Competitive

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.

Competitive swimmers know there are set rules to follow whilst swimming to ensure good lane etiquette and keeping peace between swimmers. For those new to competitive swimming, don’t worry we have you covered! Here are the rules to abide by when swimming in the lanes!

Getting into a lane

Choose the right lane for you. You may frequent the fast lane, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to be the right lane for you. The best lane is the lane that will not impact your performance or your fellow swimmer’s performance. Take a second to evaluate the lane speeds before getting into the water. Be sure to observe the lane direction to see which direction you should be swimming. Clockwise? Anti-clockwise? Make sure you know the flow of the lane.

There should be lane signs to refer to in case you are unsure. If you are still unsure, check with a lifeguard! Don’t be the one to swim in the wrong direction as this can be dangerous. Just take a second to know you’re going the right way around.

Now you understand the lane you plan to get into, make sure it is clear when you get in. Don’t slide straight in! Make sure there are no oncoming swimmers before you enter the pool. If there is no safe space to jump in, sit to the side to indicate to other swimmers that you are there and ready to join the lane. Only join when safe to do so.

Don’t push off straight away behind a fellow swimmer. If you are close to the swimmer ahead of you, the more the person is dragging you along. Your swim becomes easier and theirs becomes harder. Wait a minimum of five seconds before pushing off - wait even longer if possible!

Be mindful of others

Certain swimming techniques require you to be more streamlined, keeping your arms and legs closer to your body, such as front crawl and backstroke. When it comes to techniques such as butterfly or breaststroke, you will be taking up more space with wider strokes. Be mindful of your fellow swimmers when practising. If possible, move to an empty lane when practising these techniques. Or you could pull one arm stroke where possible and try to reduce the size of your kick when passing another swimmer.

If someone touches your foot when swimming, don’t panic! Swimmers often tap each other’s feet to let them know they want to pass you. If your foot is tapped, all you have to do is move either to the wall or to the lane rope and let them pass by! Swim until you reach the end of the lane and stop at the wall to let them turn ahead of you. 

Taking a break

Need a break? When you need to stop, tuck yourself into the corner of the lane or sit on the poolside. Remove yourself from the end of the lane to allow other swimmers to carry on with their set without any disruptions.

When you’re taking a break, you shouldn’t ever hang off the lane ropes! Not only could you cut yourself, but the lane becomes loose and starts to wobble, effecting both your lane and the neighbouring lane.

And remember, when getting back into the lane, treat it as if you’re getting in for the first time! Check for other swimmers before getting in and keep your distance from the swimmer ahead of you.

Other etiquette rules

Don’t take equipment from others! When there are floats placed at the end of a lane, it’s because a swimmer has chosen to put them there and will be using them for their training plan. Be sure to have all your own equipment before swimming!

Be prepared. At ProSwimwear, we have a great range of equipment available for this: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html 

Now you know the rules of the lane! Remember to check your surroundings and be aware of other swimmers. 

Triathlon season is fast approaching! Still trying to improve your swimming technique for your next triathlon? We’ve got you covered! Here is how you can improve your technique for triathlons.

Bilateral breathing will open up the ability to take in what is happening around you, but can also reduce damage to your shoulders and neck from the repetitive motion of only breathing on one side. By doing this, you will be able to see more of your surroundings and see any hazards, such as oncoming waves or other swimmers. Try learning to breathe on both sides of your stroke. It will also help make your stroke more symmetrical.

Swimming in open water can throw a lot of variables into the mix. Many routes for triathlons include a turn around a buoy and swimming blindly with your head down will put you at a disadvantage. Identify landmarks before you swim that you will easily recognise and be able to see when taking a quick check of your surroundings.

To sight properly, lift your head slightly up so that only your eyes appear above the surface. Quickly scan to place where you are before lowering your head back underwater. You can do this as often as needed to understand your location and with your positioning in the race.

A major part of success in triathlon is being able to distribute the workload amongst you and your fellow competitors, it is key to not waste unnecessary effort on your first discipline, that you’ll be wanting to save for the rest of your swim. Identify the strongest swimmers around your pace level, and position yourself slightly to the side of them, making sure that you breathe away from the side of the swimmer’s leg. Make sure to push when you have the energy to do so! 

Keeping a high position in the water will keep your legs from weighing you down and sinking into the water, reducing the drag from your own body. Your wetsuit should assist with buoyancy but having the best head position will help guide the rest of your body through the water. Keep your fingers and toes closed to keep your streamline position throughout your body and you will see an increase in your efficiency!

For many triathletes, swimming can be their weakest of the three sports. However, making improvements to your swimming technique will help you move up through the ranks! Try out the points above and win your next triathlon.

