Wednesday | April 27,2023

BASIC SWIMMING
 swimming, in recreation and sports
, the propulsion of the body through
water by combined arm and leg
motions and the natural flotation of

SWIMMING
the body. Swimming 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. 
HISTORY
 The cavemen painted swimming
techniques on cave walls as early as
the Stone Age. It is
PREHISTORIC ERA likely that they overcame water
OR STONE AGE obstacles by dog-peddling and doing
propulsive arm movements
similar to today’s freestyle arm-
stroke, or clung to logs and animal
bladders.
 HUMAN
CIVILIZATIONS
 Swimming was a measure of culture in
Ancient Greece. “Those uneducated who can
neither swim nor read and write, cannot hold
1. Greeks a public position”, said Plato. Although
swimming was not included in the program of
the Olympic Games, it was an important
part of education. In Athens, Solon made the
acquisition of the science of swimming
compulsory in 594 B.C., and Lykourgos, the
lawmaker of Sparta, prescribed the same in a
strict Act on education in the 9th century.
 2. Mesopotamia

In Mesopotamia, swimming was recorded in pictorials or written records hereof in

almost every nation’s culture from the Sumerian to the Assyrian. Their scientific achievements
include water pools and swimming pools. Excavations in Syria revealed four-thousand-year
old baths, the water temperature of which could be regulated as desired. Many records related
to swimming remained from the Assyrians too. When exploring the ruins of Nineveh, several
reliefs were dug out from royal tombs from 1200 B.C. which represented the swimming
trainings of Assyrian warriors. Swimming was an integral part of combat training of the
Assyrians as well as young people in Israel received obligatory swimming lessons. Herod the
Great (73 B.C. – 4 A.D.), king of Judea, made swimming compulsory to all male children. In
Mesopotamia as well as in Egypt developed a high-standard body culture, which was
connected to water in many ways.
 3. Egyptian
The ancient Egyptians knew a number of swimming styles. Freestyle, backstroke
and breaststroke are depicted in the representations found in royal tombs, on vessels
and vases. On an ancient Egyptian clay tablet from 4000 – 9000 B.C., the arm-stroke
clearly shows the moving phase of the freestyle arm-stroke: one arm is depicted in
the recovery phase above the water, while the other arm carries out the pulling
action under the water
Swimming and bathing in the Nile was also one of their religious obligations. They
also had baths, not only the pharaohs but archeologists found pools for swimming at
the dwellings of general people
 In China, historians account
swimming across rivers and was
4. Chinese part of the military training.
In the 3rd century B.C., the Chinese
Imperial fleet officer training
institutions have organized
swimming lessons and swimming
trainings.
 5. Romans
The ancient swimming and bathing culture rose to its highest level in Rome. The
usefulness
of swimming in entertainment and in public life, and its role in politics was quickly
realized.
Romans excelled in bath building, too. Augustus had a swimming pool built, big enough
to
simulate sea battles in it. Roman baths were also built in Hungary, such as the famous
baths of
Aquincum. Swimming for the Romans did not only have health and “body exercising”
function, but it was considered as indispensable also in military training. From the 3 rd
century
B.C., warriors had to swim in attire and weaponry in order to improve their physical
fitness.
 6. The rest of the ancient people

● Germanic peoples used swimming as a tactical exercise.

● Finnish people considered it as natural a movement as running.
● Icelandic folklore also reports a number of swimming deeds, which shows that
both men and women were excellent swimmers.
● In Japan, swimming had an important role in the training of the Samurai. It was
one of the noble skills. According to the historical records the first known
swimming competition was held in the isolated island country in 36 B.C.,
organized by Emperor Su Gui.
● In Mohenjo-Daro in India, one of the first pools used for swimming is located
dating back to 2800 B.C. and measuring 30x60 meters.
THE MIDDLE AGES
After the fall of the Roman Empire (476 A.D.), water lost
its popularity. Any contact with
it was considered unclean and sinful. Apparently
everyday bathing and swimming in open water
were extremely harmful to health with the plague and
leprosy as a basis, according to Christian
missionaries. Water may have been the source of
diseases and illnesses, and it was better to stay
away from it.
The contempt of “bodily vanity”, the de-emphasis of body
culture and of the hygiene
education characterized the man of the early Middles Ages. As
ascetic lifestyle led to the purgation
of the soul and to the gain of salvation, physical exercise, and so
is swimming, was relegated. Due
to the widespread of Christianity, swimming and bathing
culture fully declined. The Church
prohibited physical exercise, swimming and even bathing, as
“pure body covers impure soul”.
Medieval Christianity created a dual ideal of man.
the first swimming manual written by Nicolaus Wynmann, a
university
professor in Ingolstadt, published in 1538, also encouraged the
practice of swimming and
emphasized the importance hereof. In his work entitled “The art
of swimming”, the author presents
not only the swimming styles and how to teach them but also
describes how to jump in the water,
how to dive and how to save someone from drowning. He
propagates the primacy of teaching
breaststroke..
 THE RENAISSANCE OF SWIMMING

