Flexible? I can touch my toes… kinda…

Every swimmer around the globe is looking for new, quick ways to go faster. So look no further, this is a sure fire way to help you see your times drop and performance increase. FLEXIBILITY…

Something that most swimmers tend to lack. However when you look at the top level of swimmers, the majority of top level olympic athletes are surprisingly very flexible. Some (Michael Phelps is noteable) are even 'double jointed' (hyper-mobile) and can get their bodies into the optimum shape to swim through the water at the fastest speed possible. This increased flexibility allows your body to get into the most effective position for swimming on the different strokes. Each different stroke requires flexibility in slightly different areas, therefore for maximum benefit on all of your strokes all round flexibility is important.

Is there an easy fix?

In a word… No. Unfortunately there is no such easy fix. To improve your flexibility it takes time (a good couple of months, if not longer!). Everyone needs to start somewhere, so write yourself down a stretching programme to follow 4+ times a week. It is better to do this every day after exercise for the best benefit and reduced chance of injury as your muscles are warm. It is always very easy to hide away from stretching but if you stick to your plan, not only will you improve your flexibility drastically but you will also massively reduce your recovery time. This means hitting each training session that little bit harder, your muscles will be much more efficient and you will be able to hold a better technique for longer. It’s a win win!

*WARNING* this requires lots of persistence and commitment - but we are swimmers, we can do that, right?

We would love to know your thoughts? Please comment below!