Alternative Health Blog

As the weekend unfolds, you might be breathing a sigh of relief from your weekday connectivity with email and cell phones. Or maybe you are still connected by your handheld device.

That’s where swimming comes in. Even dedicated runner or group class members might want to consider adding pool work to your exercise list. What you might see as boredom could in fact be a way to escape all of those messages (well intended or not) invading your life.

In her new book, “Get Wet, Get Fit: The Complete Guide to Getting a Swimmer’s Body” (Fireside), Olympic competitor Megan Quann Jendrick offers plenty of encouragement for newbies in the lap waters. She says most of us make the same swimming mistakes over and over.

“Beginners tend to panic in the pool,” she says. “They are OK in three feet of water but panic in six or seven feet. They stop breathing and thrash a lot. It’s important to first learn how to relax in the water. You might try floating on your back to start or using a kickboard. The kickboard can really take the panicky feeling out of it.”

In simple form, Jendrick says many fitness swimmers try to both inhale and exhale when their heads come out of the water. She urges that the exhalation be performed while your head and mouth is actually down in the water. That way you get a more full breath inward when your head lifts out of the water.

“You want to blow that water out of both the nose and mouth if you can,” said Jendrick, who admitted that even she gets “a little panicky” in the first moments she gets in open water for snorkeling.

Jendrick’s comments link to what some yoga teachers will emphasize during class. “Try to make your exhale the same length as the inhale,” said one instructor during a recent class I attended. “Stretch them both out. It slows you down into a rhythm after a hectic day.”

In fact, you might try matching your “in-breath” and “out-breath” if you are stressed out, maybe even while trying to fall asleep. You will notice a calming effect within a half-minute.

Jendrick makes a point in the book that the best swimmers in Olympic or recreational pools are those who splash the least. The best swimming technique propels the body smoothly through the water. Jendrick recommended a good way to understand that physical feeling is the “streamline point” when your arms are straight up over your head and the arms are interlocked while pushing off the pool end with your legs. It’s part power and part glide.

One more thing from this Olympian, which explains the reference to a “swimmer’s body” in the book subtitle.

“There’s a common misconception that swimming as exercise doesn’t burn fat,” notes Jendrick. “Not true. Swimming burns fat but also builds leanness because you use every muscle in the body [especially the larger muscle groups]. You might notice the difference of a swimming program on the scale right away, but look in the mirror or consider how your clothes fit better. Those are the results you want.”

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.