If you’re a current swimmer or a former swimmer, you know all too well how common shoulder injuries are in the sport. These issues can arise from poor stroke technique, imbalances in shoulder musculature, and something swimmers often neglect to admit: not kicking enough. Each swimming stroke should be driven by your legs. If you’re not kicking (or minimally kicking) for an entire two-hour practice and only relying on your arms to move you forward, the odds of shoulder pain and injury increase significantly. Here are five ways to become a faster, more efficient swimmer and reduce the risk of shoulder injuries!
1. ADD DRYLAND TRAINING
Dryland training refers to the exercises performed outside the pool to complement your in-pool training. It provides unique and powerful ways to strengthen muscles, increase power in the water, and reduce injury risk that you can’t get in the pool. Simply put, training outside the pool is crucial if you want to get ahead. The key though? Consistency. It must be built into your training schedule. Working out sporadically simply won’t provide enough stress to increase muscle strength. Aim to do these exercises at a minimum of 2x per week.
Here are 5 exercises that NEED to be in your program:
1. Hollow Body Hold with Flutter Kick
- Improves core stability while kicking.
2. Squats (Body Weight or With Weights)
- Increases lower body strength and power.
- Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, quads, core, and more.
- Providing you body a huge stimulus like this will spark big gains in the pool.
3. World’s Greatest Stretch
- Enhances mobility 2 critical areas: The hips and thoracic spine.
- Improve range of motion for flutter kicks and underwater dolphin kicks, and increases breathing technique efficiency
- Reduces stress on your shoulders
4. Ankle Dorsiflexion Self-Mobilization
- Adequate ankle mobility is essential for an efficient kick.
- Limited ankle mobility increases drag and decreases stroke efficiency, leading to
slower split times and even worse, injury.
5. Tibialis Anterior Strengthening
- Strong dorsiflexion/ plantarflexion throughout your ankle range of motion is
crucial for all your kicks, especially the breaststroke. - Focus on eccentric control of each
2. CONSIDER BODY POSITION
No matter the stroke, it’s key to keep your body on top of the water and continuously move forward. If your legs are sinking or you’re swimming too far below the surface, your energy will be used to swim back up instead of forward. A great way to practice this is to grab a snorkel and perform flutter kicks with your head in a neutral position, with the bottoms of your feet barely breaking the surface. If this is still challenging, you can add a pull buoy above your knees to help achieve the proper body position. A good body position reduces drag and unnecessary energy expenditure, decreasing the risk of shoulder, low back, and neck injuries.
Shoulders:
● Our shoulders can perform up to 2,000 rotations in a single swim practice. Multiply this by daily practices, and you could be doing up to 10,000 rotations a week.
● Poor body position (too deep) causes the arm to straighten in order to press up to the water’s surface, placing stress on the front of the shoulder, where the biceps and subscapularis attach.
● A neutral body position (closer to the surface) allows for a high bent elbow catch, engaging more muscles to increase the power and efficiency of your stroke.
Lower Back:
● If your legs drag, your lower back compensates by extending more to lift them. Without adequate core strength, this constant stress can lead to pain and injuries.
● A strong core helps maintain a neutral body position, reducing stress on the lower back.
Neck:
● An extended neck, combined with the rotation of breathing, can lead to muscle imbalances and a host of neck-related injuries (especially upper trap pain).
● A neutral head position (chin tucked) keeps the cervical spine safe, allowing for proper breathing and efficient strokes.
3. KICK DURING KICK SETS
Sounds like a no brainer, right? Almost all swimmers are guilty of swimming from the flags to the wall during a kick set, incorporating breaststroke kicks during a flutter kick set, or stopping at the wall because their legs are tired. However, if you don’t practice a consistent and powerful kick, your legs simply won’t get stronger. Muscle strength and endurance increase through progressive overload. In swimming terms, this means increasing the intensity of your kick over time, and not performing the same routine day in and day out. For example, if you did 4x50s kick on 1:00 and found it’s starting to get easy, you need to increase the intensity or decrease the interval to challenge yourself further. The body adapts to unfamiliar stimulus – never forget that!
4. ADD IN VERTICAL KICKING
Do you often get calf cramps during kick sets? What about foot cramps? Many swimmers have a bad habit of kicking only from their knees, which mainly works the calves and quads, increasing the chance of a muscle cramp. But what about the rest of your leg? That’s where vertical kicking comes in. Vertical kicking is when you kick with your head out of the water and your feet directly under you in a vertical position. It forces you to start your kick from your hips to stay at the surface of the water. This engages your glutes and hamstrings, not just your calves and quads. Using these muscles increases the power of your kick and reduces the stress on your calves and quads, which can help prevent cramps and injuries. Vertical kicking also eliminates the need to worry about making it to the wall within a certain time. Instead, you can focus on the quality of your kick, ensuring you’re using the right muscles and technique.
Incorporating these strategies into your swimming routine can make a significant difference in your performance and overall health. By focusing on dryland training, maintaining the correct body position, practicing consistent and powerful kicks, and utilizing vertical kicking, you’ll not only become a faster swimmer but also significantly reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. Remember, swimming is a full-body sport, and every part of your body needs to work together efficiently. With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your swimming goals while keeping your body strong and injury-free. Dive in, stay consistent, and swim smart!
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Thanks for reading,
Dr. Michelle