Tagged with ' Swimsuits'

In swimming, an open turn might seem pretty straightforward…you touch the wall, turn around, and keep swimming. In reality, it’s not quite that simple. 

Whether you’re racing butterfly, breaststroke or IM, or you prefer open turns to flip turns, it’s time to take your turns to the next level!

Introducing the new Arena Powerskin Primo, the world's first tensoelastic racing suit!

The next generation has never been greater! Arena have released the first ever FINA-approved race suit made with recycled fabric. 

Arena ST NEXT is made from ECONYL®, a high-quality 100% regenerated nylon yarn manufactured using pre- and post-consumer waste, such as fishing nets and other nylon waste.

By supporting Healthy Seas, arena contributes to the recovery of discarded fishing nets from the sea which, together with other nylon waste such as carpet flooring and industrial plastic, are transformed (the ones suitable for recycling) by Aquafil into ECONYL® yarn.

60% of the yarns in the fabric composition were sourced from pre and post-consumer waster that would otherwise end up in a landfill! Along with the improved fabric construction that makes the ST NEXT 20% lighter, the reinforced shoulder straps and enhanced fabric elasticity ensure that the ST next is both comfortable and compressive.

High Performance For All

Enhanced core support, body lift, and stability help swimmers maintain optimum form in the water. From beginners to world class champions, the POWERSKIN ST NEXT performs powerfully for athletes of every level at an incredible value.

Superior Support and Compression

Additional lining brings technical improvements to the ST range. Incorporated in to the top front of both the open back and jammer and extending down the back of the leg, the new lining provides greater muscle compression in targeted areas.

Reinforced Shoulder Strap

The ST NEXT’s shoulder structure features a new design with extra reinforcement in the center strap. Bolstered by the shell fabric and durable lining, the shoulder strap provides greater support in the shoulders and upper back, enhances the overall fit and feel of the suit, and adds an extra level of durability.

Easy On and Off

The upgraded fabric of ST NEXT has improved elasticity, which makes it easier and quicker to get on and off than other racing suits, while still providing good, targeted compression.

The New Arena ST NEXT are now available at ProSwimwear! You can browse our collection here.

Amplify your confidence in the HydroX™ - the newest and most advanced competitive swimsuits from FINIS. 

Their team of experts has meticulously refined every aspect of this racing suit, beginning with the fabric and how it interacts with your muscles. Their exclusive MemoryFlex™ fabric is carefully designed to optimise your muscles' natural expansion and contraction, delivering consistent compression for peak performance. This innovative material is also smart, allowing it to return to its original shape throughout the entire stroke cycle, ultimately improving flexibility and compression.

With FINIS HydroX™, you're guaranteed to experience the best possible results.

Although swimming can look easy, it requires full-body strength and coordination. There are five simple skills that every swimmer needs to learn. Let us explain.

Getting bored of your regular cardio workout? Let us explain why swimming is the perfect workout for cardio.

Championship season is exciting for all competitive swimmers, but it comes with a ton of preparation.This comes with buying a new tech suit. Worried about finding the right tech suit? Here are some facts to know when buying a tech suit.

What’s the importance of a tech suit? Why are they any better than a regular swimsuit? A tech suit is designed to reduce your drag in the water and help you efficiently move through the water. Tech suits are made from water-repellent fabric and don’t soak up all the water like a normal swimsuit does! They offer compression which is shown to be effective in improving circulation and can have an overall positive effect on recovery. 

One thing you will notice with most tech suits and swim jammers is that they are very smooth. Almost seamless? Don’t worry, this is on purpose! By removing the seams through multiple stitching and designing the seams to direct the flow of the water, the suits become closer to being a second skin that allows you to move faster and more freely through the water. Fastskin suits are designed to give you a slight bump in performance.

When buying a Fastskin, size doesn’t matter. Are you a 24”? Tech race suits are going to be different sizes. They are designed to be tighter fit so you get all the benefits of the suit! Also, it is often that a swimmer’s body changes size as they grow, change and develop. You want a suit that fits you and that you feel ready to race in. Sizing is just a number! Measure to find your current sizes to compare to size charts to find the size that you need.

Try on a few styles before making a decision! Many female swimmers prefer the classic open back suit, but there are both closed back and powerback suits to be considered. Are closed back suits harder to bend, twist and move in? Not at all! Try on different styles to find the one that is best for you and that you feel the most comfortable in. It’s important to get a good feel of your options to find the best fit.

Remember, you’re the one wearing the tech suit. You are the one that has to race in it! So, make sure you feel confident in the tech suit you choose. 

