Stretches - What do you think?

TO_ARTHUR!

I went for my swim this evening and I proceeded to do a series of stretches before the main exercise. I was going at it and I started to get a few strange looks. Aside from there being no stretching area as such, by the pool, what I thought was strange was that I didn't see one person attempt anything that remotely looked like a warm up before they entered or left the pool.

I had been living over in Spain for the past while and at the swimming pools there it is a regular occurrence to see those who use them, participating in the said pre-swim exercises. It was my understanding from having read a bit about the sport that it was in one's best interest to give the muscles and other parts of our limbs as well as our hearts, a 'heads-up' as so to speak before jumping into the action.

So is it just me or do Irish people that exercise themselves seem a little too eager to get the blood pumping around them but at the risk of causing themselves some physical damage in the long run?

okane1

I stretch before swimming. All the swimmers I coach stretch before getting into the water. I/we would to some warming up before stretching, so not to stretch on cold joints. This could be as simple as swinging your arms/shoulder, shaking out the legs.

Funny enough, no one else in the public sessions stretch. There is no specific stretching area but at the same time, I don't get funny looks, well besides the wearing speedo looks!!

TO_ARTHUR!

The night, I started this thread, there had been a swimmers masters group up at the pool at the same time as me and perhaps what I should have said was what I thought was strange was that none of them appeared to participating in any stretching exercises.

I, myself only started stretching around about a year ago and I think that it has made a hell of a difference in how I would feel in the water and after the swim as well as a persistent shoulder ache clearing up fairly soon after taking up the exercises. A break of about a fortnight from the swimming also had it's effect, I am sure. I usually start off my routine with some arm movements that swings them in different directions before going on to do about five or six stretches for the limbs.

Ben D Bus

I've always just started with a few really slow laps. Gliding a lot, not pulling too hard on the stroke, gentle kicks. Always thought that would be just as good as, if not better than, stretches out of the water. But I see plenty stretching beforehand too. There are a few mats laid out where I swim.

As it happens, I've a bit of shoulder ache at the moment so maybe I SHOULD be stretching first!

I don't know where you swim TO_ARTHUR, but my pool is part of a gym so many who appear to get straight into it may well have just come from weight training or any other exercise.

AngryHippie

I normally do a gentle 200 or 300 at the very start, almost like a catch up drill its so slow, and build up a little speed on the next 100. Once my HR has been clipping 100 for 5 minutes, I stop and stretch. Then After my main swim, just before my swim down, (same as the warm-up 5min duration) I do a gentle stretch again.
And yes. It does help.

Freedive Ireland

I usually stretch a bit but in the chasnging rooms or just off by the showers. Some peolpe want to be watched while they stretch and I kinda dont understand that tbh.