Anyone have an arched back in water?

J_E

I've been swimming now for about 2 months and enjoying it very much. While deep end still freaks me out a little in terms of not being able to touch the bottom, I am comfortable with swimming in the water and improving my breathing technique. My back is letting me down bigtime though! I never thought I had issues until I started doing the front crawl and realised I have a sag in the middle that I can't seem to get rid of. It makes surfacing to breathe hard because I either have to put strain on my back or 'push' up which loses momentum. It's not that I'm even consciously sagging, it just feels that way when I'm in water and I can't think of a way to correct it.

Does anyone else have this issue, any tips you could give?

aidanki

Cydoniac wrote: »

I've been swimming now for about 2 months and enjoying it very much. While deep end still freaks me out a little in terms of not being able to touch the bottom, I am comfortable with swimming in the water and improving my breathing technique. My back is letting me down bigtime though! I never thought I had issues until I started doing the front crawl and realised I have a sag in the middle that I can't seem to get rid of. It makes surfacing to breathe hard because I either have to put strain on my back or 'push' up which loses momentum. It's not that I'm even consciously sagging, it just feels that way when I'm in water and I can't think of a way to correct it.

Does anyone else have this issue, any tips you could give?

Think I have the same problem, did you solve yours?

cjt156

Maybe do some core exercises; plank, situps, crunches. Help your stomach muscles take more of the strain.

prq

Have you considered swimming a few lanes holding a floating pad? Arms stretched in front of you holding the pad, using legs only. I believe this is used to correct swimming posture inside the water and get you used to breathing by moving neck only.

However I am not a swimming coach so maybe if you have one locally they can be of further help.

Managespaces

Maybe do some core exercises; plank, situps, crunches

AngryHippie

Cydoniac wrote: »

I've been swimming now for about 2 months and enjoying it very much. While deep end still freaks me out a little in terms of not being able to touch the bottom, I am comfortable with swimming in the water and improving my breathing technique. My back is letting me down bigtime though! I never thought I had issues until I started doing the front crawl and realised I have a sag in the middle that I can't seem to get rid of. It makes surfacing to breathe hard because I either have to put strain on my back or 'push' up which loses momentum. It's not that I'm even consciously sagging, it just feels that way when I'm in water and I can't think of a way to correct it.

Does anyone else have this issue, any tips you could give?

I'm guessing from this that you are trying to look ahead when taking a breath ?

That will cause major buoyancy and body position issues for most swimmers.

The trick to front crawl breathing is in body roll.
While your hips stay more or less level, your shoulders can roll through almost 90 degreees when swimming front crawl.
stand at the edge of the pool, if there is a bar, hold onto it, if its a deck level, just put your fingers up on the deck.
kick your legs gently to get them up to surface level and achieve a horizontal body position. Make sure you are looking down, face down in the water at this point.
This is the correct body position 75% of the time.

Now, take a breath, go through all of the steps above, but this time, move one arm through a pull motion slowly as you kick, as your hand passes below your nipple, look to that side, as you finish the stroke by your hip, the same arm stroke will give you enough push to roll your face out of the water to get a breath. As your arm recovers over the water, the weight of your arm will roll your shoulder back into the water to finish the breath cycle.

Practice is slowly, on your good side (usually your writing hand side), once you feel comfortable with it, try it on your left.

Then move back out around 8 meters, with a kickboard, try it on the way back to the wall, a few times each side.
Then try incorporating it into a cycle of three armstrokes, start with your better side 1 pull strong side, 1 pull weak side, on the 3rd pull, roll and breathe.

It's a bit of a tricky one to get the hang of initially, especially on the "weaker" side. Stick with it, if you get lessons, ask the instructor to watch you and make sure it's right. If you don't get lessons ask a lifeguard, they should be able to give you some basic feedback at least.

Rest plenty at first, otherwise you will get tired and frustrated.

Once you are getting the hang of it and can string it together, lookup catch-up and high elbow drills and work on those to improve the control of your shoulder roll and propulsion from your arm stroke.

Enjoy, it, and don't over-think it.;)

Mermaria

I had when I was toddler !

Have you considered it is a simple stage in the swimming stroke development?

If you were doing breast stroke most of the times before ... you only need to give same time to your body to readjust the swimming position to the new stroke.

On other hand, you are doing the water polo stroke now. Gain more swimming fitness/endurance and you can be part of a water polo team!

Cheers