Covid-19 Quarantine: 3 Ways To Make Improvements While Stuck At Home!
Photo Credit: Helen Cogan Photography
Obviously there is only one thing the entire world is talking about…Covid-19 AKA The Coronavirus. This crazy infectious virus is turning the world upside down and no one is safe from it. Many of us are experiencing a state mandated shelter-in-place or at the very least are having all of our favorite places closed on us including our gyms and pools. As a swimmer or triathlete, this can really throw a wrench into our training plan but beyond that our daily routines. I don’t know about you but I love having a routine and the first thing I do after waking up is head to the gym for a swim…well that isn’t happening these days and it is unclear how long our routines will be disrupted. Just because there is no pool or gym to train at, doesn’t mean you still can’t work on your swimming while stuck at home. Today we are going to discuss three ways you can continue to improve in the water, without the water! Here we go:
Keep Your Cardio Up!
If you are a triathlete, then you are probably already increasing your bike and run volume now that you can’t swim but if you are a swimmer only it is time to consider some alternatives. Work to keep your cardio up so you can hit the ground running once the pools open or the ocean is warm enough to get back out there. If you are like me, then running isn’t your favorite activity for cardio but there are many options available for a solid in home workout. I am a big fan of getting some strength training, high intensity and cardio all at the same time. I find the best way to achieve all these things is with a Hight Intensity Interval Training session. One of my favorite sites for free workouts is Fitness Blender. Staying in shape will make the transition to the pool much easier so that you aren’t starting from scratch. If you are a swimmer who doesn’t do a ton of dry land, then make sure to start these workouts off a little easier and build the intensity or mileage to help prevent any injuries. Try to have a little fun!
Work Your Weakness
None of us have the perfect swim stroke and there is always something we could work on to improve. Go back and watch some videos or think about some of the areas your swim coach told you that you need to improve. Use this time to work on those weaknesses. A common weak spot for swimmers and triathletes is core strength, so if you aren’t sure what to work on then start doing some sessions to work on your core strength. Maybe you have a weak start or poor turns, then explosive power might be what you need to work on out of the pool to improve those swim elements. Have you been struggling with the high elbow pull or shoulder issues, then grab some stretch cords and start really honing in on strengthening the shoulder muscles or nailing the high elbow motion. There is always a way to work on your swim weaknesses out of the water and now is the perfect time to get started or to ramp it up! Need some help, let us know. We are here to help you so shoot us a message or drop your issue in the comments and we cna help give you some suggestions.
Visualization
A tool that many elite, professional and olympic level athletes use to help their athletic performances is visualization. Visualization is simple imagining yourself performing the activity you are trying to improve. When you are picturing yourself swimming perfectly, your goal is to create such a realistic scene that your body thinks it could actually be happening. So turn the TV off, lay on your back and start thinking about your performance from start to finish. If you are new to swimming, think about yourself swimming with perfect technique and having a natural rhythm as you swim. Imagine yourself with a nice high elbow catch and pulling with the lat and then the tricep. See yourself going through each phase of the stroke perfectly with a natural rhythm. Can you smell the chlorine or taste the salt water? If the answer is yes, then you are crushing this mental practice! Doing this once isn’t enough. Add visualization of your “A” race or just swimming perfectly every single day and once the pools are open again you will have already practice perfect swimming every day you were out of the pool. Below are some scenarios to help get you started:
If you are a triathlete or marathon swimmer, imagine your pre-race routine and set up. Think about what it will be like when the gun goes off or your are jumping off the boat and everyone starts swimming at the same time. What does your stroke look like, when will you sight, how will you maneuver around other swimmers and turn buoys, what will you do if you get a mouthful of water or you get kicked in the face? Visualize every little detail. If you are a triathlete, this doesn’t have to end with the swim portion keep going until you have completed your race. If you are a marathon swimmer, think about your feeds and what you will feel like at 1 hour in, 3 hours in 6 hours in all the way through the end of your swim.
If you are a competitive pool swimmer, start your visualization when you are walking to the blocks. Think about your pre-race routine and go through those motions. Imagine yourself stepping on the blocks, the starter sending you off and then think about the exact performance you want to have. If it is a 200 freestyle what are you doing off the block, how many dolphin kicks do you take, what does your stroke look like, when do you breathe, what is your effort level for each lap. Get really granular in what you are visualizing. This way when you get back to the pool and it is time for you to race, you have the confidence that you are going to crush it because you have had the perfect race in your head over and over.
Start adding these 3 techniques to your quarantine routine and once the pools are open or the open water is warm enough for swimming, then you will be ready to rock. It make take a few workouts to get back into the swing of things but you will be much stronger and further along than using the quarantine to sit on your butt and pout about your pool being closed.