Tech suits are not cheap. They are an investment, especially in a swimmer’s training and success. You don’t wear tech suits to regular swim meets. Tech suits are made so you can invest in your goals and designed for the athletes at their most elite competitions. They are racing suits for when you are prepared to race! 

Shopping for a new race suit is an exciting task, not something that should be daunting and scary. It means that your big competition is coming up and you are achieving your goals!

At ProSwimwear, we have a large range of performance suits to browse through. Check them out here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/fina-approved-swimwear.html 

Still have questions? Contact us at ProSwimwear about any of the tech suits on our website and our customer service team will be ready and excited to help you get the perfect race suit for you.

Swimming is perfect for physical exercise, working out all of the muscles at once, but it can also be mentally beneficial. It brings a therapeutic state to your mind and helps to bring a positive effect. Swimming is very beneficial for the mind, here is why:

Swimming is an effective way to relieve stress. The regular, repetitive motion of swimming through the water is often relaxing and can help focus the mind on one task. Swimming is a sport that releases endorphins into your brain and can help to bring a positive outlook to life. Being immersed in the water boosts blow flow to the brain, which can have a positive impact on its health. Swimming can lead to at least a 30% improvement in self-worth and satisfaction in life. 

Regular swimming can also help to lower the effectiveness of anxiety and depression. The release of these natural endorphins helps to boost happiness. Swimming is also a great way to help improve memory, focus, and concentration as swimming often takes a lot of focus into your swimming technique. The water can help to relieve the tension of muscles, the floating effect of the water is calming to the mind and helps people to feel happier in themselves.

Swimming has a big community of fellow swimmers who support each other, give each other advice, and help to influence each other. Social interaction with other swimmers to share experiences, tips, and tricks, or simply to enjoy swimming together, can help to boost serotonin and to find some like-minded people to support you. 

There is scientific evidence that suggests that the colour blue/being in blue spaces can improve mental well-being, for example looking up at a blue sky, or looking at the blue sea. It is abundant throughout the natural world and is associated heavily with water. 

In conclusion, swimming is perfect for your physical health, but it can be perfect to help your mental health too. At ProSwimwear, we offer a large range of swimwear, accessories, and equipment to dive into the water with a smile.

Swimming is not always an option for everyone, as not everyone is situated near a swimming pool, or open water so sometimes swimming can be next to impossible to do. 

Try open water swimming! Along with a new experience, you can continue your regular exercise training routine and it can even help to improve mental health. It also allows you to have social interaction with fellow swimmers and allows you to do something active! 

If you swim often, do regular dryland training to keep strengthening your muscles. Try out different arm exercises and bodyweight exercises at home to target your muscle strength and your endurance.

Try cold showers or baths. Many swimmers swear by this, challenging yourself to do something potentially unpleasant involving water and overcoming your reluctance to get cold can give yourself a similar mental boost to a swim. Some swimmers even put ice baths in their showers.

You can also look at content related to swimming! Read books and magazines, listen to podcasts and watch films or documentaries on swimming. Content can help to inspire ideas for your own challenges and adventures once you get back into the water and can help you gain more information in areas you may not have understood properly. Have fun and learn. Make a plan of these challenges you wish to do and it should help spark the motivation once you return to the water.

Lastly, don’t worry too much! If you have to take a break because of work, traveling, or injuries, you can bounce back to swimming! While it can take time to recover your fitness, it will come back. You don’t forget how to swim. You may need to tune up your skills and technique, but they’ll still be there once you get back in the water. Be excited to return to the water! You’re still a swimmer, even if you can’t swim currently, you will be able to return shortly!

In the meantime, you could also take a look at our website for training aids and swimming costumes for when you return to the water  https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/

Swimming is a full-body workout. It requires the use of every muscle, meaning you need to care for and maintain each one. The upper body is important. Even if you have the strongest legs, a weak upper body will slow you down in the water.

Dryland training should be incorporated into your exercise for your swimming. Let’s delve into the different ways you can focus on your upper body strength to see those results in the pool!

Equipment-based exercises

Hopefully, your pool membership also includes access to a gym full of equipment to help train your arms. There are lots of gyms that have a lot of equipment to allow proper arm exercises for swimmers for example cables, free weights, and much more. Let’s take a look at some examples of equipment you can use for dryland exercises and a movement you can perform while using it: 

• Dumbbell curls are probably the first thing you visualise when you think about somebody training their arms, they are versatile and you can pick the weight depending on what it is you want to do. 
• You can also practice preacher curls which are one of the most effective isolation exercises, try three sets where you push yourself to failure and pick a weight where you are failing between 8-10 repetitions. 