The weather is getting warmer and those competitions are getting closer. The idea of your child swimming can sound more appealing during the nice weather as a way to keep them healthy. But, is your child looking to become a competitive swimmer? Here are a few things you should know before your child competes.

Don’t skip the basics! Your child should feel comfortable in the water and have a good level of confidence. Practise those four techniques used in competitive swimming: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Swim programs are perfect to help a child prepare for swimming at a next level, helping your child to perfect their technique.

The team you decide to go with should fit what you and your child want out of swimming. Having a good team with similar goals in mind will help build confidence in your child and allow them to have friends who are also going through the same struggles to support each other and push each other on to achieve their goals. 

Having the right gear is important for any competitive race. Check with the coach or instructor to see what is required for your team members. Some essentials you will need are goggles and caps! Also make sure to have spares of everything, including their swimsuit in case any issues arise, such as a strap breaking. 

Unlike other sports, swimming is a low-impact sport that helps prevent strain. Swimming is a sport that can be a lifelong activity for your child, even one that can be a launching point if they are interested in pursuing competitions and triathlons at younger ages. Although swimming is a team activity, your child will often be competing in individual events. Keep in mind that your child will put in a lot of practice before the competition!

Most importantly, your child’s safety should come first. Your child should be monitored in the water, even after a child learns to swim and improves their skill. It’s crucial to prevent drowning and other accidents happening by going to practices where you and the instructor can keep an eye on your child.

Is your child heading to their first swim meet and you’re not sure what to expect? Check out more information here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/what-to-really-expect-at-your-childs-first-swim-meet-/ 

One rule all swimmers and coaches agree with on race day is keeping your routine and sticking to strategies that you know work and lead to your best performance. Have a series of checklists that will help set you up to achieve your peak performance. In this blog, we will go through the different ways to prepare for that big race.

Competitions push a swimmer to their limit, adding additional challenges. Swimmers often have to warm up multiple times during the day, once at the beginning of a session and again before each swim. Most warm-ups in the water consist of a moderate level of swimming, maybe try 400 to 800 metres! This can include stroke drills and even high intensity workouts that last around 50 seconds. 

Here are a few things you can do to help prepare that little more:

• Finish your main warm-up at least 30 minutes before you have to race.
• Finish your pre-event warm-up as close to the start of the event as possible. Leave it to the last five minutes of when your race is to begin
• If possible, try getting back into the water 10 to 15 minutes before the race.
• Only work your body enough to warm it up! Don’t work so hard that you fatigue your body before stepping up on the blocks!

As important warming up in the water is for a race, you should also incorporate dryland training into your warm-up, especially if the pool space at a competition is limited and no warm-up pool is available. Dryland training can improve a swimmer’s power, athleticism and speed for when they get back into the water. 

Swimmers need a strong core to transfer force efficiently from one part of the body to another, to push off from the wall and essentially win the race. Good core strength enables the swimmer to accelerate faster and to carry more speed in a dive. Core training can help to improve your breathing flow in the water, improve posture and upper body strength. You can do many dryland workouts that help to improve core strength, such as using resistance bands or doing sit-ups. Dryland training has many benefits for a swimmer. Want to learn more on why dryland training is important to a swimmer? Read more here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-begin-dryland-training-/ 

Although your physical ability and health is important for a race, being mentally prepared and ready for a race is also very important. Having a well-known routine that helps prepare your brain for the race is always a great way to have your mind focused and will help to increase your performance.

Having strong self-confidence is also important to being prepared for a race. When a swimmer is able to see future successes as part of their mental preparation, their confidence isn’t too far behind. Confidence is something you can train and sharpen and isn’t something you have to fake. Recognising what you have done well helps to boost your self-esteem and to appreciate how far you have come. Want to learn more on how swimming increases self-esteem and confidence? Read more here :https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/how-swimming-increases-self-esteem/ 

Overall, preparing for your race on the day should be with workouts and routines you are familiar with. Have confidence in yourself and don’t tire your body during warm-ups! We wish you the best of luck with your next competition!

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.

Water safety is very important for children to learn from a young age due to the risk of accidents and even drowning. It is one of the only sports you can teach your child that can save their life. 

Drowning is one of the top causes of accidental deaths in children, so being able to swim is an essential skill, not only for your child to exercise and socialise with friends but also so they can survive if they accidentally fall in the water. 

Swimming is fun! It’s a great form of exercise that is fun for all ages, so it is much easier to get a child to learn. Swimming is also an accessible sport for children, regardless of age and ability, and can be a key form of exercise for children with additional needs. It can have the advantage of making your child more self-confident, and to make friends. 

