15 weeks. That’s how long it has been since the stay-at-home order was put into place. Lives changed, policies changed, routines changed, and we haven’t seen a return to normalcy since. As I talked about in a blog a few months ago, some people took advantage of the quarantine and bettered their lives in a healthier way. Some increased working out, worked on flexibility, prioritized sleep, became more conscientious about nutrition, etc. But, one thing that NO ONE got better at was practicing swimming (unless you’re one of the lucky ones with a backyard pool…JEALOUS!).
With the stay-at-home order lifting and businesses opening back up, so are (some) pools. I urge you all the hear this advice about getting back into the water.
MAKE CHANGES NOW!
Hear me out. No matter how “in swim shape” you were over the quarantine, your body has not performed swimming strokes in many months. Your neural circuitry is rusty, and it must “re-learn” how to work efficiently. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE teach it to fire the correct way.
If you haven’t been in the water yet, imagine how you’ll feel. Have you ever taken even just a Sunday off of swimming, and then you get back in the water on Monday and think “holy crap my muscles forgot how to swim”? Now imagine that feeling but instead of one day off, it’s 105! You are going to feel weird; you will need to re-teach the body to move. Again…PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE teach it to fire the correct way.
I know every single athlete reading this has heard a number of things that their coach has told them to fix/change. Now is the time to make that a habit. Don’t let old (bad) habits get settled in. Create new habits while it is easy.
If you normally crossover when pulling, STOP DOING IT NOW!
If you breathe too late, STOP DOING IT NOW!
If your streamline looks like overcooked spaghetti noodles, STOP DOING IT NOW!
This is how I imagine the worst conversation with an athlete going:
Coach: “Stop crossing over”
Athlete: “Coach, I’m dying. I can’t think about technique. Let me get into shape before I start trying to change technique”
Coach (four months later when the athlete is “back in shape”): “You’re still crossing over”
See what happens?! Make the changes now before your body can pick up it’s old bad habits.
Shameless plug time. A lot of times athletes don’t know what bad habits they have. I can’t stress enough how beneficial one-on-one private training can be. Undivided attention from a knowledgeable coach is priceless, especially at a critical time like this. I recommend everyone finds a coach/swimmer that they trust and ask them to help with your stroke before bad habits settle in.
As always, Excel Swim Performance is there to help. Whether it’s me, or someone else, get some help to Exceed Your Potential!
Comments