps in the pool will know that swimming is all about breathing. Whether you are trying to maintain a steady pace over longer distances or hoping to crunch down on your time across a shorter stretch, every single breath counts. Improving your swimming skills and breath control therefore go hand in hand when you are learning how to swim more effectively. Every time you jump in the water and come back up for air, you are essentially working on expanding your lung capacity through such interval training.
The ability to increase the amount of oxygen getting to your body with each breath is incredibly beneficial for whichever sport you play. Don’t be surprised if after a few sessions in the pool you start scoring your rugby touchdowns without being short of breath or completing your run in record time.
In a similar way, swimming can help improve the actual control and quality of your breathing which is an essential skill for children to learn at an early age to help boost their performance in other endurance sports – and help avoid stitches.
Running the distance
It is no secret that swimming is one of the most effective endurance sports to boost your cardiovascular health. Doing laps in the pool will give you a good workout in the short term and improve your overall stamina in the long run by getting your blood pumping through your body. As unrelated to swimming as football or tennis might seem, any sport requiring you to stay on your feet for extended periods of time will benefit from such cardio training. There is no safer and more efficient way of preparing yourself to sprint up and down a field or court than by swimming some laps first.
Body coordination
Perhaps one of the trickier parts of swimming is also one of the most applicable skills to other sports. Not only does it engage every part of your body, it also requires you to coordinate each of them effectively. If you are hoping to swim more quickly or simply stay afloat, you will need to remain aware of all your movements from head to toe to ensure that they are working together unanimously. This ability to coordinate your arms and legs is not only helpful in most aspects of your daily life, it is also crucial to almost any sport, whether you are dribbling a ball or climbing up a wall.
Balanced strength
Although it is most appreciated as an endurance sport, swimming engages virtually every muscle group in your body to keep you in and out of the water. By building up strength in a balanced way, it is ideal for both adults and children to help improve their range of motion, from stronger arms and back for boxers to perfect their hits, to stronger legs for football players to score with.
Improved flexibility and stability
By promoting a range of less commonly used movements, swimming will also train the flexibility in the hips, shoulders and neck. As a low-impact sport, it is one of the safest ways for people of all ages to work on improving their skills in sports like cricket, gymnastics and even golf.
Swimming is also heavily reliant on core strength to coordinate all body movements simultaneously. Whilst helping you maintain a good posture throughout the day, it will also significantly improve your balance which is essential to a range of sports. From ice-skaters seeking stability to complete their routines without slipping, to windsurfers required to balance against the force of the wind, it ensures that your body remains in control of a range of motions.
Managing injuries in sports
The primary goal for children and professional athletes alike, it to be able to keep going at their sport of choice for as long as possible. This means avoiding injuries whenever possible, and there’s certainly no better way to keep your joints and muscles protected than with swimming.
Summary of “apply your swimming skills to other sports”
Incorporating swimming in intervals between regular sports training sessions is one of the most effective ways of improving your performance whilst reducing the risk of injury. As a low-impact activity compared to most other sports, swimming lets you build up your endurance and strength by increasing the intensity of your training without putting additional strain on your body.
It is hard to doubt the impressive applicability of one’s swimming skills to a range of different sports when it comes to endurance, strength or flexibility. As the perfect addition to any sport training, children can experience the benefits first hand with private sports activities led by a motivated instructor, Adam from Going Swimmingly London. Incorporating land-based training to fit your children’s interests, this is their opportunity to stay active and work on improving their sports performance right near you in South West London.