Swimming keeps your child’s heart and lungs healthy. Swimming works out the whole body, helping to improve their strength and flexibility, as well as their posture and stamina. Swimming has many health benefits that work for all different muscle groups and help to promote a healthy life if your child is introduced to swimming at a younger age. This can also help to increase their confidence in the water and be able to keep themselves safe with more knowledge and experience.

Swimming is also a great sport to meet new friends and work on team building, allowing your child to learn new social skills and helping them build a team atmosphere. Swimmers learn to support and help each other from their shared experiences in the pool, often making great friendships for life. A positive atmosphere and team skills are skills that can be carried through life. 

Swimming also helps your child to learn self-motivation and goal setting, to push themselves to learn more skills, and to be more confident in the water. Swimming ties teamwork and individuality into one sport.

Swimming is also a sport you can have for life if you teach your child how to swim from a young age. The skill is forever with them and is something they can take with them as they get older. Since swimming is a low-impact sport, it is a hugely popular and safe option for older adults, unlike other sports which can risk falling, swimming is good for the joints and is great for people of all levels.

At Proswimwear, we have a large variety of swimming costumes for children, ranging from performance swimwear to training swimwear. We also have training aids to help support your child in learning how to swim. Make sure to check them out! 

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

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/kids-swimwear.html

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/

A big misconception people have is that caps are purely designed to keep your hair dry. So why does everyone think they are designed for this? Though some caps do keep your hair dry, it’s an added bonus as opposed to its primary purpose. This essentially leaves the burning question…

So, what are swim caps for?

Swim caps are made for a number of reasons, listed below are the key reasons to wear a swimming cap. 

• For Aerodynamics

A swim cap will reduce water drag and keep your hair out of your face so that you can see as you swim. This is important for competitions and racing as it will lessen the hydrodynamic drag whilst in the water and will make your swimming more efficient, and consequently faster.

• To be hygienic

Those who tend to swim without a cap lose hair in the pool, resulting in hair floating in the water and clogging up pond filters. To help keep ponds clean, wear a cap that will stop any stray hairs from getting in your, or your fellow swimmers, way.

• To keep your hair in good condition 

Even though your hair can still get wet, caps prevent the chlorinated water from saturating your hair, preventing dry or damaged hair. It is especially important for those who swim more regularly to wear a cap to avoid any damage caused by the chlorinated pool.

• To be visible in the water

Whether you swim at a pool or in open water, caps help you be seen by lifeguards and bystanders to identify a swimmer in the water. In addition, competitive swimmers wear caps to represent their team and be able to keep track of their laps!

• To keep you warm

If you swim in open water, a neoprene cap will help you to retain heat in your head whilst you’re in the cold water. It works similarly to wearing a woolly hat on a cold day!

• And for fun!

Sometimes, you just have to wear a cap that is fun, stylish, and bright! Sometimes you just have to unleash your personality with a quirky design or crazy pattern. Caps are supposed to be fun for training, leisurely swimming, and open water swimming, so have fun picking out the right cap for you!

If you are looking for a cap to keep your hair dry, then the best advice is to ensure you have a tight-fitting cap such as a silicone cap. You can even wear two caps, such as a lycra cap underneath the silicone cap.

Lycra and polyester swim caps are also great for children learning to swim who are discouraged by the usual swimming caps.

At Proswimwear we stock SoCozy, which is a haircare brand focussed on protecting swimmer’s hair. The  SoCozy Swim Leave-In Treatment + Detangler 8oz, this spray is specially formulated to smoothen, detangle and defend hair from harmful pool chemicals, it is also infused with Beeswax and Jojoba to prevent chlorine and salts from damaging hair. The SoCozy 3 in 1 (Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash) 

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

Race season is approaching quickly, and eating before a race can be tough due to nerves. Whether you’re training for a competition, or putting the strokes in to manage fitness, make sure that your fuel stores are primed while avoiding discomfort in the pool with these tip tips. 

Swimming provides a good workout for the whole body and is a great way to keep fit and healthy. It is a competitive sport, and training for it can involve a mixture of endurance and sprint training, depending on the distance. Competition races can last anywhere between 20 seconds and 15 minutes, containing multiple heats over the course of the day. This places unique considerations on how swimmers should fuel the body for training. Fuelling your body before a swim can be a challenge to ensure you are eating properly and at the right times to help develop your strength and cardio. 

How long after a meal should you wait before swimming?

Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to eating around swimming, so it is important to experiment with what works for you and your body. In general. Allow 2-4 hours before you swim to allow for digestion of a larger meal, and 30 minutes to 2 hours for a smaller snack. 

