Discover your life aquatic

Dry Land Practice

• BodySense for Streamline - discussion of important points to guide practice

• Getting into streamline position ("Y" pose, finding references, keeping head fixed)

• Three essentials:
  • Head and spine alignment
  • Degree of rotation
  • Arms:
    • Lead arm extended, not stretched or tense
    • Back arm relaxed, but held snugly against hip and inner thigh
• At home, practice different postures in the mirror and also with eyes closed to develop a sense of where your body is in space, without the distraction of water. This skill will help you problem solve and refine your technique with more ease.

Pool: Focus: Streamline Position (30 minutes)

Discovery: How do you know the three essentials of the streamline (head/spine, degree of rotation and arm positions) are in place?

• Using mirrors for feedback, exploring positions that feel different, good and unstable for a range of possibilities
  • Head alignment with spine
  • Degree of rotation (thoracic rotation)
  • Arm positions: extended arm and arm held close to the body
  • Kicking technique
• Explore consequences of changing positions on: streamline, balance, comfort, and muscle state (tension/relaxation)

• Practice mini-laps kicking in glide with those three focus points with and without fins.

• Try 3-4 strokes without breathing to stay warm and discover how the three essential of streamline changes stroke awareness.

Pool: Breathing Introduction (20 minutes)

• If you need to, practice controlling your exhalation through the nose while standing stationary in the water. Try to prolong the exhalation and make it continuous.
• Practice the streamline drill while exhaling continuously through your nose and maintain your buoyancy.
• In streamline, practice turning your head to a breathing position while exhaling continuously. Breath is not the goal here, your goal is to maintain your glide and just turn your head. 
• If one side feels easier, check the fundamentals of streamline: head and spine alignment, degree of body rotation and arm positions.
• Remember that if you struggle or have any difficulties with this practice, to simplify by returning to non-breathing focus points (streamline without a breath) to create a better foundation for more complexity.

Pool: Introduction to Switches (10 minutes)

Using your existing stroke mechanics, focus on movement from one side to the next.

We lightly covered the essentials of moving into streamline with each stroke (switch) and retaining stability and minimal exertion.