The boom of the Renaissance body culture has overcome all the
medieval prejudices
against swimming. People in the Renaissance discovered the
beauty of the human body and that
of physical activity, returned to the ancient values of body
culture. Swimming and bathing in open
waters have become popular again
 HISTORY OF SWIMMING IN THE
PHILIPPINES
The Americans introduced swimming as a comparative
sport to the Philippines in the 1900s.
Through the pioneering efforts of YMCA leaders working
among the American Military forces, the
rudiments of the sports were impressed upon the Filipinos
who saw in 1907 the construction of the first
swimming pool in the country
 In 1911, Filipinos watched avidly from the sidelines as the
first swimming championship meet was
held at the American Columbia Club swimming pool with
HISTORY OF competing American team from the Manila
YMCA, the American Columbia Club and the USS
SWIMMING IN Saratoga. Filipinos were quick to learn, and by 1912, a
number of local swimmers had emerged from different
THE parts of the country who competed against each
other in championships organized by the Americans. Out of
PHILIPPINES the 42 individual entries, the late Condrado
Benitez emerged as the most outstanding Filipino
swimmer. During the Far Eastern Games held at Manila
in 1913, the Philippine Team composed of Condrado
Benitez, J. del Pan, C. Aiville and L. Cristobal won
the championship against China and Japan.
 Health benefits of swimming
Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole
body against the resistance of the water.

Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:

•keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your
body
•builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
•helps you maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
•tones muscles and builds strength
•provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are
used during swimming.
 Other benefits of swimming
Swimming has many other benefits including:
•being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise
•alleviating stress
•improving coordination, balance and posture
•improving flexibility
•providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
•providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day
•being available in many places – you can swim in swimming pools,
beaches, lakes, dams and rivers. 
Make sure that the environment you choose to swim in is safe
FREE STYLE
SWIMMING
1. Adaptation in the water
1. Breath holding (assisted and
unassisted)
Face fully submerged,
breath to be held at least
ten seconds.
1. Bobbing
Alternately inhale
through the mouth
above the surface and
exhale through the
mouth and nose, with
head completely
submerged, ten times
rhythmically and
continuously.
1.Floating (assisted and unassisted)
a.Turtle float
The knees are
raised to the chest
and encircled by
the arms.
B. Jellyfish float
Also known as the
survival float. Standing
in waist-deep water, the
swimmer takes a deep
breath, puts his face in
the water, arms hanging
down, and allows the
water to support the
body. The swimmer lifts
his feet off the bottom,
and his body bobs to the
surface.
Star float
a.Front
Take a deep
breath, put your
face in the water,
arms in T
position and legs
in Y position.
a. Back
Take a deep breath,
lie on the water, tilt
your head with
arms in T position
and legs in Y
position. Position
your stomach out.
a.Prone floating
With face
downward, legs
extended backward,
and arms stretched
forward.
1.Prone gliding (assisted
and unassisted)
Push off face down in
waist-deep water, take
a prone position, glide
a distance of at least
two body lengths, and
recover to a standing
position.
1. Flutter kicking (assisted and
unassisted)
Used in crawl and
backstroke in which the
legs are extended straight
back and alternately
moved up and down with
a slight bend in the knee
on the upward movement.
1.Prone glide with flutter (assisted and
unassisted)
1. Arm stroke drill
In prone position with face buried and, with legs trailing or kicking
gently, do the arm stroke in series, pull, push and recover the
arms, and make progress thereby
1.Prone glide with flutter kick with arm stroke
1. Breathing drill
a. While your face is in the water exhale completely until your lungs are
totally empty.
b. Turn your head to the side and take one sharp intake of breath as practised.
c. Lower your head quickly back into the water.
Arm stroke with breathing drill
Freestyle with breathing
1. Diving
a. Sitting position
Sit at the edge of the pool with your feet in
the water and against the wall.
Put your arms up straight, hands
together. (Make sure your elbows touch
your ears)
Bend your upper body forward and
downwards so your arms are close to the
water.
Lean forward, fingers stretched and push off
the wall of the pool with your feet, making
sure your fingers enter before the rest of
your upper body.
a. Kneeling position
1.Position yourself as close to the edge of the pool as possible.
2.Crouch on one knee resting it on the deck while, placing the toes of
your lead foot at the pool’s edge.
3.Keep your arms straight ahead and your head down. (Remember to
stretch out your hands)
4.Lean forward slowly, pushing with your feet against the pool’s edge,
entering the water fingers first.
a. Standing position
1. Stand with your feet together, toes curled
over the edge of the pool.
2. Place your arms straight above your head,
touching your ears with your arms.
3.Bend your knees slightly, and stay relaxed
so they don’t slap the water.
4.Tuck your chin, bend at the waist, and push
off with your feet into the water fingers first.
Thank
You