by Brittany McIntosh, Aquatics Director
With summer coming up, more people will be in the pool trying to get their cardio in! Many of our lap swimmers find workouts online, or write themselves a workout. If you’re feeling a little listless about what to do in the pool, take a look at the whiteboard posted on the pool deck. You’ll see the Swim Team workouts from the week! We will be posting two new workouts every week, which are available for everyone to use at their leisure. However, for those who are working around an injury or other limitations, these workouts can seem daunting. Never fear! There are ways to modify the workout for any swimmer. Here are a few tips to make your workout work for you!
Adjust the Lengths Provided
Most workouts will include distances of 50, 100 or 200 yards at a time. If you aren’t able to swim a prolonged distance without stopping, cut down the yardage. If the set says to swim 8 x 50’s, cut it down to 4 x 50’s, or 8 x 25’s (1 length). You’ll still get the benefit of the variety of distance without aggravating an injury.
Change the Stroke
Our sets also specify which stroke you should swim for a certain distance. If you don’t know all four strokes or are unable to do a certain stroke, substitute something you know! Here are a few suggestions:
• If Butterfly is listed, do Dolphin kick instead. Feel free to use a kickboard for support!
• If Backstroke is listed, do Elementary Backstroke, or any kind of swimming on your back that feels comfortable
• If Breaststroke is listed, try side stroke instead. Side stroke is a little easier for those with knee issues and mimics the movement of Breaststroke.
• If Freestyle is listed, modify your stroke! If you’re uncomfortable putting your face under water, try swimming freestyle with your face up, or using a pull buoy to add some support to your stroke.
Take Extra Rest
Most of our workouts include a specific amount of rest between each new set. If a set says to take 30 seconds rest, feel free to extend to 45 seconds, or 1 minute. Just remember to stick with the same amount of rest throughout the set so that you the full benefit of the rhythm of the workout.
Enjoy your summer, folks, and remember that with the pool becoming busier, we all need to share our space! Circle swim if you know how, or just scoot over to allow more space for swimmers. We all want to enjoy the pool, so let’s work together to make sure it’s accessible for everyone!