High Glycaemic Index foods (GI) are quickly broken down and are more readily available for energy. These make for great quick snacks, before, during, or after training. Lower GI foods give a slower release of energy and should be the focus of your main meals during training. In general, main meals should include foods with low-GI carbohydrates and have moderate protein and fats. 

Work and other commitments may determine when you can get in the pool, resulting in just being able to have a small snack before your swim. For energy boosting snacks, try to focus on smaller, higher GI carbohydrate foods which will be quickly absorbed and cause less strain on the gut. 

Good options for this are:

• Isotonic sports drinks
• 1 large banana
• 1.5 carbohydrate energy gels
• 1 large cereal bar or carbohydrate based energy bar (low fibre)

Should I eat before an early swim? What should I eat?

You should eat when it is possible before your morning swim, especially if it is a longer duration swim or high intensity session. If you train on an empty stomach, you might find you tire quickly. Many recreational or competitive swimmers find eating before swimming difficult. Many experience reflux or even nausea once in the pool.

If you are an early riser and get out of bed two hours before your swim, you could eat porridge, muesli, banana yoghurt pots or even blueberry pancakes.

If you get straight out of bed, try energy boosting snacks. If you can’t eat before a swim, or prefer not to eat, try increasing your evening meal, the night before, to include more carbohydrates so the energy will be stored and will be ready for your morning swim.

What should I avoid eating before swimming?

In the 2-4 hours before swimming, you should try to limit: excess fibre, excess fatty foods, excess caffeine intake, spicy foods, and alcohol. These are known to cause bowel upsets that can make you feel nausea whilst swimming.

In the hour before a swim, focus on snacks that are smaller that can be easily absorbed and contain limited amounts of fibre. Any high GI snacks will help you be prepared for your swim. 

At Proswimwear, we offer MyProtein bars which have no sugar and high fibre, it is a good snack to have before swimming and leaves you with lots of energy to perform your best!  They can help with muscle gain and repairing muscle after a workout. These also help to increase your protein intake to hit nutritional goals without having to consume vast amounts of food containing protein and paying a fortune.

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/nutrition-hydration/nutrition-and-hydration/after.html 

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

Dryland training is important to swimmers, and should also be used to maximise swimmer performance. The purpose of swimming is to improve the swimmer’s power and overall speed in the pool, but this is not enough to maintain muscle strength. Therefore there needs to be exercised outside of the pool to improve the versatility of the swimmer’s muscles. 

Despite the repetitive movements and use of the whole body whilst swimming, gaining muscle just by swimming is a tricky task. Training outside of the pool can help assist with this task. When weight is placed onto a muscle, that muscle is working to resist the gravitational pull which causes a muscle to contract and tense. When muscles contract against a weight applied, micro-tears in tissue appear that cause that soreness you feel after a workout, but as the body repairs these micro-tears, the muscle builds up and gets stronger.

At Proswimwear, we offer a range of protein powders and nutritional products that can help with muscle gain and repairing muscle after a workout. These also help to increase your protein intake to hit nutritional goals without having to consume vast amounts of meat and costing a fortune.

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/nutrition-hydration/nutrition-and-hydration/after.html

Weight-bearing strength training for swimmers helps increase bone density too! Swimmers naturally have a low bone density because they spend the majority of their training in the pool rather than putting weight onto their muscles through dryland training. The extra weight on your bones helps to form stronger bone tissue.

Having a strong core as a swimmer can help you maintain the correct body position in the water that helps to minimise drag. This will help a swimmer to move faster and carry more acceleration into a dive with clean entry. Core training can help to improve your breathing flow in the water, improve posture and upper body strength. You can do many dryland workouts that help to improve core strength, such as using resistance bands or doing sit-ups. At ProSwimwear, we have resistance and dryland training aids to use during your training routine.

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

Dryland training requires strong focus and coordination. Having the correct body position for the different kinds of exercises that can be used when training outside of the pool is very important and can be learned over time. Balance and stability can be improved with single-legged exercises. When a swimmer gains a constant level of strength, there are a huge variety of exercises that can be done with quick bursts of energy. This helps develop power in your legs and arms, such as squats and push-ups, which then can be applied in the pool.

Dryland training helps to vary your training regime, introducing new movements and challenges to the muscles. The repetitive motions in swimming can lead to injuries and dryland training can target these areas that are underdeveloped. Training out of the water can also help to relieve some of the pressure placed on strained muscle groups. Introducing these exercises can help to develop stronger muscles, letting the muscles get stronger in the weaker movement which will put less strain on them overall.

No Pool? No problem! At ProSwimwear we have everything a swimmer needs to stay sharp for their next race, even when they are out of the pool. Whether it’s a warm-up, strength and conditioning training, or recovery, when you aren’t able to get in the pool we have the best variety of swimmers’ land training equipment so that you can stay race-ready.

