Page 108 - Women’s Health - Australia (February 2020)

Yet limited knowledge
of technique, or how to
build it, is likely stopping
you making the most
of your time in the
water. “But with just a
little work to improve
your efficiency, you
can completely change
your swimming ability,”
promises Pickering.
If you get bored doing
laps on your own, join a
recreational squad at your
local pool: not only will a
coach help you with form,
but it can be just as social
as your Saturday morning
yoga. “Exercising with
other people makes you
more consistent because
you’re accountable to
others, but it also makes
it so much more fun,”
Campbell explains.
It will even give you
a full-body workout.
“Mixing up your strokes is
the best [way to do this],”
says Pickering. “You’d
be surprised at the work
even good swimmers
have to do to move
when holding a float and
only using their legs.”
Convinced? Pull on
your cossie for Pickering’s
ultimate swim guide.

Fl o at i n g
Want to really home in on your o n a
underwater mindfulness practice? dr ea m
“Play around with your breath pattern,”
suggests Taylor. To do that, he says to
“breathe every two strokes, then every
three strokes, then every four strokes,
and then go back to two.” Why does
this work? “Breathing like this
takes your [focus] away from
thinking about other things
too much,” he says.
Zen: found.

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