Rotator Cuff and swimming

Due to the low impact involved with swimming, provided you have reasonable technique, swimming should be an activity that you can do into your old age. There are very few issues that could prevent longevity in the sport.

That said you still need to be proactive and take some preventative measures to ensure you can keep going. One of the issues that might prevent you from swimming into your later years is the dreaded rotator cuff injury.

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint. There are many reasons why you might develop a problem with your rotator cuff. Best practice is to keep the area nice and strong and be a little pro-active. Adding a stretches and exercises into your weekly training program could be a great start.

*As with all exercises, they may not suit absolutely everyone. If you experience pain with a certain exercise, stop immediately and speak to a professional.

We’ve added a few below.

The first 2 minutes of the video work on an already sore shoulder. From 2 minutes onwards we’re into the rotator cuff specific exercises and strengthening.

Why learn front crawl (freestyle)

I offered to teach a group doing a water safety course front crawl and they asked me why they would bother? The question slightly surprised me and I didn’t have an immediate answer. For me it’s one of those questions that I never thought I’d be asked and had never really given any thought to the answer….now that I have thought about it, here’s why.

• I think primarily the view underwater is often as spectacular or, in some cases more spectacular than the view above. This year we’ve seen a large number of sand Eel and marine life and the usual stunning Cornish underwater seascapes.

• Cold water does a great job of ‘re-setting’ the brain. Great for your mental health. In warmer water (ie. the summer), swimming with your head in the water, focusing on your breathing, thinking through your technique…does exactly the same. So when the water isn’t cold, you get the same affect.

• Breaststroke gets the job done but can be quite punishing on the knees and joints. Especially as you get older. If you pick up an injury/RSI to your shoulder or knee you may have to give up swimming.

• Swimming front crawl (correctly) puts less strain on the body - particularly with the added buoyancy of salt water.

• Generally speaking, swimming front crawl allows you to cover more distance, quicker, with less energy and resistance (from both the wind and water). Which would allow for more adventurous swims or simply more variety.

• Even if you weren’t to swim front crawl that often. It’s nice to have the option.

• From a safety point of view I also think that swimming faster, with less effort is definitely a good thing.

These are our thought on the topic. Quite honestly, we’re just thrilled that more people are swimming and it’s gained such popularity. However you swim…keep it up!