Swimming is not only a vital life skill but also an incredible way to stay fit. Whether it’s adding it in with your gym routine or just heading for a swim each day, swimming is a low impact exercise that lays claim to many benefits. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to know what the most common swimming strokes are, how to perform them, and what benefits each holds. So, we’ve put together a quick overview of the four most common swim strokes below to help you learn more.
Front Crawl/Freestyle
What is it?
Front crawl is probably the most common swimming stroke around and is one that people learn when they begin their swimming journey, it is also known as the freestyle as it is generally the stroke what athletes use when partaking in a freestyle swim competition do to its speed. To perform the front crawl you lie on your stomach with your body parallel to the water, propelling yourself forward by moving your arms in a circular motion, alternating between each arm. As well as that you use flutter kicks with your legs by pointing your feet out while moving your legs up and down to push yourself forward. Between your alternating arm cycles, while your arm is in the air, you fit in breathes to your side when needed, however, it is important not to turn your head too far otherwise you will disrupt your flow.
Benefits of Front Crawl
- It is the fastest stroke to use in the water
- Front crawl helps tone your stomach, shoulders, back and lower body muscles in particular
- It is also a fantastic way to burn calories
- This is a great stroke to build confidence in the water with before moving on to more difficult ones
Backstroke
What is it?
As you may have guessed, backstroke, as the name would suggest, is performed on your back in the water, and is similar in movements to the front crawl. While floating on your back you will alternate your arms in a windmill motion, much like in the front crawl, pushing with your arms underwater, while you also engage in flutter kicks once again to keep yourself propelling in the right direction. It is important to keep your face above the water surface, while looking up toward the ceiling, and keep yourself as straight as possible to avoid drifting off course. Another tip is to try leave a slight decline in your lower body, so your feet remain just under the water as this will help you achieve maximum power and speed in your stroke as you swim.
Benefits of Backstroke
- Doctors often recommend backstroke for people suffering from back injuries as it is a low impact exercise that helps build muscle strength in the area
- Backstroke is also a great way to improve posture as you focus on your body position throughout
- Much like with front crawl it is a stroke that targets muscles in your stomach, lower body, arms and shoulders in particular
- Although it can be a little more challenging to master, backstroke is ideal for people who have trouble putting their face under water as it provides the benefits without having to submerge yourself
Breaststroke
What is it?
Breaststroke is typically one of the first strokes you will learn when you take up swimming lessons at any age as it does not require you to put your head below water, however, it should be noted that in competitive swimming many people do put their head below water, but this is more advanced. Breaststroke is performed with your stomach facing downward in the water while your arms and legs move in an almost full circular motion going from in tight to your body and outward. Your arms will simultaneously start under your chest before moving outward and coming back in under your chest again, while your legs start right behind you before extending outward, then coming back in again. This stroke is often referred to as the frog stroke as it mimics the motions a frog makes as they swim or thread through the water.
Benefits of Breaststroke
- Can be used for more casual swimming as well as competitive due to the movements used
- Breaststroke is ideal for people beginning their swimming journey as your face does not have to go below water
- It also works your thighs, upper back, chest, triceps, and lower body muscles
- This stroke is a fantastic way to build up cardio levels before trying other strokes
Butterfly
What is it?
Butterfly is definitely the most advanced of the common swimming strokes due to the technique and stamina needed to perform it. To perform the butterfly stroke you start with your stomach facing downward, then bring your arms above your head simultaneously before pushing them into the water to propel yourself forward and repeating. While you do this you’ll use a dolphin kick, which means keeping your legs together as you kick them up and down in the same motion as you would see a dolphin make. Each time your body is pushed out of the water you can take breathes and it is important to remain straight as you perform this stroke.
Benefits of Butterfly
- Butterfly stroke is by far the best stroke for burning calories as you use so much of your body
- Nearly every muscle in your body is worked during the stroke, in particular your core, back and arms
- It is also a great stroke for improving posture and flexibility
- Butterfly stroke is an ideal way to build endurance during your workouts
The Final Splash
So, there you have it, our quick guide to the four most common swim strokes, front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. While each of these has its own benefits, it is important to note that swimming as a whole is a brilliant way to increase your cardiovascular health while as mentioned above it is low impact meaning it has less wear and tear on your joints. Swimming is fantastic too for toning your muscles whether you add it to your gym routine or just simply swim. Be sure to start with the easier strokes before moving to more advanced ones if you are a beginner, while as you advance, having a consistent mixture of the above strokes in your routine, changing between tempos and so on, will allow you to reap the most rewards.
How Aura Leisure Can Help
At Aura Leisure we provide swim lessons for people of all ages and abilities, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to embrace the joy of swimming. For those little ones we have the Aura Junior Swim Academy, which helps babies and tots build confidence in the water as well as nurturing the bond with their parent. While for children we have the Aura Swim Academy, which is split into 10 levels to accommodate every child as they develop their swimming skills, and for the adults we have adult specific swim lessons which cater for those who’ve never been in the pool before to those looking to perfect their techniques. Meanwhile, if you’re just someone looking for a swim our state-of-the-art pools are ideal and our members get access to our pools at no extra cost.