Swimming

 is an individual or team sport that uses arms and legs to move the body through water. The sport takes place in pools or
open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports,[1] with varied distance
events in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley. In addition to these individual events, four
swimmers can take part in either a freestyle or medley relay. 

 Swimming each stroke requires specific techniques, and in competition, there are specific regulations concerning the
acceptable form for different strokes. [2] There are also regulations on what types of swimsuits, caps, jewelry and injury tape
are allowed at competitions. Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport -- such
as tendinitis in the shoulder-- there are also multiple health benefits associated with the sport.

 Swimming is a great way to kill time on a hot day and there are so many games, activities and pass-times that swimming is
essential for. Whether you are attending a pool party, spending a week on a cruise or boating at your cottage, being able to
swim means that you can do more and enjoy it further

But, swimming isn’t just a fun pass-time, it is a great way to stay healthy

 It Increases Flexibility -Swimming will by no means make you a contortionist, but it will help you stay flexible. When you
swim, you are stretching and twisting various muscles which helps them remain limber

 It’s a Great Work Out-Swimming provides you with a full body workout that strengthens everything from your core to your
arms and legs. This is because you are constantly moving and are using almost every muscle – your legs are kicking, your
arms paddling your back is twisting with each stroke and your core is tightening, to keep you afloat and move more
effectively.

 It Improves Your Heart and Lungs  - The Technical Reason - Like any aerobic exercise, when you swim, your muscles need
more energy. A key component in generating that energy is oxygen, which is delivered through your bloodstream. As a
result, when you use your muscles more vigorously, your lungs work harder to increase your oxygen intake and your heart
rate increases so that your heart can deliver the right amount of oxygenated blood.

 It Relieves Stress- Exercise, in general, is good for your mental well-being as it releases endorphins which are a feel-good
chemical your brain produces. On top of this, swimming has meditative qualities - the rhythm of your strokes and breathing
along with the sound of water, can further add to a feeling of peace and relaxation.

Open water

 In open water swimming, where the events are swum in a body of open water (lake or sea), there are also 5 km, 10 km and
25 km events for men and women. However, only the 10 km event is included in the Olympic schedule, again for both men
and women. Open-water competitions are typically separate to other swimming competitions with the exception of the
World Championships and the Olympics

Health Benefits

 Works your whole body- One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it truly works your entire body, head to toe.
Swimming.

 Works your insides, too- While your muscles are getting a good workout, your cardiovascular system is, too. Swimming
makes your heart and lungs strong. Swimming is so good for you that researchers share it may even reduce your risk of
death. Compared with inactive people, swimmers have about half the risk of death. Some other studies have shown that
swimming may help lower blood pressureand control blood sugar.

 Is appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis, and other conditions- Swimming may even help reduce some of your pain
or improve your recovery from an injury. One study showed that people with osteoarthritis reported significant reductions
in joint pain and stiffness, and experienced less physical limitation after engaging in activities like swimming and cycling.

 Good option for people with asthma- The humid environment of indoor pools makes swimming a great activity for people
with asthma. Not only that, but breathing exercises associated with the sport, like holding your breath, may help you
expand your lung capacity and gain control over your breathing

 Beneficial for people with MS, too- People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may also find swimming beneficial. Water makes
the limbs buoyant, helping to support them during exercise. Water also provides a gentle resistance.
  Torches calories- Swimming is an efficient way to burn calories. A 160-pound person burns approximately 423 calories an
hour while swimming laps at a low or moderate pace. That same person may burn up to 715 calories an hour swimming at a
more vigorous pace.

 Improves your sleep- Swimming may have the power to help you sleep better at night. In a study on older adults
with insomnia, participants reported both a boost in quality of life and sleep after engaging in regular aerobic exercise

 Boosts your mood- Researchers evaluated a small group of people with dementia, and saw an improvement in mood after
participating in a 12-week aquatic program. Swimming and aquatic workouts aren’t just psychologically beneficial for
people with dementia. Exercise has been shown to boost mood in other people, as well.

