How to prevent swimming injuries this summer

Swimming is often recommended as a rehab exercise because it is low impact, but many swimmers can experience injuries as well. Here are some tips to help you prevent injury this summer.

Freestyle:

• When breathing keep your head in line with the body to avoid neck pain &/or numbness & tingling of the hands and fingers

• Rotate your body towards your breathing side to avoid turning the neck too far and therefore overreaching with the arms

• Breathe equally on both sides to prevent excess strain on one side

Backstroke

• Weak muscles in the front of the neck tire faster than the stronger muscles

• Ensure you are rotating the body properly with each stroke to decrease stress on the neck and shoulder muscles

Breaststroke

• Keep your head in line to avoid stress on the neck muscles and joints

• Strengthening the hip & thigh muscles will decrease stress and strain on the hip joints

Butterfly

• Ensuring proper coaching on timing will decrease your risk of injury

This post is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice