Four Ways to Maximize Summer Water Time! Practice, Practice, Practice!

We’ve found that kiddos learn to swim best with repetition and consistency. Here are some insider tips to practice all summer long and maximize water time:

1. Require a horizontal body position

• Beware of the lifejacket/floaties bicycle kick. These flotation devices encourage a vertical body position in the water. Kiddos get results from bicycling their legs in this position. Take the floatie away, and you have an active drown victim who can not propel themselves forward because their kick is not effective.

2. Add a nice rhythmic kick to that horizontal body position

• Kicks should be at the surface and from the hip, not the knee
• Encourage loose ankles and straight, but not rigid, legs

3. Practice back floating

• Back floating is one of the most overlooked skills in recreational swimming. This skill saves lives every day.
• Practice a deep head position with the water at the corners of the eyes and the entire head of hair submerged.

4. Emphasize air exchange- not breath holding

• Breath holding is fatiguing. Real swimmers blow bubbles.
• Releasing air underwater creates space to take new air into the lungs quickly. Ultimately, this exchange should become a habit.
• Exhaling through the nose is the best! This is accomplished through a simple hum. Do this and water will not go up the nose!

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