Bodyweight exercises

You can build some serious muscle and endurance from just your own body weight. Don’t feel discouraged by the lack of dumbbells, you can still build muscle with bodyweight arm exercises. These exercises can also have a much lower chance of injury.

• Pushups are a classic. They don’t just improve your arm strength, it targets your chest, triceps, biceps, chest, and more! It can also improve core strength, which helps you to minimise your drag in the water. You can also turn pushups into full-body cardio by changing them into burpees. 
• To perform a pushup correctly, put your body into a high planking position and put your palms flat on the ground beneath your shoulders. Let your chest sink towards the ground until your nose touches the ground and then push yourself back up to the original position. Keep your feet close together, but not touching, your toes pointed, and your heels up. Pushups can be done in a variety of styles, such as diamond pushups, elevated pushups, and even one-armed pushups, which can make your workouts more fun and dynamic!
• Dips are one of the most essential arm exercises for swimmers as it helps to target strength building in your triceps. Put your legs at a 90-degree angle, and cross your calves. Lower your body, keep your chest forward to apply balance. Dips can be very hard at first and will make your triceps burn, but this exercise also targets your pecs, anterior deltoids, and even back muscles. 
• Chin-ups are performed by gripping a bar in line with your shoulders above your head, palms facing towards you. You then pull yourself up until your chin rises above the bar and lower yourself back down. Chin-ups also work out your lats and scapula. Chin-ups can be one of the most difficult arm exercises, especially if you are lifting a lot of weight. Resistance bands can help to push your body up. 

Dryland arm exercises for swimmers will make positive changes to your performance in the pool. If you have access to a gym, don’t be shy to try the weight machine! If you cannot access a gym, you can exercise at home with either equipment or simple bodyweight workouts! 

At Proswimwear, we offer a large range of resistance bands and dryland equipment that could help you with your workout.

Dryland Training Aids: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/land-training.html
Resistance Training Aids: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids/resistance-training.html

Swimming is a great form of exercise for many people of all ages and genders. If you already know how to swim it is easy, and not too expensive, and you can go at your own pace but if you do not know how to swim, lessons can be pricey in the very beginning. It not only helps your physical health due to the demanding nature of the sport, but it can also boost your mental health.  

The Physical Benefits

Swimming allows you to work out all of the muscles in your body. It requires all the major muscles to move your arms, legs, core, and brain. It helps to tone your muscles and increase metabolism. Swimming regularly can help to increase these benefits.

It is also the best form of cardiovascular fitness that is low impact, this involves the heart, lungs and is a great way to stay in shape for a lifetime. This helps to train your body to use your oxygen more efficiently. The water also has a resistance that allows you to work out more vigorously with little chance of injury. Swimming for just thirty minutes a week can help protect against heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

In addition, the more you swim the better you sleep. Trials have been conducted with adults who have insomnia and they reported improved sleep for those who exercised regularly. 

All-Inclusive Health Benefits

Swimming is suitable for people of all ages, and fitness levels, it allows you to go at your own page and fitness levels. It is therefore inclusive for people and can allow all generations to get together and exercise, from grandparents to grandchildren. 

It is also a low-impact activity, so if you have a health condition, like arthritis it is a great way to exercise, with the water gently supporting the muscles, with the water’s resistance helping your muscles get stronger. It will improve your muscle endurance which will prevent injury too!

For people with physical disabilities, swimming is a great way to exercise. It can help lift a lot of weight off your limbs and help improve muscle strength. It also helps to improve motor skills and coordination, increases flexibility, and helps to improve mental health.  It can help provide a greater sense of independence and confidence, and swimming is often used for physical therapy sessions.

Swimming exercises are also safe during pregnancy. Pregnancy can often make joints and muscles ache due to the drastic rate at which your body has to change and gain weight to accommodate a child. Swimming is a safe, low-impact exercise that is easy on the joints thanks to the resistance of the water. While pregnant, it is possible to swim pretty much until delivery, but we recommend you consult a doctor before starting any new fitness programs.  

The Mental Benefits

Swimming doesn’t just improve your physical health, it can also improve your mental health. Exercise is proven to help improve sleep regularity and swimming is no different. It can help to reduce insomnia and improve your sleep patterns. Swimming engages your entire body and encourages your body to get a full night's rest to recover all of your muscles.

Swimming also can help manage stress easier. It can redirect your thoughts and let you escape into your own world for a while. There’s a relaxing and meditative side to swimming. It allows your mind to float, only focussing on your breathing and body movements as you push through the water. It can make you happier as swimming releases endorphins. It helps to improve your overall mood. 

