Saturday, August 20, 2011

Total Immersion Swimming Techniqhes

Whether you are a triathlete or swimmer casually for fitness, total immersion swimming can help you reach your goals faster. Total immersion swimming focuses on decreasing your number of strokes, finding your balance in the water and making your stroke more efficient to save you energy and increase your speed.
Immersion Swimming History
Swim coach Terry Laughlin developed the total immersion swimming technique. With an emphasis on efficiency, Laughlin created a system that allows you to get the most return on the energy you expend in the water. In the late 1980s, Laughlin began realizing that his swimmers were at their fastest speeds when their position was most streamlined. This idea of effortless swimming sparked the concept that fast swimming was not about strokes and kicking fast but more about relaxing and swimming efficiently, which, the Total Immersion Swimming website explains, could be taught by turning swimming into a "flow activity" and not just mechanics.
The Method
The technique for immersion swimming emphasizes relaxation and allowing your body to swim with grace. Immersion swimming does not focus on endless laps or the pulling and kicking of traditional swimming drills. The immersion technique focuses on swimming like a fish and becoming one with the water. This training begins with teaching patience and precision when moving through the water. Simple swimming drills are introduced, focusing on detail and a mindful connection to the body. Slow, steady progress is a goal in immersion swimming.
Balance
Immersion focuses on being balanced in the water and using the power of your core to propel your body forward. Balance technique drills are used to focus on letting your body float in the water, allowing you to be comfortable and fight the water less. Balance drills focus on your head position in the water, helping your breathing to become easier and more efficient.
Transform
Immersion swimming can transform your mind and body. The Total Immersion Swimming website explains that many students experience more than just physical benefits from training in the system. You can sharpen your mind-body connection and heighten your self-awareness by staying relaxed and calm in the pool, which are the key components of immersion swimming. This type of training can also help relieve anxiety and stress and even promote healthy weight loss.