Make sure that you check it out below:

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

With the open-water season approaching it is important to take into consideration the dangers that could come with it, and follow all of the safety steps required. It is important for everyone to have fun and experience the beauty of natural areas but do so in a safe manner.  

So how do you stay safe whilst swimming in open water? It can be dangerous sometimes to swim on your own. Swimming with another person that you trust can help improve your safety. Even if they don’t get in the water and sit on the side, they will be able to keep an eye on you to ensure that you are safe and comfortable in the water. Check the route that you are taking with your friend and plan it in advance. Swimming with a group means you always have others looking out for you. 

Check the tides, currents, the weather, and check for hidden structures and foliage on your route that may get in your way or could cause any danger. The weather can especially play a large part in the difficulty of open water swimming conditions, so check the weather conditions on the day of your swim before heading out into the open water. 

You can always seek out advice from locals to ensure you understand your route as best as possible. Let another responsible person know where you are swimming so they have knowledge of your location to keep you safe if they need to call for help. Make sure that you don’t dive or jump into the water, enter slowly to allow yourself to acclimatize to the temperature, and not have a shock due to it.  

If you are new to open water swimming or are still not comfortable, swim within a depth where you are able to stand comfortably with easy access in and out of the water. A steady slope or beach is ideal for this. If you still feel unsafe, don’t get in the water. Knowing your limitations whilst swimming in open water is important. If you happen to get in and find out that there are currents, make sure that you swim upstream (against the current or tide) first and get to shore safely.   

Take a tow float and whistle on your swim. A tow float is a visual aid for others to find you in the water if needed and the whistle will help to attract attention if you are in trouble. Wearing a brightly coloured swim cap is also a great way to be seen in the water by your friends, peers, and rescuers. Make sure that you also check for any motorised boat traffic in the area. 

Wear a wetsuit. It will help to provide your body with extra warmth and avoid you getting cold whilst in the open water. The temperature of the water can be shocking in just a swimsuit. It is advised to practice swimming in a wetsuit before going out in the open water as it can change your swimming stroke slightly. 

If at any point you feel your body getting too cold, get out of the water. Make sure you lubricate around your neck to avoid chafing from your wetsuit. You should also wear goggles to help protect your eyes and increase visibility in lakes, rivers, and seas that have poor water visibility. At Proswimwear we have a large range of tow-floats and wetsuits to protect your body when swimming, take a look at what we have in stock. 

Overall, open water can be fun and exciting, but you should stay vigilant and wary when in the water of any dangers that may occur. For example, the changing currents and change in weather conditions. If you are ever in doubt, stay out of the water. Make sure that you have all of the open-water essentials provided by Proswimwear shown in the link below, and swim safely!

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/wetsuits/open-water/safety-buoys.html?product_list_limit=60 

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/wetsuits/open-water.html 

The butterfly stroke is iconic in the swimming world. It is challenging to learn, and difficult to master, but the physical and mental rewards of improving in this stroke are very much worth it. You’ll feel your body become stronger and more in sync with each day you practice the butterfly stroke. 

Whether you’re a beginner recreational swimmer just learning how to swim butterfly or a competitive swimmer this race season looking for extra tips and pointers, this article will provide a few ideas to help you further achieve the excellent butterfly form. 

Tips for improved butterfly form

Of all the swimming strokes, butterfly is one of the most challenging. It burns more calories during one hour of swimming than any other stroke. A butterfly swimmer who weighs 155 pounds (70kg) will burn 774 calories in an hour. That is 70 more than the same person would burn when swimming freestyle or breaststroke. 

Not only does the stroke expend a lot of energy, but the form itself can be hard to master. Taking the time to train with the proper butterfly technique will help you improve the efficiency in your stroke, allowing you to maximise the energy you use while swimming. The following tips will help to improve critical areas of your stroke technique. 

Body position

How you position your body in the water plays significant roles in efficiency and speed. With butterflies, you want to make sure your body is aligned. When you do this properly, each part of your body will be participating in the movement.

Butterfly will mean that you will be undulating when you move through the water. Undulation allows you to move through the water efficiently. This type of body motion is to propel yourself forwards in the water, similarly to the motion used during an underwater dolphin kick. It allows your upper body and legs to alternate to help in propelling yourself across the pool with more efficiency and faster speed.

Butterfly arms

As you take butterfly strokes, focus on the correct arm movement and how your hands enter the water. Extend your arms with your elbows slightly bent, and keep your hands somewhat further apart than the width of your shoulders when they enter the water. 