The swimming community also is a great way to build social skills and improve your confidence. Having a little support from your friends and family can help your confidence and make you happier.

In conclusion, swimming not only helps to improve your physical health but also your mental health. It is perfect for all ages and all people as a great form of exercise. At Proswimwear, we have a large variety of swimwear, training aids, and wetsuits that can aid your journey in swimming, be sure to check it out here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/

Putting on a wetsuit can be a challenging task for a multitude of reasons, and can be the most exhausting part of the dive of open water swimming. But, squeezing into a wetsuit doesn’t have to be so difficult. Here are some hints and tips for putting one on more easily.  

Keep in mind, some wetsuits are simply too tight. If it restricts breathing or blood flow, squeezing around the neck, the wetsuit is too small. Another indication can be if the wetsuit is stretched tightly that the material leaves a hollow at the small of your back or stretches thin in places, this means that the wetsuit is too small. Over-stretched material will not keep you warm as it would if it is a properly fitting and snug wetsuit. This is because a stretched suit will allow water to circulate inside of your wetsuit, whereas a fitting wetsuit will keep you warm by stopping water from circulating inside the suit.

7 tips for squeezing into a tight wetsuit 

1. The plastic bag trick - place a plastic shopping bag around your foot before sliding into your wetsuit. Once your foot is through the wetsuit leg, remove the bag and repeat the process with your other foot, and then take it to the next level and place it around each hand. The plastic helps the neoprene glide over your skin, without it getting stuck. 
2. Blow into the wetsuit - this trick requires a helpful friend. Once your hand is through the wetsuit sleeve, have your dive buddy lift the edge of the wrist seal and blow a bubble of air into the suit to help it stretch and slide into the right place. 
3. Start with the wetsuit inside out - turn the offending wetsuit completely inside out and put one foot through the ankle of the reversed suit. Roll the suit up your leg slowly and repeat with the other leg, the torse, and finally the arms.
4. If you can, get into the water with the wetsuit and put it on in the water. Whenever the suit sticks, pull the fabric away from your body to allow water to flow into the suit and break the seal between your body and the suit.
5. A dive skin can be worn underneath a wetsuit. Thin lycra dive skins cover a diver from the ankle to wrist to provide protection from wildlife. When under a wetsuit, dive skins help you to put on and remove the suit by preventing the suit from sticking to your skin. 
6. Use a water-based lubricant - they can help a dive to put on a wetsuit more easily. The diver spreads a small amount of lubricant on his wrists and ankles to help them slide through the tightest parts of the wetsuit. 
7. Having zippers installed into a suit's ankles and wrist makes putting on a suit much easier.

There are methods you should avoid to try and get a wetsuit on. Using soap, detergents, shampoo, or conditioner as lubricant can affect the suit's neoprene and may irritate or dry out your skin. Biodegradable solutions should not be used with a wetsuit as some of the liquid will also leak from the wetsuit into the water. Even biodegradable versions of detergents and soaps can leave thin residue and can make the neoprene become stiff and begin to crack.

Oil-based products can also damage neoprene, such as petroleum jelly or oil-based lubricants. Don’t use oil, grease, or any oil-based lubricants to aid sliding on a wetsuit.

So, sometimes wetsuits can be a challenge to get on. These tips should help you to get a wetsuit on with more ease and avoid the hassle! Take a look at our Skin Slick Anti-Chafe Skin Lubricant 1.5 Oz which is safe with lycra, neoprene, and wetsuits. 

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk//skin-slick-anti-chafe-skin-lubricant-1-5-oz.html

It is important to enrol your child into swimming lessons not only for their safety but for their confidence. It is a sport that is a lot of fun for people of all ages, and children love getting in the water and enjoying themselves. It helps keep your child’s heart and lungs healthy, improves strength and flexibility, increases stamina and can even improve posture and balance. 

The Essentials

What would be considered essentials? A swimsuit and towel. We know this sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how frequently people forget these two! Make sure you always have these packed in your child’s swim bag to make sure you don’t forget them. Other items to go in your swim bag could be a pair of footwear for those kids that don’t like the cold tiles beside the pool and a water bottle to make sure your child stays hydrated. Wet bags are also essential. They are useful for keeping damp items separate from the rest of your belongings after a swim, such as your goggles and swimsuit.

For kids with long hair, hairbands are another essential. They don’t want their long hair getting in the way whilst swimming. To ensure hair stays out the way while they swim, you could also pack a swim cap to make sure none of those loose strands gets in the way and is tucked away. 

Struggle to keep your eyes open in the water? Swim goggles are also important! This will help you swim through the water without worrying about chlorine getting in your eyes and allow you to swim until your heart's content. Swim goggles are especially useful for the first swim lesson to help your child see clearly in the water.