 Helps manage stress- Researchers surveyed a group of swimmers immediately before and after swimming at a YMCA in
New Taipei City, Taiwan. Of the 101 people surveyed, 44 reported being mildly depressed and feeling stress related to fast-
paced life. After swimming, the number of people who still reported feeling stressed decreased to just eight.

 Safe during pregnancy- Pregnant women and their babies can also reap some wonderful rewards from swimming. In one
study in animals, a mother rat’s swimming was shown to alter the brain development in her offspring.

 Great for kids, too- Kids need a minimum of 60 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. It doesn’t need to feel like a chore
either. Swimming is a fun activity and doesn’t necessarily feel like formal working out.

 Affordable- Swimming may also be an affordable exercise option compared to some others, like cycling. Many pools offer
reasonable rates to join. Some public schools and other centers offer swim hours for free, or for a sliding scale according to
your income.

The Different Swimming Strokes / Styles

The Freestyle Stroke

 The Freestyle Stroke or front crawl is often the preferred stroke of seasoned swimmers. It uses alternating arm movements
with an above water recovery. The legs execute a flutter kick

Breaststroke

Breaststroke is the most popular swim stroke of all. In breaststroke, both arms execute half-circular arm movements at the same
time under water in front of the swimmer. The arm recovery also occurs under water. The legs simultaneously execute a whip kick.
Breaststroke is often the first swimming stroke taught to beginners. In fact, many casual swimmers can only swim this stroke.

Butterfly Stroke

 The butterfly stroke stands out among the competitive strokes because of it’s unique and spectacular technique. It uses a
symmetrical arm stroke with an above water recovery. It also uses a wave-like body undulation and a dolphin kick.

 Butterfly is the second fastest swim stroke after freestyle. It has a reputation of being hard to learn and is quickly
exhausting. But once you have mastered it, swimming a few lengths of butterfly can be a lot of fun! Here a short video that
demonstrates the butterfly stroke:

Backstroke

 As its name suggests, backstroke is swum on the back. It uses alternating circular arm movements and an above water
recovery. The legs execute a flutter kick similar to the one used in freestyle.

 Backstroke is faster than breaststroke but slower than butterfly. Physicians often prescribe backstroke swimming to people
experiencing back problems because it gives the back an excellent workout. Here a short video that demonstrates
backstroke:

Sidestroke

 The sidestroke is an old swim stroke swum on the side that uses a scissor kick and asymmetrical under water arm
movements. Side stroke is not used in swimming competitions and is therefore swum less often nowadays. Nevertheless it
is easy to learn and can be an interesting alternative to the popular swim strokes. It is also used by lifeguards to rescue
victims. Here a short animation of the sidestroke:
Elementary Backstroke

Elementary backstroke is a swim stroke that is swum on the back, using a reversed breaststroke kick and a simple synchronous
under water arm stroke. Elementary backstroke can be used as a first swim stroke with children (or adults) that learn how to swim
because its technique is very simple. Here a video that demonstrates elementary backstroke:

Officials

 Referee: The referee has full control and authority over all officials. The referee will enforce all rules and decisions of FINA
and shall decide all questions relating to the actual conduct of the meet, and event or the competition, the final settlement
of which is not otherwise covered by the rules.

 Starter: The starter has full control of the swimmers from the time the referee turns the swimmers over to him/her until
the race commences. A starter begins the race by saying, "Take your mark." At this point, the swimmers will get into
stationary positions in which they would like to start their race.

 Clerk of course: The clerk of course (also called the "bullpen") assembles swimmers prior to each event, and is responsible
for organizing ("seeding") swimmers into heats based on their times

 Timekeepers: Each timekeeper takes the time of the swimmers in the lane assigned to him/her. Unless a video backup
system is used, it may be necessary to use the full complement of timekeepers even when automatic officiating equipment
is used.

 Inspectors of turns: One inspector of turns is assigned to one or more lanes at each end of the pool. Each inspector of turns
ensures that swimmers comply with the relevant rules for turning as well as the relevant rules for start and finish of the
race.

 Judges of Stroke: Judges of stroke are located on each side of the pool.

