Learn to Swim - The Breaststroke
Breaststroke is the slowest swimming stroke but it can be swum powerfully and at speed. It is popular with people who like to swim for fitness as the breathing is much easier than with the front crawl. The initial position of breaststroke is to keep your body level with the surface of the water. Your shoulders need to be in line and your hips must be flat in the water.
Breaststroke Steps / Technique:
Step 1 - Leg Movement: From the initial position
move your feet and legs together, like a frog
would. Simply bend your knees and lift your feet
up as far as your posterior. Turn your feet out
in preparation for pushing back with the bottom
of your foot. Move your feet out and in again to
meet each other, and straighten your legs with
your knees touching. It is a good idea to
practice this movement at the side of the pool, by holding onto a support rail with your legs
stretched out behind you.
Step 2 - Arm Movement: Start out by placing your
arms out in front just under the surface of the
water. With your palms facing outwards push both
hands out and around as if drawing a full
circle. Your hands finish by stretching forwards
again. Your arms and legs should stay in the
water all of the time and you shouldn't splash
when doing the stroke correctly.
Step 3 - Breathing: The reason breaststroke is
so popular among recreational swimmers is that
breathing is achieved easily. When you have
mastered the leg and arm movements you will
notice that your head starts to lift naturally
at the end of the cycle. When this occurs simply
lift your face out of the water and take a
breath in through your mouth. Put your face back
into the water breathing out through your nose
and mouth, as you stretch your arms forward to
begin the circle again.
Step 4 - The last step is to put the stroke
together, so pull your arms and breathe in while
pushing your legs back and stretching out with
your body level in the water.
Different Swimming Strokes:
Lesson 1 –
Breaststroke
Lesson 2 –
Freestyle,
Front Crawl Stroke
Lesson 3 –
Back Crawl Stroke
Swimming with Allergies
|
