There are several different swim styles and strokes.  Although most of us have taken swim lessons at some point in our life, many do not recall the various swim strokes used in swimming.  Here is a brief review of the most common swim strokes.

Butterfly – Double arm strokes and double kicks with body undulation and straight arm recovery

Backstroke – On your back, alternate arm stroke and leg kick with a roll on each pull

Breaststroke – On your belly, do a double arm stroke and leg kick, with a frog kick quickly

Freestyle – On your belly, alternate arm strokes and leg kicks, breathing to the side. Often called the front crawl.

Sidestroke – On your side, your lower arm does half upper stroke, lower arm does stroke in the opposite direction while legs scissor kick

Basic Backstroke – On your back, both arms stroke to shoulder and legs do frog kicks

Doggy Paddle – this is an easy one – just watch any dog!  Really, it is good for cool downs and adds a bit of aerobics

·               Warm up prior to starting your routine

·               Maintain good swim technique

·               Hire an instructor for a few lessons if you are unsure of your technique and/or routine

·               Have a buddy video your swim so you can make adjustment

·               Keep a journal of your progress and build on your workout from there

·               Join a swim group to keep you motivated and make your sessions more fun

·               Use flippers to increase your resistance and improve your kicks

·               Make good nutrition part of your daily fitness program

·               Prevent muscle cramps and spasm by keeping hydrated with electrolyte drinks and not overexerting in your swim

·               Do dry land workouts to improve your performance