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THE LAST INSTALMENT OF OUR 21 TIPS TO KICK OFF '21. WE HOPE IT'S PROVEN USEFUL AND KEPT YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO STAY FIT AND FOCUSED.

1. AUSTRALIA DAY

Going back to our Aussie roots this #australiaday Here are some ideas on taking a leaf out of their books when it comes to lifestyle;

* Known for their laid back attitude and positivity, try each day to focus on one things each day to be grateful for it can be big or little

* They are big on spending time outdoors, yes they have the weather - and it’s easy to stay inside when it’s cold but being in nature reduces stress, improves productivity - so wrap up and try head out every day even for a short walk

* They love sport, keeping active is super important especially right now. It’s great for the mind as well as body, we will be swimming again soon!

2. YOGA FOR SWIMMERS

@marli.mcintire.lap

Shares with us how to do a gentle yoga sequence perfect for us swimmers to keep flexible and release sore muscles.

Child’s pose centre, then right and left

Tabletop t-spine opener right/left

Wide stance down dog

Repeat sequence 3-4 times

Hold each pose 2-4 breaths 

3. DYNAMIC WARM UP

It’s always important to warm up before you do some exercise and a well designed warm can prep you physically and mentally🧠 so here are some tips from @nscaofficial on dynamic warm up for swimmers. Whether you swim every day or once per week, the experts agree that a dynamic warm-up prepares your body for the best performance.

*How To Do A Dynamic Warm-up* Start with these four basic goals for every warm-up.

• Loosen up: Warm your joints, muscles, and prep your body for exercise with mobility movements.

• Get your heart pumping: Increased heart thumping warms up your muscles and switches on your nervous system.

• Do dynamic stretches: Stretch your warm muscles, but don’t hold it. Remember: Static stretching during a warm-up hinders your performance. Instead, do dynamic stretching, which involves continuously moving through a range of motion.

• Practice: Practicing the movement patterns teaches muscle memory and continues to prepare your body for action 💥

4. WILD DIP

Pools maybe closed (boo) but the great outdoors isn’t! If you’re close the water have you tried a bit of #wildswimming our friends over at wildswimming.co.uk have plenty of tips on how to reap the benefits of getting out in the open water here... It’s important to build cold water exposure (and therefore cold adaptation) regularly and systematically

Decide whether you’re going to be a bare skin plunger or a neoprene swimmer – both are cold, but the former means much quicker, shaper immersions and the latter means you can stay in longer and therefore swim further.

Choose a simple easy place which you can easily commit to and feel safe in.

Start with a simple, easy challenge - even a simple get in, duck under, and out. You may get better at it, but the water is only going to get colder..

Find someone to cold dip with you, both for safety and for peer comradery / moral support (it’s easy to social distance in the water 😀)

Whether you wear a full wetsuit or not, boots, gloves and hats can make a big difference and stop pain in the extremities

It’s easier to go in if you are warm before, and you will last longer with a good store of body temperature. Ending a run with a swim is ideal, but otherwise make sure you arrive feel overly warm

Don’t stay in too long, shivering is the first stage of hypothermia and hypothermia is NOT good for the immune system. Regular short dips are great, but hypothermia-inducing long swims are not

Warm up quickly afterwards, with clothes and hot drinks, but be aware of ‘afterdrop’ – body temperature will continue dropping for up to 10 minutes after getting out as cold blood from the extremities returns to the core.

If you are starting out, be cautious of cold water shock, which can create a serious cardio-vascular shock in some people. Don’t just jump in, ease your body in slowly and see how it reacts. Most of all it’s safety first so read up first before going wild in the water 

5. CARDIO

@sarah_reactivecoaching keeping us pool ready with a simple HIIT you can do from home 👌she explains: It's important to keep conditioned from home while the pools are closed. I'm sure we're all missing our regular swims, but if we do nothing and wait, we definitely wont be enjoying getting back up to speed when we do return! So, here's a few exercises you can do from home to keep you fit and ready to make a splash when the pools re-open Mix and match them, use them as part of a circuit, or a HIIT session:

💦 BURPEES 💦 JUMP LUNGES 💦 PUSH UPS

💦 SQUATS 💦 SQUAT JUMPS 💦 SWIMMERS

💦 RUSSIAN TWISTS 💦 SKIPPING 💦 FLUTTER KICKS

💦 BACK EXTENSION

6. PERFORMANCE BOOSTING FOODS

Let’s talk performance boosting foods, it’s important to fuel your body correctly when keeping in shape so here are some foods you should consider:

Bananas - low calorie source of electrolytes – which always need to be replaced when we work out! Also great source of potassium, and will help you regulate your fluid intake.

Beetroot juice – is high in carbohydrates which athletes need to sustain energy. They also contain many antioxidants 

 & anti inflammatory.

Oats contain an impressive amount of important vitamins and minerals like manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc & thiamine. Plus they are high in antioxidants.

with thanks to @sarah_reactivecoaching 

7. SWIM STRENGTH

SWIM STRENGTH DOLPHIN HEAD TAPS by @trilouiseyoga

Are you worried about losing your swim strength whilst we are not allowed in the pool? Want to gain more flexibility in your shoulders? Progressing  DOLPHIN & DOLPHIN PLANK to power up those shoulders and back whilst also gaining flexibility and stability.

How – 🐬DOLPHIN HEAD TAPS🐬 – start in 4pt kneeling with hands under the shoulders. Place your elbows where the hands are and clasp your hands together on the mat. Lightly place your head on the mat by your hands. Tuck toes under and lift your hips up and back into downward dog legs. Keep knees bent if your hammies are tight. Engage shoulders and upper back muscles and press elbow, forearms and hands into the ground to lift your head of the mat using the strength in your upper body. Lightly tap the top of your head to the mat and push back up. Only tap head to mat, placing on weight on the head or neck.  Repeat as many times as you can handle! Challenging your shoulders, back and core muscles.  

Why – strong powerful swimmers want mobile and stable shoulders, powerful backs, and strong arms. This pose works all these muscle groups. The muscles of the shoulder girdle and rotator cuff that stabilize the shoulder whilst you swim; the biceps that stabilize the forearm in the initial pull, the triceps that are key for arm extension during the rest of the pull and the pecs and the lats that that provide the power for your stroke.