I don’t swim all that often these days, but I used to swim 15k to 40k a week during my pro days.
Before every swim, before I even entered the water, I would do a short dynamic warm-up on the side of the pool – or on the beach beside the ocean.
This warm-up did two things for me.
- It loosened me up, got the blood flowing, and improved my range of motion.
- It mentally prepared me to jump into cold water.
Anyone who has ever swum somewhere cold will know the horrible feeling of jumping into a cold pool in the middle of winter. Anything you can do to improve that experience is a wonderful thing.
What is a Dynamic Warm-Up?
A dynamic warm-up is a series of movement drills used to warm up your body before exercise.
An effective dynamic warm-up increases your range of movement and blood and oxygen flow to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments before they’re called upon to do a serious training session.
These movement drills reduce your risk of injury from increased elasticity in the muscle.
How To Do A Dynamic Warm-up
- Find an area with plenty of space to move within.
- Make sure you target and activate the same muscle groups you are about to use in training.
- Simulate a similar movement pattern you will do during training to warm up your tendons and ligaments that support your joints.
- Ease into each movement and gradually increase your range of motion.
- Each warm-up that you do should last between 3-10 minutes.
Ready to Warm-Up? Here’s How …
I demonstrated some of my favourite warm-up exercises for swimming in the video above. So watch that and give the exercises a go. They will help you warm up various muscle groups and prep you for your swim.
Enjoy!