Once your hands enter the water, pull, as if performing a freestyle stroke but using both hands simultaneously. Focus on pulling equally with both arms, using your forearms and hands to catch as much water as possible. Pull straight down at first and allow your hands to come slightly closer together as you continue to pull towards your hips. 

In the arm recovery phase of the stroke, your hands should leave the water by your hips and stay close to the surface. Do not lift your arms too high out of the pool, this wastes energy. 

Butterfly kick

Kicking provides a large amount of propulsion. Both legs perform a large, powerful kicking motion at the same time. Your legs must remain together, and keep your feet pointed directly out behind you.

For every stroke cycle, you will kick twice. The first kick you take provides enough forward motion so you can lift your arms out of the water during the recovery phase of your stroke cycle. The second kick happens before you begin your pull and adds additional drive to keep the forward momentum going.

Breathing

When focusing on breathing technique, you want to avoid lifting your head too high out of the water. Lifting your head too far out of the water can tilt your body and cause drag, slowing you down. Your head should come out of the water just enough for you to take a breath before returning to a neutral position.

Butterfly is a tiring technique, so you might need to breathe with every stroke if you are new to it. As your form improves, you might find you can take breaths less frequently than every stroke cycle. Breathing every other or every third stroke allows you to keep your head down longer and cut out drag, allowing your momentum to be significantly stronger as you move through the water. 

Twelve butterfly drills to practice your skills

Now that you have the basic understanding of how to swim this challenging stroke with proper form, you can practice some of the swimming drills below to improve your skills. Remember to stay positive throughout your training, and as you continue to train you’ll see improvement. 

• By the side of the pool
  

Mimicking and practising the butterfly movement at the side of the pool, outside of the water, can help you to improve your technique. Lay on your stomach and bend your knees slightly to imitate the leg kick as your hands come forwards to enter the imaginary water. Kick again when your hands reach your sides. This drill can help visualise the mechanics of the stroke before you enter the water, assisting when applying it in the water. 

• With Short fins

Training fins make an excellent option for butterfly drills. Swim this stroke with short swim fins, taking one arm stroke for every 4 kicks. Focus on the form of your leg. The added resistance provided by the fins will allow more sensory response to the movement of your legs through the stroke, providing more focus on the movement.

• Butterfly kick drill

For this drill, you will need a kickboard. Grab the kickboard firming and practice your kicking technique. Allow the kickboard to dive under the water in front of you and then come back to the surface as you complete your kicking cycle. This will help you master the movement of the stroke. 

• With pull buoy

Place a pull buoy between your legs and swim butterfly using only your arms. This drill will help improve your arm strength and help you focus on the upper body mechanics of the butterfly technique. Try to pull equally with both your left and right arm during each stroke.

• One-armed butterfly

Swimming the butterfly with just one arm can help improve technique. Keep the arm that you are not using extended out in front of you or along your side. It is extremely important to remember to breathe forwards and not sideways when doing this drill.

• Breaststroke legs with lateral breathing

Swim the butterfly whilst using a breaststroke kick for every arm stroke. Breath once to the right and once to the left. Attempt to keep your head underwater as much as possible. This should help you get more comfortable with your breathing technique.

• Adding flutter kick

Swim the butterfly using a freestyle leg kick, try to keep your shoulders above the water when performing this drill. Focus on your arm mechanics and practice a powerful pull-through and efficient recovery phase.

• Variable entry

Your first stroke of your arms in the water should have a wide entry. In your second stroke, your hand should enter the water at half the width of the previous stroke. For the third, your hands should enter next to one another in front of your head. Repeat this variable entry cycle throughout to get used to the movement.

• Recovery underwater
  

Swim the butterfly without the recovery part of the arm stroke. Make sure your arms are below the chest and try to go as deep as possible with your shoulders by thrusting your back powerfully downward. 

•  Clenched fists

Swim the butterfly with clenched fists to keep your arms and legs as coordinated as possible. 

• One leg kick

Swim this stroke by just making one leg kick for every complete arm cycle, inserting it at the end of the pull phase right before beginning the recovery phase around the water. 

•  Full stroke
  

Once you feel more comfortable swimming the complete stroke with proper form, try timing yourself swimming 50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres and a time. Keeping a log of your times is a great way to track improvement throughout practising the drills!

Essentially, the key to improving any swimming technique is to keep up with consistent practice, and to take your time to think about proper mechanics before you enter the water while you are swimming. Remember, practice makes perfect, and our swimming aids at Proswimwear also contribute towards that.

