Training From Home: How to Maintain Swim Fitness Amid Isolation Period

The coronavirus outbreak has brought society to a new normal life — where stay-at-home policies, the closing of borders, cancellation of flights, and postponement of major entertainment and sports events are commonly observed. 

Now that stadiums are closed and Olympics are put on hold, athletes are probably confined to their houses, living a not-so-ordinary life. So, what is it like to be an athlete with no competition, no proper training, and no sign of a silver lining in these darkest days?   

Athletes have invested hundreds of days working hard, breaking a sweat, preparing for their competitions that were supposedly a few months away. But none of them knew that they would be facing a different kind of battle, something they’re not even prepared for. 

This pandemic is taking a serious toll on the athletes, leaving them with so many questions in mind like “How to stay motivated when there’s a widespread uncertainty going on?” and “How to keep training when there is no certain competition ahead?”.    

Some athletes are working on new, inventive ways to stay fit at home. They prepare for when tournaments resume in the future. However, if you are a swimmer, then it must be hard for you to train. When pools and gyms are shut down. But just because you don’t have a pool in the basement to dive in. it does not mean you can’t keep your training sessions at home. 

You will have to say goodbye to your personalized swim caps for the meantime. because you are going to perform exercises that are mostly dryland. The first set of cardiovascular workout is either cycling or running indoors or outside in the backyard. These exercises are very effective ways to maintain your cardiovascular fitness. A cardio workout on dry land is different from what you do in the water; hence, you need to match your heart-rate zones inside and outside of the pool.       

Planking is another form of exercise that will give you a more stable core. A strong and stable core allows you to rotate freely in the water and increase your overall efficiency. Aside from basic planking, kneeling side planks are another type of planking exercises, specially designed for swimmers.   

Scissor Kicks

This type of exercise will help your leg generate more force to surge forward in the water. Aside from strengthening the legs, scissor kicks also burn fats, tone abs, and improves body posture. Do this by lying flat on your back with your arms spread to the sides. and a leg straight up to the air while the other one is parallel to the floor. Switch your one leg to another synchronously. 

Loop Exercise

Moving to the shoulders — your body’s captain when it comes to swimming, T’s, Y’s, W’s and I’s are excellent exercises for shoulder straightening and stability. These are effectively done. If you use stretch cords or therabands for greater shoulder resistance.  

Superman Workout

Here’s the best form of exercise that targets the back as well as the full-body part. The superman workout is basically inspired by the swimming position. wherein you lie flat on your stomach with your chin tucked in and your arms by your ears. Following this position, swim your arms forward the same way when you do some strokes and circles while lifting your legs up of the floor. You can also hold a set of small weights to intensify your workout. 

Sarah Contreras2 Posts

Sarah is a full-time writer, who likes turning ideas into useful words. Aside from writing sonnets at 6 am, she also blogs general issues and smart financing tips. When she’s not writing, she spends her precious little time — thinking of what to write next.

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