Core strength for swimming

[EmilA]

Never learnt to swim so I took a few lessons last year. I could never keep my legs level behind me to keep my momentum going when using a float. Maybe managed to do maybe 2 metres before they just start to drop themselves, and if I focused on keeping them up I got my technique wrong and focusing on technique my legs just dropped. Instructor advised me that's it was due to my core strength. I stopped going and then life got in the way but I want to go back and learn to swim again.

What can I do to build my core strength up aside from say doing planks, sit-ups etc? I also have quite a severe case of lumbar lordosis and suffer from lower back ache quite easily (and very painfully!) when I do core workouts. I've got stretches to do which help ease the pain, and starting to exercise recently which has helped with increasing my flexibility again.

I'm not afraid of getting into water and able to touch the bottom of the pool with my eyes open etc, even though I went under three times when I was a lot younger.

Thanks for reading and look forward to the replies

[gregs656]

Hollow holds might be good. Would stop you letting your lower back collapse and aching which might be happening with planks and press ups etc

Almost anything you do you can do with an activated core.

[rykard]

palloff press

[didelydoo]

Look up glute activation. Activate and strengthen your glutes- in most cases, this will make almost every other muscle work as they should, stop your lordosis, and allow you to actually use your core muscles properly.

It's often not a core strength issue, but one muscle group not firing properly, that causes all the others to over compensate, tighten and weaken, and mess up posture. In most cases, the non firing muscle are the glutes (also the biggest muscles in the body, which if sat a desk lots, won't be used much).

Provided there are no structural problems- Get the glutes working and strong, and everything up chain and down chain will begin working as it should.

[EmilA]

Thanks for the responses. I'll look those up.

My glutes are already over compensating for my lower back. Noted though and will see what my other options are, thank you.
From what I can remember, my stomach muscles are quite weak from what the physios have told me, trying to strengthen them using core exercises causes the lower back pain to go out of control.

Edited by EmilA on Monday 11th November 11:05

[omniflow]

The exercise I do whilst swimming to strengthen my core is to sit on a noodle shaped float with my feet off the bottom, and then use my arms in a breaststroke motion to propel myself from one end of the pool to the other.

[Halb]

buy a swimming snorkel.

edit
Swimming with a snorkel how to use it? why? & why is it so good for lower back pain
The WEST way to swim
https://youtu.be/ts4D0nr07Ho

Edited by Halb on Tuesday 12th November 09:26

[RobM77]

I'd highly recommend the Total Immersion method of swimming. I could write pages on it, but to put it briefly, it will teach you to swim effortlessly by being sympathetic to your body and the water you're moving through. When I started I also had a very bad lumbar curve to my spine, a weak core, and despite being a fit runner and cyclist, I couldn't swim 50 metres without getting completely out of breath. My legs dropping was one of many problems that I had. After perfecting TI, I could swim a mile in open water at a competitive speed (1 m/s) without tiring myself at all. The best way is one to one lessons, which I did for 2-3 years, but I have also attended a day workshop which was brilliant and much cheaper.

Edited to add: There are some key differences between TI and 'normal' swimming, both in teaching methods and the stroke. I'm a very strong advocate for TI in preference to standard swimming, which failed me both with one-to-one and in group lessons on multiple occasions as a child, in my 20s and in my 30s. TI was an absolute revelation.

Edited by RobM77 on Tuesday 12th November 10:40

[egor110]

When I had lessons to do a triathlon I was trying to do to much with my legs , in the end they had me just sort of flapping my ankles not to push me forward but to keep me flat in the water

[RobM77]

egor110 said:

When I had lessons to do a triathlon I was trying to do to much with my legs , in the end they had me just sort of flapping my ankles not to push me forward but to keep me flat in the water

This is known as a "two beat kick", and it aids rotation from one 'rail' to another. Other than in very short sprint distances in the pool, legs carry a huge drag penalty for the propulsion they give. Most top swimmers use this technique for distances. The added benefit in a triathlon is that if you don't really use the legs they're fresh after the swim for cycling and running.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Head position helps with legs. If you are looking too far forwards your legs will drop.

A good modification of the plank for swimming is to push your elbows forward so the arms are not straight down. Then glute activation to try and tuck the tail bone in. This helps me with keeping the core from sagging down (i.e. going a bit banana shaped, or thats what it feels like).

Hyper extensions/Reverse Hypers are good

and I would heartily recommend Pilates actually if you have a class you can go to. I found that very good .

[EmilA]

Thank you all for the responses, I'm short on time right now to look up each response given but will do so soon.

In terms of swimming lessons, I aim to take one to one lessons until I can swim confidently and then will hopefully do some group sessions.