4 exercises to improve the swimmer's kick

Learning to improve the swimmer's kick correctly is essential for good swimming technique. Here we share some practical tips to practice and improve. 

Although it may seem simple at first glance, the reality is that the swimming kick requires a lot of technique and training to do it in the best possible way. A good impulse from our leg will be a motor that pushes our displacement in the water with more or less force.

For some professional swimmers with Lifeguard Recertification, the swimmer's kick is even more complex than the arm stroke, since its technique is very precise and poor technique could cause injuries to the athlete's physical condition.

What problems does the poorly executed swimmer's kick cause? 

•     It will cause movement to be slow and other muscles of the body to be forced unevenly.
•     It makes the swimmer raise his head to breathe, creating imbalance and problems in the strokes.
•     It can cause injuries to the knees and spine due to incorrect muscle exertion.

For this reason, especially in beginners, a series of exercises that work on the swimmer's kick are recommended in order to achieve the perfect technique and the best performance.

How should the correct kick of the swimmer be? 

To begin with, let's define that, in freestyle and backstroke, the main propulsion of the body is through the stroke and the kick fulfills a function of stabilizing force. To achieve this, the legs must be placed flush with the surface of the water in a hydrodynamic position with American Lifeguard Events Vienna.

So, both in front crawl and backstroke, the kick is executed in two movements: one up and down and a second lateral movement that serves to nullify the effects of the recovery of the arm that alters the alignment of the body.

In this way, the legs perform a downward shake that begins when the leg has finished its previous upward movement. As the heel reaches the surface, hip flexion should begin, forcing the thigh down while slightly bending the knee and following the path.

For better understanding, let's see how it is explained in this video that emphasizes the movement of the hip when achieving balance:

As can be seen, the foot should go down to a depth of 30 or 35 centimeters, that is, a few centimeters lower than the chest; Any depth greater than this will simply increase the resistance of the water, without providing any kind of propulsion or stability.

What exercises can we do to improve the swimmer's kick? 

Having shared the correct technique, and the consequences of not performing the kick correctly in swimming, we propose four exercises to train this movement so that you can show off in the water like a professional:

    Kicking stones: It is necessary for the swimmer to walk on the surface, underwater, dragging the foot that is not resting on the floor, imagining that he is kicking stones, as if it were the resistance of the foot to the water. The foot must always be pointed, that is, it must always go steep.

    Ballet Kick: This exercise is good for working on the front crawl kick movement. It is about standing on the edge of the pool, taking one hand from the end as in ballet bars and, with the leg that is closest to the edge, we are going to move it as if it were a pendulum, keeping the tip of the foot stretched with relaxed ankle. Obviously, after repeating a few sets of this exercise, switch sides and practice with the other leg.

    Front crawl kick with a board: With a board in your hands, keeping your head between your arms, it will help to have your body elevated to concentrate on the kick. Then, also with the table, perform a stroke on each side every four kicks.

    Leg shake with arms close to the body: This exercise will allow you to concentrate on the movement of the legs and hips. It is suggested that the hands be accommodated to the sides of the body and the head comes out straight to take a breath every four kicks with Lifeguard Training.

Finally, it is common for many people to find the backstroke as a tool to improve the kick much more easily since it requires less concentration on breathing.