Check out our range of training aids here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html

Ah, it’s that time. The first swim meet. It’s easy to look back at the good old days, where expectations were low and we were just happy that the kids made it from one side of the pool to the other. Many new swim team parents enter the world of competitive swimming, with no point of reference of what to expect. What they’re expecting is often far different than their first swim team experience…  

What swim team parents expect at first swim meet

You wake up early, eat breakfast with the family and then head to the pool. There are lots of nerves in the car, but everyone is happy, excited for the new experience. 

While your child warms up to prepare to swim, you find a comfy spot in the spectator area. Thankfully, there’s lots of leg space, so you can spread out and get comfortable. While waiting for the warm up to end, you text your friends, sort out some work. How long would it take for your child to be ready? 

About 30 minutes later, your child walks up behind the blocks and searches for you in the crowd, you can’t help but beam with pride. 

The starter blows the whistle, and they shoot off like a rocket and swim a fast length of the pool, touching the wall first. Your child jumps out of the water gleefully, ready for their next race which they also win. 

When both races are finished, your child quickly collects all their belongings and you leave quickly - you weren’t there for longer than an hour, and you get to go back home and catch-up on work, and texting your friends! It was a successful day!

What swim meets are really like 

When you arrive at a swim meet, your child may be after a few more children and not be the first to swim, which can lead to a long time waiting. After scanning the heat sheet, you may realise there are five pages before your child will even reach the water. Be prepared for a long wait. Heat 2 is in the water and your child is in heat 4. They should be getting their goggles on soon, but they’re just standing there.

Finally, your child is lined up behind the blocks. Your child’s gaze is fixed on something off in the distance. Heat 2 has just finished racing and they are watching other kids swing around their goggles and laugh along with them. 

The starter calls your child up to heat 4 and all the other swimmers to take their blocks. Your child is still laughing at his newfound friends and you shout to them, but they can’t hear. The beep goes off and your child looks at the scoreboard, then down at his arm, before they realise something is wrong. The coach then finds them to tell them they have missed their event.

Your child feels deflated. Another hour passes before their next race. This time, the coach has reminded them to pay attention to the blocks. This time, they are ready to race. 

Make sure your child is prepared to race by the time they walk up to their block for their race to avoid missing their event. When they step up onto their block, make sure they are prepared and wearing their goggles before they dive into the water to avoid any delays.

Don’t forget extra swimwear and accessories- avoid those malfunctions

It’s Friday and you learn that your meeting is on Saturday morning. This is when you realise your children’s goggles broke in practice and you have no replacements. Now you rush around frantically, hoping to get to the pool even earlier in search of goggles. You head off to the meeting, arriving for warm ups and they have spare goggles you can borrow for now.

Your child jumps into the water and comes up almost immediately because the brand new goggles have fallen off or are filled with water. They adjust them back on and swim again, only to come up a few seconds later because their goggles have fallen off again. 

Avoid the malfunctions. When you first go to a meet, you don’t realise that you need spare goggles, caps and swim suits just in case a terrible breakage happens minutes from the next race or your goggle strap snaps just before they're about to dive into the water.

Once you get home, and unpack your child’s bag, you smile to yourself and realise that the whole event is a memory for you both, and it wasn’t as bad as what you previously thought. You then unpack his bag. But one item is missing: their brand new goggles! 

Remember food and drink!

While waiting for your child’s race, it starts to get hot beside the pool. Your child starts to feel tired and less energised as the hours go by waiting for their race. You start to wonder if the fizzy drink and chocolate bar they begged for in the morning was a good idea, as they start to look fatigued and tired at the poolside. Remember to keep up your child’s hydration and energy levels through the proper drink and food that you provide them with before. 

Avoid quick high and low drinks like chocolate bars and sugary drinks. Flavoured water with an electrolyte tablet in is great to keep hydration up and mineral salt balance maintained. Though, you may have a sugary drink as a treat every now and again! 

A great meal the night before the race is slow release carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta, and also on the event day, to make sure your child’s energy is constantly being topped up. Fruit like bananas are also great for this, and if your child prefers a sweet treat, malt loaf is a nice alternative to sweets, and is released slowly in the body, which will help them race to their best ability. It is important to feed your child the correct food, because they will use energy and hydration during the warm up sessions, and whilst playing around the pool side before they even get to their race! 

Overall, swim meets are long, tiring, and often a nervous environment for you and your child. But when our kids are having fun, and making memories, it's worth every second of doubt.

You’d do it again, in a heartbeat!

At Proswimwear, we have all of the equipment, swimwear and training aids that you’d need. Make sure to browse our website to get the very best deals on your child’s prized swimming costumes. Make sure you don’t forget to get a spare pair of goggles! 

If you watch a lot of competitive swimming, you will see a lot of races are won and lost on the underwater kick at the turns, if you want to improve and dominate underwater against your competitors? Here’s how a Finis foil Monofin can help you considerably improve your swim times and considerably up your swimming.