Are you taking your baby to their first-ever adult and child lesson? Make sure you pack swim nappies. Swim nappies fit nice and snug which reduces the water that gets into the nappy.

It’s nice to have: 

If your child isn’t completely confident in the water, kickboards could be the perfect assistants to keep them above the water and having fun. They can also be used to play fun games.

You could also help your child feel more comfortable in the pool by bringing a waterproof toy, this can help your child feel safe and reassured as swimming can often be a daunting task for the first time. Pool toys are perfect for fun games such as throwing and chasing the toys or simply playing catch, both of which could help your child improve their confidence in the pool. 

Shampoo and body wash is also a nice touch to bring for your child, at Proswimwear we have SoCozy products such as a Swim 3 in 1 (Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash). Even though the showers are equipped with liquid soap, it is nice for your child to have their own body gel and shampoo to wash themselves with. Chlorine sucks the natural oils from your hair and skin, leaving them dry, rough, and damaged. Chlorine can also cause chemical reactions in your hair, changing the natural colour of your hair, weakening each hair strand, and causing split ends, therefore it is appropriate to have the correct products to combat this. 

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/brands/socozy.html

It is important to wash after a swimming lesson to help reduce dry skin afterwards, and if your child is prone to this, it could be recommended to use lotion as well. It is also a nice touch to blow dry your child’s hair after the lesson to make sure that they are nice and dry when leaving the building and that they feel refreshed for the day. 

After the swimming lesson, you could also give your child a snack, as moving through the water makes you tired and hungry, and so their energy levels could be low afterwards. Fruit is also a great way to recover after a swim as it provides the body with a good source of vitamins and minerals. Make sure they get their five a day! 

Overall, it may be daunting as a parent taking your child to their first swimming lesson, but it is important to remember that they are in the safe hands of the instructor and that it is an essential skill for them to learn for their safety.

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories.html

In this blog we will be looking at the best 5 Girl's Swimming Costumes of 2019! 

This blog will include: 

• Key features about each suit
• Big brands such as Nike and Speedo 
• An in-depth examination at 5 Girl's Swimming Costumes
• Products we think are the best of the best! 

So, if you want to see some of the Girl's Swimming Costume highlights from 2019 look no further!

All available now at ProSwimwear! 

In this blog you'll get an EXCLUSIVE insight into Speedo's new Fastskin Endurance+ Range!

We are very excited about this launch, and we are inviting you into a look inside a the World Exclusive only at ProSwimwear.

You'll learn... 

-When the release is

-What will be different about this new rnge

-And what's to come next! 

Read more to get the exclusive on the exclusive! This new range is going to change the look of Junior swimming as we know it,. 

When you get serious about your swimming you've got to get serious about your swimwear too. Do you pay enough attention to what materials your swimming costume is made from before buying a new suit? If you were splashing out a few hundred of your hard earned pounds on a racing suit then sure, you would do all the research possible before making that purchase, but what about when it comes to your swimwear for training sessions?

At ProSwimwear we live and breathe swimwear, it's second nature to us. But we are aware that some may need a bit of help when it comes to getting started with the basics, the language, the various styles and materials appropriate for your purposes. You don't have time to run around finding all this info out for yourselves! Thats why we've had a go at summarising it all for you!

When it comes to buying a swimming costume there are many factors to consider. What will you be using your new swimsuit for? Will it be used once a day, once a week, or more like once a month? Do you need it for leisure swimming, training/fitness or racing? And then there's the vast amount of different styles, colours and swimwear materials to choose from, it can all be a little overwhelming. But don't fear, ProSwimwear is here to help explain the ins and outs of buying swimwear. These guides will help you figure out what sort of swimsuit to purchase for your needs.

Pictured are elite swimmers Siobhan Marie O'Connor, Missy Franklin, Jazz Carlin and Steph Slater who are all sporting the latest swimwear prints from Speedo. We've just received the new swimming costumes, and they're now on sale in our "New Speedo Collection" category. All four athletes were also involved in this week's launch of the new 2016 Speedo LZR Racer X.

The "Fuse" tech suit is the latest FINA approved racing swimsuit to come out of the FINIS stroke labs in California. The write-ups promise a high quality product at an affordable price and I must admit I was impressed on the first occasion of handling one of these new swimsuits. My initial reaction to the suits is that they do indeed appear to be of a very high quality and robust construction. They do feel like the kind of quality that you would expect from much higher priced suits and along with that the material, strategic lining and stretch properties mean that they're really comfy to wear