Back Pain Prevention When Swimming
Whether you’re strictly a holiday pool swimmer, a regular leisure centre lane-swimmer, an open water swimmer, or maybe you just like the odd dip – we’re here for you with our handy guide to maintaining a strong back and staying pain-free!
There are two common potential causes of back pain when swimming front crawl: both can often be rectified by a few adjustments to body position and technique.
High Head Position.
Having your head too high can cause strain through your lower back. It means your hips are likely to sink, putting pressure through your lower back and forcing your legs to kick harder in an attempt to keep them up close to the surface.
What can you do to counteract this?:
Getting your head down in the water will help you keep a more neutral spine position, taking the pressure off your lower back and making you a more efficient swimmer. To do this press down on the water gently with your chest and get your head to follow.
What to avoid:
Tucking your chin down will not help.
Outcome:
When you get this right you should feel your hips and legs lift, thus reducing the strtain on your back.
2. Unaligned Rotation.
As you swim your upper torso will naturally roll from side to side with the movement of your arms and shoulders. If your hips and legs stay flat you will create a twisting through your lower back, which could cause discomfort. Your whole body should be rotating side to side, following the movement of your upper torso.
What can you do to counteract this?:
Imagine your torso, hips and legs are all turning as one around the axis of your spine. Engaging your core and glutes will help you control this movement.
Outcome:
This will help ease lower back pain and also reduce your drag making you faster in the water.
At Active Health+, we’re always here to help you – whether it’s recovery from existing issues, or, with our extensive understanding of sports, preventing possible injury.