All swimmers love to train with swim fins on in the water: We are able to swim far faster than we ever would without them,  on top of this our legs get a great power workout, and swimming at faster speed is simply a load of fun.

How one piece of equipment can seriously improve your underwaters speed, which is key off the wall at tumble turns in all race situations you can also introduce one powerful dolphin kick of the wall in Breaststroke turns before your first breaststroke kick will give you a much faster turn of speed than just using the two underwater stokes allowed in breaststroke style.

Underwater dolphin kick is the dominate feature of short course back stroke as you get so many turns with 15 metres underwater every 25 metres. Actually, the dolphin kick underwater has more effect in all short course events as there are twice as many for each distance swam. But all good long course swimmers need not to lose distance on each turn, just to swim harder to regain the loss down each length.

The monofin helps you get the feel and motion of the dolphin kick. Helping you to experience the whip like motion of the dolphin kick. Its large surface area has a way of forcing your core and lower back to engage in the kicking motion, which extends the range of the kick to gain full dolphin kick effect once you have trained with the mono fin it will become natural without it also.

Power work for your dolphin kick. Using a FINIS foil monofin will strengthen your core, lower back, and your legs.

The Monofin Trains better motor neuron pattern memory in your brain to repeat it continuously without thought. Strapping on a Monofin will help you experience those upper tier speeds and help train the motor neuron patterns necessary (streamlining, tightening your core, snapping the full kick through, etc) to get closer to those speeds without the fin on.

Improves undulation. Often you will see swimmer’s dolphin kick from their knees with a very rigid and limited undulation with little success or speed. The dolphin kick should originate from your upper body—not your knees. Training with a Monofin will deepen and enhance the undulation in the butterfly kick, by forcing you to use all your body not just your knees.

Helps build better rhythm. The first thing you notice when your fly kick gets better is that you can bang them out quickly and with almost rapid-fire precision. This kind of rhythm is built via training repetition but can be speeded up by training the rhythm you want to hit when racing. By emphasizing the muscle groups with the monofin that stabilize and drive the kick you are developing a stronger kicking rhythm.

THE FINIS FOIL MONOFIN

The FINIS Foil is the ideal choice for competitive swimmers looking to level up and develop their dolphin kick. the fin is long enough to give you a sense of the full range of your dolphin kicking motion.

Watch the video on our You Tube channel and many other interesting video’s https://youtu.be/ZCRJXr902lo

When John Mix the founder of Finis Inc designed the first swim competitive centre mount snorkel “FINIS Swimmers Snorkel” , it was a revolutionary idea to help coaches iron out the lack of stroke technique in certain swimmers which become obsessed with the breathing to the side over fluid swimming, the snorkel allows the swimmers to improve rhythm and body position and alignment when swimming, by allowing swimmers to focus on the smooth technique without worrying about turning to breathe, after regular coaching sessions using the snorkel, the swimmers technique and alignment becomes natural and aligned, even when the snorkel is taken off and breathing to the side is resumed, technique and body positioning are maintained.

It also has the benefit to build lung endurance as it is slightly hard to breathe and for extra resistance, to build more lung capacity Finis introduced the “FINIS Cardio Cap” to make it even harder to breathe.

One complaint among certain swimmers is the water entering the snorkel on tumble turns and the technique is to give one large exhale of breathe after completing the tumble turn, to clear the tube, but for swimmers who find this hard, Finis introduced the “FINIS Snorkel Dry Top”

To go one further in Freestyle technique the “FINIS Freestyle Snorkel” was introduced, this introduced a further bend in the snorkel tube that only allows the swimmer to still breathe air when swimming freestyle in the correct head down looking at bottom of pool you need to swim the Freestyle the most efficiently.

Finally Finis introduced the “FINIS Stability Snorkel: Speed” This was to address the concerns of some swimmers that the snorkel was cumbersome and uncomfortable and not as easy to adjust to all head types.

This is the final evolution in the Finis swimmers snorkel history to date but check back here regularly as we will update this if new products or new technology is introduced.

Find out all you need to know about the FINIS Tech Suits and their sizing with this FINIS reference guide!

Featuring the Fuse, Vapor Pro, Rival and Rival 2.0 suits, which will you choose?

Introducing Level X: The new virtual swimming competition! 

Swim England is introducing a new way to for swim clubs to virtually compete! 

In this blog we will tell you... 

• What exactlty Level X is
• Who the first clubs competing are going to be
• How it's taking place
• How it's scored
• And what comes next for virtual swimming! 

We will be updating you on the latest Level X news throughout this exciting new journey!

Read more now!