Swimming Without Stress Backstroke and Learn to Swim on Back

[ravi28948]

@swimwithoutstress: How is the breathing in and out pattern for the English back stroke?

[swimwithoutstress]

@ravi28948 As the arms and legs drift up towards the head (recovery phase), the back opens and this is where the inbreath naturally happens. As you close the arms and legs for the glide, this is where the outbreath naturally happens. Don't overdo the breathing but see if, when you relax and take your time, this pattern emerges.

[ravi28948]

@Swimwithoutstress: Thanks for this wonderful demo clip. I am 64 and taken to swimming only recently. I can now swim the breaststroke with some ease. I am fascinated by the old English backstroke. I imagine it would be a nice and relaxed way to swim at my age. I tried it a couple of times only to get lot of water going into my nose! Something is wrong somewhere. Please tell me what could be wrong and tell me more about the breath in and out timing for this stroke. Thanks.

[swimwithoutstress]

@ravi28948 With old English backstroke the hips do sink when you bring knees up but the secret is to make this recovery phase passive - don't rush it. Let knees 'drift' up. Don't try to stop hips from sinking as they'll rise again with kick. For men especially, the jaw may sink under water at recovery phase. So keep mouth open and let water roll in & out again as a precaution against sniffing it up nose, which is what happens if you rush this bit and then 'react' when water goes over your face.

[Theshofumiah1]

bloody hell, make it look so easy. when i try do back stroke with out a float, sometimes the water gets all over my face and in my nose and, also my legs burn with pain with 50 metres(2laps) any advice:(

[swimwithoutstress]

@Theshofumiah1 It's all about keeping the head relaxed & letting arms float up out of a nice expanding back. The common cycle among learners is: anxiety about arms coming out of water making you sink makes you tense your neck which does make the arms heavy and the water does come over the face! Get really comfortable without lifting the arms. Practise kicking with one arm back and one by the side, when you feel ready, change arms then continue kicking. Have a read of Swimming without Stress

[Theshofumiah1]

@swimwithoutstress thanks. does joggin in the park improve my stamina and toughen my legs???

[swimwithoutstress]

@Theshofumiah1 Yes but it won't stop them hurting as you get used to back stroke. For the kick, aim your legs lazily at the surface, like trying to kick your socks off when you're in a sleeping bag. Think of the back of the legs staying soft. Have a look at our facebook page swimmingwithoutstress. it;s a great place to ask questions and get immediate answers and there's a growing community of people interested in discussions like these. Thanks for watching.

[Theshofumiah1]

@swimwithoutstress thanks mate, i will go on the face book account shortly. also, is it wise to wear nose plugs when doing back stroke? Do u breath through ur nose aswell as ur mouth when u do back stroke????

[swimwithoutstress]

@Theshofumiah1 We don't recommend nose clips, you can breathe normally but it's useful to keep the mouth open as a precaution against sniffing water up your nose should any water come over your face. Think of keeping your neck relaxed.

[epa9975]

I find it hard to swim in a straight line when I'm doing backstroke.

[swimwithoutstress]

@epa9975 Yes, I would too if I didn't look for markers. Relax your head and look for something on the ceiling to follow, also look around left and right. If I swim backstroke with my eyes closed I have no chance of swimming in a straight line as my internal compass is poor. For this reason, I struggle in the sea over long distances. But in a pool, you just need to use your eyes, just like on dry land. it takes a bit of getting used to but is not difficult - thank goodness for pools!

[rahulnarang22]

Seeing the video,I tried floating with my head back to the water.I'm glad I could successfully do it ,flipping my legs all the while.In the video you advise not to pull the head and the chin a little too backwards.But if I do not do it then my head tends to sink in water and it is difficult to breathe.I s back stroke a good exercise also for the muscles? compared to the front crawl it requires less effort.thanks for your prompt advise.

[swimwithoutstress]

That's great to hear. Thanks for letting us know. I think backstroke is great for exploring the principles of the Alexander Technique in the water.

[steamybrian]

Brilliant- I have learnt back stroke by watching the film again, and again and again... Thanks