Swimming: four benefits for runners

 The benefits of swimming for runners

When a stress fracture in my metatarsal bone forced me to stop running this fall, I had no choice but to hit the pool so as not to completely throw away my marathon training. I swam over three kilometers every morning (chest crawl) to keep my fitness up. It got me thinking: can swimming even if you're not injured make you a better runner? with lifeguard training.

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To learn more about the benefits of swimming for runners, I spoke to two experts who have experience in both sports.

1. Swimming improves your fitness without impact

Swimming is unique because of the use of several major muscle groups: glutes and hips for the leg movements, core for the start and turning points, upper body and arms for the front crawl. And it actually trains your heart and lungs better than other forms of exercise,

Because you lie horizontally in the water, your blood circulation is higher. After all, the blood has little to do with gravity', he says. 'The energy that your heart saves can be used to get more blood to the muscles. I have seen that many athletes have a higher VO2 max in the pool than on land.'

Coach Dicharry, a past competitive swimmer, explains that regardless of your level of swimming technique, you can benefit from swimming laps.

"Your workout is harder, and in fact better, if your technique isn't perfect," he says. Because it is mainly the newcomers who move carelessly, swimming training costs them a relatively large amount of effort. Advanced swimmers, on the other hand, are much more efficient. They glide through the water and the turning points are easy for them. Still, they too can get a solid workout by increasing the speed and duration of their workouts, he explains.

'SWIMMING IS BASICALLY THE CEMENT THAT KEEPS MY SPORTING LIFE TOGETHER'

One way to increase the intensity in the pool is high-speed interval training with little pause, such as 100-meter fast reps, resting for 10 seconds between each rep. "I see a lot of swimmers going into the pool and doing laps at a leisurely pace," he says. "While interval training is a great way to boost your engine without putting a lot of strain on your muscles, ligaments and tendons.

You might not expect it: If you're relatively good at both running and swimming, you'll burn about the same amount of calories during a long, strenuous exercise in the pool as when you run. For example: a woman weighing 55 kg swims for an hour with the front crawl technique at a constant rate of 90 seconds per 100 meters. This burns about 750 calories. If the same woman ran for an hour at a speed of 13 km/h, she would burn 726 kcal, according to our calculations.

It's tricky to measure your heart rate while swimming unless you're using a waterproof, swim-specific watch like the Apple Watch Series 4 or the Fitbit Charge 3. New York City triathlon coach Earl Walton says he instructs his swimmers to monitor their heart rate. the old-fashioned way, by holding two fingers on the wrist or on their neck for 10 seconds during each pause and multiplying that number by six. "It gives you instant feedback on how hard your body has been working," says Walton.

It's not a punishment to occasionally swim without those numbers. 'Runners tend to fixate on heart rate and speed. Swimming can be a nice polar opposite," he says. 'When swimming it is important to be aware of the position of your body in the water. The feeling of water is also important, in order to be able to pull oneself forward by hand on the water and, at the end of the stroke, to push oneself against it.' Paying attention to that, instead of the numbers, can refresh you both mentally and physically. "When you replace a running workout with a low-impact workout like swimming, your brain perceives it as a day off," says Dicharry. "Even if you work just as hard."

2. Swimming strengthens your muscles

Having a strong core – the complex structure of muscle groups that supports the spine – is crucial when running longer distances. A well-developed core stabilizes the hips and supports your running posture. You notice this especially when you get tired during prolonged efforts. When your body starts to falter near the 30km mark of a marathon, a strong core will help you maintain good posture and your running economy.

Swimming is a great sport that strengthens the core, says Walton. When you do a front crawl, for example, your straight and oblique abs and the muscles of the lower back help you maintain a streamlined position and pivot back and forth around your longitudinal axis. You use the muscles of the higher back and shoulders to pull yourself through the water, he explains. 'A strong core isn't just a cosmetic thing. It's not about looking good. It does have a function.' The trainer notes that strengthening these muscles promotes chest mobility, which is essential for maintaining good posture and reducing low back pain lifeguarding training usa.

Dicharry points out that many swimmers tend to pay too much attention to upper body actions. But your hip flexors and legs are just as important for doing your laps. "They think they have to pull themselves through the water with their arms and their legs have to do almost nothing," he says. “But the thrusting motion of your legs and feet really gets you to the turning points faster. You also strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes by actively using them. with lifeguard

3. Swimming gets you out of a training rut

According to Walton, swimming is very suitable for runners who are in a transition period of their running season, for example in the recovery time after a marathon. It is also suitable as an additional activity to get through the winter, in addition to the regular running sessions. And of course for runners who are considering making the switch to the triathlon.

“Since it's a low-impact sport, swimming helps you recover. It cheers you up,' he says. "And you can put your competitive edge into it, because you can do it at a high intensity during times when you have to stay out of running because of an injury or burnout."

Swimming can be especially beneficial for injured runners. Not only does it enable them to continue to train in a performance-oriented way, it is also a way to stay mentally healthy. When I broke my foot, I could only push off with one foot at the turning points, but I set a goal for myself to swim a little longer and faster in each swimming session. During the time when I couldn't run at all, in the pool I found comfort in the fact that my heart, body and mind were getting stronger every day.

And what made it all the more beautiful: that increased power also proved effective on land. Because of that foot injury, my marathon training plan literally and figuratively fell apart. The many hours of cross training in the pool allowed me to maintain my stamina. As a result, I was able to make my marathon debut in New York City, reaching the finish line earlier than I thought.

"It's funny," Walton says, "I saw a lot of my athletes who developed in the pool make a breakthrough in running shortly after."

4. Swimming prevents injuries

Of all the low-impact cross training sessions, such as cycling, rowing or training on the Eliptigo, swimming causes the least biomechanical stress (such as hard blows to bones, muscles and tendons). That's why it's the sport of choice for many runners looking to prevent or recover from injury, Dicharry says. "For runners who often get injured trying to increase their mileage, swimming—instead of an extra run—is a great way to get that extra cardio volume," he says.

Swimming can help runners maintain their fitness, but it doesn't heal injuries. For the best recovery, injured runners should get to the root of their problem and do specific strength exercises to heal it and prevent a recurrence, Dicharry says.

Walton, who has completed several marathons and triathlons, says swimming has helped him avoid injury during his running career and stay in shape during periods of reduced running. "Swimming is basically the cement that holds my sporting life together," he says.

Walton has another tip for injured runners who crave a workout that's more like running than swimming, but can't handle the impact of the Ellipting or the elliptical cross trainer. 'They can step into the pool with a weighted belt and go aqua jogging. This simulates the running movement in the water. It's also a good option for people who have never swum before and don't feel like taking swimming lessons," he says.

The last battle

Swimming is a fantastic workout. It gets your heart pumping, strengthens muscles you don't normally use (yes, your upper body), improves your stamina and gives you an opportunity to be competitive when you have to do without running for a while. For injured runners, the low-impact nature of the sport is appealing. But even if you are not injured, a fresh dive is a welcome addition to all those training sessions on dry land.

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