Invisible Swimming Training

Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by admin

**Swimmers need to receive the correct levels of nutrition and hydration, in combination with rest, recovery, relaxation and sleep.**

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips on the importance of invisible swimming training.

Competitive swimmers train and compete at a consistently high intensity.

During this, they burn a lot of calories and break down a large amount of muscle tissue.
For a swimmer wishing to continue swimming at their optimum, this needs to be replenished.

What is invisible swimming training?

Invisible swimming training is a series of disciplines to help ensure that swimmers perform at their optimum.

This focuses on ensuring they receive the correct levels of nutrition and hydration
In combination with rest, recovery, relaxation and sleep.

Fatigue

Many competitive swimmers have active lives away from the pool including,

School/work activities
Other sports
Social activities

Therefore, swimmers should ensure that they understand the importance of invisible training and are alert to the dangers of fatigue.

The symptoms of fatigue can vary from person to person and the severity of such symptoms can vary from day-to-day.

Parents also need to monitor their child for signs of fatigue, which can have a range of physical, mental and emotional symptoms including,

Feeling very tired
Problems sleeping
Headaches or dizziness
Joint or muscle pain
Muscles feeling weak
Slow reflexes, responses and coordination.
Impaired decision-making and judgement
Moody and irritable
Loss of appetite
Problems with thinking, concentration and short-term memory
Low motivation

Nutrition

Proper swimming nutrition is essential for optimum swimming performance.

It provides the swimmers with the energy they require to cope with the rigours of training and competition.
Proper swimming nutrition also helps to create new muscles and helps maintain and repair existing muscles.
As a part of their invisible swimming training routine, swimmers should use rest days to ensure they top up with good swimming nutrition.

Hydration

A fit and healthy body should be well-hydrated to perform at its optimum.

Although most swimmers’ training is conducted in the water, they still lose a great deal of body fluid through physical exertion.
This lost fluid should be replaced, as dehydration is one of the most common causes of poor performance.
As a part of their invisible swimming training routine, swimmers should use rest days to ensure they are fully hydrated.

Recovery

Introduction:

The ability to recover between training and/or competition is a key invisible swimming training skill and needs to be mastered to ensure swimmers can continue to swim at their optimum level.

Cool Downs:

**The recovery process often starts with a swim-down after training or competition.**

Swimmers should start their recovery at the end of each training or competitive session by way of a proper cool/swim down.

This consists of an easy swim-down, some flexibility stretching exercises and a warm shower.
This can help repair the swimmer’s nervous system and help facilitate a quicker recovery.

Active Rests:

Swimmers should undertake light and gentle invisible swimming training exercises between pool sessions and on rest days, such as walking, cycling and stretching/mobility exercises.

This will help to repair the swimmer’s nervous system, help to facilitate a quicker recovery, while at the same time maintaining the swimmer’s flexibility.

**Competitive swimmers may need more sleep to help them fully recover from the rigours of training and competition.**

Rest and Relaxation

**Relaxation techniques can aid in a better night’s sleep and help a swimmer to rest and recover**

Introduction:

Competitive swimmers may need more sleep to help them fully recover from the rigours of training and competition.

Relaxation skills can help swimmers reduce any self-doubts, worries and physical anxieties while increasing concentration and performance.
Relaxation techniques can also be used to aid in a better night’s sleep and to help a swimmer to rest and recover, after training or during competition.

Breathing exercises

Introduction:

Breathing in a controlled manner is a simple and effective way to relax, it increases oxygen in the blood, reduces anxiety and reduces muscle tension.

Breathing exercise example:

Find a quiet place where the swimmer can either lie down or sit for 20 minutes, without being disturbed.

The swimmer should close their eyes and focus on the rise and fall of their chest whilst breathing in a calm and steady manner for 2-3 minutes.
Next, the swimmer should focus on the sound of their breathing whilst breathing in a calm and steady manner for a further 2-3 minutes.
As they become more relaxed their breathing should get louder.
Next, the swimmer should focus on relaxing their chest muscles as they exhale whilst breathing in a calm and steady manner for a further 3-4 minutes.
Ensure that their chest muscles rise higher and fall deeper with each exhalation.
The swimmer should repeat these exercises for the next 10 minutes.

Muscle relaxation exercises

Introduction:

Repeatedly tensing and relaxing sets of muscles is a great relaxation exercise.

Muscle relaxation exercise example:

Find a quiet place where the swimmer can either lie down or sit for 5-10 minutes, without being disturbed.

The swimmer should close their eyes and focus on a particular muscle group in turn.
They should tense/tighten a group of muscles for five seconds and then relax them for five seconds, and repeat five times
Slowly work all the muscle groups in the body
Starting with the feet, then the calves and the thighs.
Then the buttocks, then the trunk and the chest
Finally the arms (by clenching and unclenching their fists)
Now slowly work your way back down the body, in reverse order.

Listening to music:

Listening to relaxing music with a slower tempo can be a great way to relax.

However, what some people might find relaxing music can be irritating to others.
Therefore ensure the music the swimmer wishes to relax to, has been chosen by them.

Reading a book:

Reading a book is one of the best and quickest ways to relax.

It helps to clear the mind, slowing down the heart rate and easing tension in the muscles.

Visualisation and meditation:

Many swimmers use visualisation and meditation techniques to help them with their invisible training.

Sleep

Most children require about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Competitive swimmers may need more sleep to help them fully recover from the rigours of training and competition.

A lack of sleep can have a negative effect on the swimmer’s performance. It often impacts their physical ability, swimming technique (cognitive function) and reactions.
Therefore, it’s important that swimmers make quality sleep as much of a priority as they do for training and nutrition.

The key to a good night’s sleep is to establish a bedtime routine.

For example:

Go to bed at the same time every day.
Don’t use phones, computers or watch TV within half an hour of going to bed
This tends to excite and stimulate the mind which is not conducive to a good night’s sleep.
Have a hot shower, before going to bed, which is a natural sedative
A shower can also reduce stress and ease anxiety.
Get your kit reading for training/competition for the next day
Prepare your kit for school the next day (including homework, uniform, gym kit etc.)
Prepare any morning training breakfasts and/or school pack lunches.
Set an alarm
Read a relaxing book for 30 minutes, as reading is one of the best and fastest ways to relax.