Top 5 types of Swimming Styles

 Swimming is a solo sport where one must move his entire body in water. This sounds quite simple, doesn't? In reality, water's viscosity causes a lot of drag. This is why it takes a lot more effort to overcome. Although water may make you feel lighter, it will not allow your muscles to relax when you are moving. This allows for muscle exercise without putting too much stress on the bones. There are 5 different styles of swimming. Let us go over each type in more detail.

Front Crawl

This stroke is also known by the Freestyle. It allows you to achieve maximum speed while requiring minimal effort. Freestyle swimming requires that you swim in a Prone horizontal position (face down). Flutter kicks and other arm movements create the thrust required to push the body.

Legs move in an alternate fashion, using quick and efficient kicks in the water while keeping the feet pointed. Water is pulled back using Alternately by Arms . The water is pulled forward by one arm, and the other pulls it backwards.

When an arm is removed from the water, breathing takes place sideways. Air inhalation occurs quickly and the Head is pulled out of the water along with the shoulder. The water contains enough air to inhale, so that there is sufficient intake within the time allowed.

Front crawl is the most efficient and fastest stroke in swimming.

1. A) The pointed hands ensure that there is minimal drag during arm recovery.
2. b. There is always one arm pulling water.

Muscles used to front crawl were:

1. Core and abdominal muscles help keep the body straight and lift it while you breathe.
2. To pull the water back, your forearm muscles are used.
3. For propulsion through the legs, the glutes and hamstring are used. This helps to maintain a balanced posture.
4. For the hand to reach underwater, and also for reaching out, it is necessary to engage your shoulders muscles.

Breaststroke

This type of swimming stroke can also occur in a prone posture. Breastroke forces the body into an inclined position, whereas a horizontal position is used for the movement. The body is able to glide through water thanks to frog-like kicks as well as simultaneous hand movements inside the water.

Legs bend and kick out of the water to propel your body forward. This is the symmetrical whip-kick, a frog-like movement that takes place underwater.

Armmovements may be either symmetrical or simultaneously. From the extended forward position, the hands form an arc. However, unlike the freestyle strokes, the recovery phase sees the hands moving in a straight line.

The end of propulsion is completed when the hands are under the chest and your head is above water.

Breaststroke is one of the slower strokes among the five types of swimming. Since the head is almost always above the water, this technique is taught first to beginners.

In Breast Stroke, Muscles used are:

1. Pectoral or Latissimus Dorsi Muscles are used to move the arms towards the water.
2. To kick the legs into the water, Quadriceps or Glutes are used.

Butterfly Stroke

The butterfly stroke involves a prone posture. It's exhausting and strenuous compared to other swimming strokes. This stroke involves the body moving in waves, with the chest and hip moving up and down the water surface.

Legs experience a dolphin-like motion. Both legs stay straight when you kick them in water.

Arms movement are symmetrical, again following an hourglass motion underwater. They begin in a forward, extended position.

This is when the chest and head are elevated above the water.

The butterfly stroke can be one of the most difficult strokes. The butterfly stroke is difficult to master, including the dolphin kick, undulations and arm movements. It is exhausting and should not be used as a fitness or recreational swimming technique.

Muscles for the Butterfly stroke are:

1. The core abdominal and lower back muscles are highly utilized, which helps lift the body out the water when you breathe.
2. Glutes are used to move the legs like a dolphin.
3. The powerful stroke will require extensive use of the pecs, quads and hamstrings.

Backstroke

Backstroke is the only competitive stroke for the back. The head should be in neutral. It is very similar in appearance to the Front Crawl, but the back is facing down.

Legsdo flip kicks with fast and compact movements.

Armsare used for pulling water underneath the back, so the body moves backwards. Backstroke is the third fastest competitive stroke after Butterfly and Front Crawl.

The head is never in the water and breathing is completely free from movement during this type of swimming stroke.

Muscles used to backstroke are:

In this stroke, the shoulders must dominate more than other strokes. The backstroke is also dominated by the muscles in the lower legs. It is common to use small muscles in the rotator, particularly the subscapularis as well as the teres major. This swimming stroke is recommended by doctors for patients suffering from back pain. It helps relax the muscles and straightens them.