 in recreation and sports, the propulsion of the

body through water by combined arm and leg

motions and the natural flotation of the body.
 as an exercise is popular as an all-around body
developer and is particularly useful in therapy and
as exercise for physically handicapped persons.
 It is also taught for lifesaving purposes.
- The front crawl is the fastest of
the competitive swimming
strokes.
Front crawl is the fastest and most efficient of
all swimming strokes for the following
reasons:

 There’s always one arm pulling underwater,

ideally positioned to deliver powerful propulsion.

 The arm recovery above water minimizes drag.

 The continuous flutter kick also provides its fair

share of propulsion.
- is the most popular swimming
stroke of all.
 Breaststroke is the slowest one of the
competitive swimming strokes.

 Breaststroke is often the first stroke

taught to beginners because you can
swim breaststroke while keeping your
head above water all the time.
- is the second fastest swimming stroke,
and is also quite exhausting to swim.
 The butterfly stroke is one of the
difficult strokes to learn. You need to
master the unusual movements of the
body undulation, as well as the
dolphin kick and the not-so-obvious
arm stroke.
- is the only one of the four competitive
strokes swum on the back.
 Backstroke is the third-fastest swimming
stroke, being faster than breaststroke but
slower than butterfly.

 Recreational and fitness swimmers should

consider doing a bit of backstroke during each
swim session, as it uses different muscles
than front crawl, contributing to a more
balanced musculature.