Swimming warm-up

A swimming warm-up is mostly an imitation of the movements you are about to make in the water - the point is to warm and mobilise the parts of your body that will do the work while you swim.

Warm up with movement, not with holds. Static stretching before a swim gives you nothing and briefly costs you power; save it for afterwards, when it does the most good.

Warm-up exercises

1. arm circles:
   1. forwards,
   2. backwards,
   3. alternating,
   4. one arm at a time,
   5. arm circles with a small hop,
   6. one arm circling forwards while the other circles back,
2. torso circles,
3. neck circles,
4. knee circles,
5. torso twists,
6. twisting toe touches,
7. leg swings, forwards and sideways, holding the wall,
8. shoulder pull-aparts with a band or a towel.

Keep every movement smooth and controlled, working through a range that grows as you loosen up, rather than throwing your limbs into it - that is how muscles get pulled. Ten minutes on land is plenty, and the first two or three lengths in the water, swum easy, finish the job.

Stretching after the swim

These are the stretches to do once you are out of the pool, while you are still warm. Ease into each one, hold it for around 30 seconds, and never stretch into pain.

• Standing, cross one straight arm in front of your chest, hook the other arm under it and pull it towards you. Hold. Change arms.
• Raise one bent arm above your head so the forearm hangs behind you, and press the elbow gently towards your head with the other hand. Hold. Change arms.
• Clasp your hands behind your back, bend forward from the hips and lift your joined hands away from your body.
• Clasp your hands, straighten your arms above your head and reach upwards; you can rise onto your toes as you do it.
• Rest one bent arm on your hip, take the other arm overhead and bend sideways towards the bent arm. Change sides.
• Bend one arm to 90 degrees so it makes a right angle with your chest and place it against a wall or door frame, with clear space in front of you. Stand in a short lunge and press your chest gently forward until you feel the stretch across it. Change arms.
• Stand an arm's length from a wall with your feet slightly apart, place both hands on it at head height with straight arms, and bend forward from the hips.
• Sit with your legs straight, bend one knee and place that foot beside the other knee, hook the opposite elbow around it, twist your torso gently and support yourself with your other hand behind you as you draw the knee across.
• Sit with both knees bent and dropped out to the sides, soles of the feet together, hold your ankles and press your thighs slowly towards the floor with your elbows.
• Forward bends in every position: legs straight and together, feet apart, seated, and with one foot resting on a support at hip height, bending towards the raised leg and then the standing one.
• Kneel and sit back on your heels, then place your hands on the floor in front of your knees, lift your hips and come up onto your toes. Then move your hands behind you and lean back to lift your shins off the floor.
• Kneel with your knees together and your feet apart, sit down between your heels with your toes pointing back, and lower yourself slowly towards lying back. Go very slowly, and skip this one if you have had a knee injury.
• Lie on your back, draw your knees towards your chest and try to bring them alongside your ears, or keep your legs straight and take your feet as far behind your head as they will go. Excellent for the back and neck. Come out of it very slowly.
• Still on your back, arms out to the sides in line with your shoulders, bend one knee and lower it across your body towards the floor without letting your chest lift.
• Now on your front, arms in the same position, try to touch the opposite hand with your foot.
• Lie on your back with one knee bent, cross the other ankle over that knee, take hold of the lower thigh and draw it gently towards your chest. Hold, then change sides.