History of Swimming

History of Swimming
Swimming is an ancient activity that has taken place since both water and humans were
on the earth. Prehistoric drawings from the southwestern part of Egypt show original
documentation of people swimming. The images seem to show the dog paddle or
breaststroke, but these may have been more ritualistic than anything. Of course,
anciently, swimming was done because it was necessary for survival. Whether people
needed to cross a river to safety on the other side or simply know how to tread water to
prevent drowning, swimming has certainly come a long way since its ancient days. Here
is the history of swimming in a competitive sense as it is known today.
Strokes of swimming
Backstroke
The backstroke requires similar movements to the front crawl, but it is done, as the name
suggests, on your back. Doctors often recommend this stroke to individuals with back
problems as it provides a great back workout.
To perform the backstroke, while floating on your back, alternate your arms with a
windmill-like motion to propel yourself backwards. Like the front crawl, your arms should
start the circular motion by pushing underwater and recovering above water. Your legs
should engage in a flutter kick. Your face should be above the surface as you look straight
up.
Keep your body as straight as possible, with a slight decline in the lower body to keep
your legs underwater. Don’t allow your hips to get too low or your body to bend too much
or it will slow you down. Keep your legs close together and use the motion from your hips
to get a more powerful kick.
Your face will remain out of the water, but you will still want to be cognizant of your
breathing rhythm. Again, match your breaths to your strokes.
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is the slowest competitive swimming stroke, and it is the most commonly
learned stroke. It’s often taught to beginner swimmers because it does not require putting
your head underwater. However, in competitive swimming, swimmers do submerge their
head and breathe at designated points in the stroke.
This stroke is performed with your stomach facing down. Your arms move simultaneously
beneath the surface of the water in a half circular movement in front of your body.
Your legs perform the whip kick at the same time. The whip kick is executed by
bringing your legs from straight behind you close to your body by bending both at your
knees and at your hips. Your legs then move outward and off to the side before extending
and coming back together. This swimming technique is often compared to a frog’s
movement.
Time each arm stroke to match your leg movements for more effective propulsion by
resting the arms while the legs kick, and straightening the legs while the arms push you
forward. This way, there is always something working to continue forward movement.
Butterfly
The butterfly is an advanced swimming stroke that provides an excellent workout. It can
be more difficult and tiring to learn, but it is also a lot of fun. It is the second fastest
competitive stroke, and the favorite stroke of Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
To perform the butterfly stroke, start horizontal with your stomach facing the bottom of
the pool. Bring your arms simultaneously over your head and push them into the water to
propel you forward and bring them up out of the water again to repeat. As you move
your arms into the water, you will push your head and shoulders above the surface of the
water.
Your legs will perform a dolphin kick, which requires your legs to stay together and straight
as you kick them similarly to how a dolphin’s lower body and tail moves. Move your body
in a fluid wave-like motion.
The best time to take a breath will be when your arms are just starting to come out of the
water, just before you begin the next forward thrust. Lift your head straight in front of you
during this move and do not turn your head to the side.
Elementary Backstroke
This is a variation from the typical backstroke you see. It uses a reversed breaststroke kick
while your arms move in sync beneath the water. It’s called “elementary” because of its
simple technique that’s easy to pick up, and is often one of the first swim strokes taught
to new swimmers for this reason.
This stroke is often taught to children using fun nicknames for the parts of the movement.
Bring your hands to your armpits like a monkey, spread your arms like an airplane, then
push them down to your sides like a soldier.
Sidestroke
This is an older swimming style that is not typically used in swim competitions, but is still an
important stroke to learn for safety reasons. It is most commonly used by lifeguards when
they rescue someone, as this stroke most easily allows you to pull something along with
you. It involves swimming on your side, as the name implies, propelling yourself forward
with a scissor kick and alternating arm movements. It’s one of the easier strokes to learn,
and can be a nice break from the more popular swim strokes if you’re looking to add
more variety into your routine.
One way to remember the sidestroke is by comparing it to apple picking. Your first arm
will stretch above your head and pick an apple, then your hands will meet in front of your
chest. The first arm hands the apple to the second arm (the side of the body that is on
top and partly out of the water). The second arm will reach out to toss the apple behind
you as the first arm reaches above your head for another apple.
Combat Side Stroke

This is a form of the sidestroke that all US Navy SEALs have to learn. Efficient and energy-
saving, the combat side stroke is a kind of a combination of breaststroke, freestyle, and,
obviously, sidestroke. It reduces the swimmer’s profile in the water, making them less
visible while allowing them to swim with maximum efficiency–two critical criteria for
combat operations that require swimming on the surface. You will focus on balance,
length, and rotation. The combat side stroke is a relatively complicated
Trudgen
This stroke evolved from the sidestroke and is named after the English swimmer John
Trudgen. You swim mostly on your side, alternating lifting each arm out of the water and
over your head. It uses a scissor kick that only comes in every other stroke. When your left
arm is over your head, you spread your legs apart to prepare to kick, and then as the
arm comes down you straighten your legs and snap them together for the scissor kick.
This stroke is particularly unique because your head remains above the water for the
entirety.

History of Swimming

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