 Finish judges: Finish judges determine the order of finish and make sure the swimmers finish in accordance with the rules
(two hands simultaneously for breaststroke and butterfly, on the back for backstroke

Tools and Equipments used in Swimming

 Swimsuit- Competitive swimwear seeks to improve upon bare skin for a speed advantage and coverage. In 2009, FINA rules
and regulations were altered and suits made with polyurethane were banned because they made athletes more buoyant.
These rules also banned suits which go above the navel or below the knee for men and suits which extend past the
shoulders or cover the neck for women.

 Swim cap- A swim cap (a.k.a. cap) keeps the swimmer's hair out of the way to reduce drag. Caps may be made of latex,
silicone, spandex or lycr

 Goggles- Goggles keep water and chlorine out of swimmers' eyes. Goggles may be tinted to counteract glare at outdoor
pools. Prescription goggles may be used by swimmers who wear corrective lenses

 Swim Fins- Rubber fins are used to help kick faster and build strength and technique, but are illegal in a race. They also
improve technique by keeping the feet in the proper position while kicking.

 Dragsuit
Swimmers use drag suits in training to increase resistance. This allows a swimmer to be challenged even more when
practicing and let the swimmer feel less resistance when racing. Drag suits are not used in competitive races.

 Handpaddles
Swimmers use these plastic devices to build arm and shoulder strength while refining hand-pulling technique. Hand
paddles attach to the hand with rubber tubing or elastic material. They come in many different shapes and sizes, depending
on swimmer preference and hand size.

 A kickboard is a foam board that swimmers use to support the weight of the upper body while they focus on kicking.
Kicking is the movement of the legs only which helps to increase leg muscle for future strength

 Pull buoy- Often used at the same time as hand paddles, pull buoys support swimmers' legs (and prevent them from
kicking) while they focus on pulling. Pull buoys are made of foam so they float in the water. Swimmers hold them in
between the thighs. They can also be used as a kickboard to make kicking a little harder.
 Ankle bands- Improving balance will minimize the need for this kick to provide an upward, instead of a forward vector, and
in some cases completely corrects the kick. Using an ankle band will have the immediate effect of turning off your kick,
which then forces you to make efforts to correct your balance. If you are successful in discovering these, then the ankle
band has done part of its job.

 Snorkel- A snorkel is a plastic device that helps swimmers breathe while swimming. This piece of equipment helps the
swimmer practice keeping their head in one position, along with training them for the proper breathing technique of
breathing in through the mouth and out the nose.

 Tempo trainer- A beeping clock attached to a swimmers cap or goggles helps maintain a certain arm tempo or speed. As
each beep is heard, the next stroke, or cycles of strokes, should be taken

 Zoomers- A type of rubber swimming fins, zoomers are cut off fins with the holes in the bottom. They help make the
swimmer kick faster, but at the cost of working harder

Size of the Olympic Pool

 Length- There's no single "correct" length for a lap pool. You just need enough space to get a good stroke going on each lap
without having to do too many turns. Pools used for competitions are typically 25 meters, or about 82 feet. (Some are 50
meters, or 164 feet.) Most yards don't have anything like that kind of open space available for a pool. But according to
"Pools & Spas" authors Fran J. Donegan and David Short, a lap pool 30 or 40 feet in length should be enough to allow a good
workout.

 Width- Traditional lap pools are about 10 feet wide, though widths between 8 and 10 feet are common. (In competition
pools, swim lanes are 2.5 meters wide, or about 8.2 feet.) You don't want to go too narrow with a lap pool. When people
swim, their bodies generate wave action, and those waves reflect off the sides of the pool. The narrower the pool, the more
turbulence

 Depth- How deep a lap pool should be depends on whether users will be diving in to start their swim. A 4-foot depth should
give you enough water for doing laps without trouble. Having at least 6 feet, at least at one end, is preferable if swimmers
will be diving in. Also, the deeper the water, the less turbulent it will be. That's why major swimming competitions require
pools to be at least 2 meters deep (a little over 6 feet), with a preferred depth of 3 meters (nearly 10 feet). However, when
you're putting in an inground pool, deeper also means more expensive: more digging, more dirt to haul away and more pool
material going into construction.