We have already seen that dry-land training can be useful when resuming swimming after a break, particularly when the pool is not available (Dryland training to get active again – Training 1). However, if you do not particularly enjoy workouts on dry land, we can begin training sessions in the water straight away or, better still, do a combination of both. Today we will look at how to slowly and gradually begin training in the water. Are you ready to return to swimming? Your first training sessions in the water must be aerobic ONLY, with no speed work to avoid over-stressing your body, partic ..read more

They say the average person consumes more than 6,000 calories on Christmas day. And a big dinner usually isn’t even the main culprit; it’s the nonstop snacking and drinking that sneaks up on you. One day of indulging certainly isn’t the end of the world (and you shouldn’t have to count calories on holiday season!), but the winter holiday as a whole can be a bit of a bump in the road for those trying to live a healthy lifestyle. If you start getting together with friends for holiday drinks and parties in early December, and find sweets sitting out at home and in the office for several weeks, ch ..read more

Many people give in to bad habits and stress over the holidays. Here are a few tips to make the holiday season more enjoyable and less guilt inducing. We make the same promises every year: we won’t put off our holiday shopping until the last minute, we won’t let ourselves get stressed, we won’t go overboard on the sweets…but every time, January finds us exhausted and a tad heavier. What can we do to make the holidays more relaxing and enjoyable—and reduce the need for a million New Year’s resolutions when it’s all over? Here are a few suggestions. Get organized Scrambling to get things done at ..read more

Cold water swimming can be dangerous if you’re not acclimatised, but if you train, your body will adapt and you may be able to enjoy health benefits. A New Year’s Day ‘polar bear plunge’ to raise funds for charity in Canada. An ice swim to celebrate the Epiphany in Russia. A dip in cold water to cool off after a sauna session in Finland. It seems like an awful lot of people are voluntarily subjecting themselves to cold water. And in many cases they aren’t just jumping in and out – they’re staying in to swim. Photo credits: @barbarehlla_h Cold water swimming is growing increasingly popular. Sw ..read more

One of the distinctive things about backstroke swimming is that your breathing is not really affected by the water: we swim with our stomachs facing upwards and we decide when we want to breathe, there is no danger of swallowing water due to bad timing. But that does not mean you can breathe whenever you like. Technically speaking the right time to breathe is: Inhale: during the recovery phase of one arm Exhale: at the end of the recovery phase of the other arm. It is important to breathe out quickly and forcibly, because you will not float so well if you breathe out slowly during the pull ..read more

Water is the essential element that connects us all – both as human beings and lovers of aquatic sports, and we want to take active part in protecting it as a precious life source. Today we asked Andreas Fath, professor in the Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences at Furtwangen University, water protection expert, open water swimmer and arena ambassador, for some tips on how we can take care of water and make a difference in everyday life. What is the current state of water health in Europe? “In general we can say that our water in Europe, especially in rivers, is no longer in intensive care a ..read more

Each side of the island receives ocean debris. The East side is definitely the worst hit, it has the pleasure of bearing the brunt of the prevailing North Easterly winds. These winds bring with them plastic trash from all over the Caribbean. Here you find bottles, lids, plastic buckets, hair clips, flip flops, shoes, shampoo bottles and often larger objects, such as building materials and small boats.  On the North side of the island you will see a lot of bottled beverages, some with the labels still on, this is interesting as you can see almost exactly where products are coming from. We ..read more

The Grand swim was an event that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Even now, a few months on, it is impossible to put into words how incredible the experience was. I get overwhelmed when I think about the support we had, the people cheering us on every stroke of the way. It still gives me chills. Humbling doesn’t even cut it. I’m over humbled and full of deep, deep gratitude! I know I’m not the only one on the team who had the best and worst times of their life within that 37 hours. When I said I wanted the ocean to swallow me up, I was serious. The elation of completing the task overpow ..read more

How to choose lenses for arena goggles The lenses for arena goggles are not all the same. Choose the ideal style and colour for your specific needs! When choosing swimming goggles, remember that lenses are extremely important for maximum visibility in the water. The choice of lenses for your goggles is initially a question of personal preference, but here are some useful tips if you do not know which to choose. Which goggles should I choose for outdoor swimming? If you swim outdoors, particularly in open water, you should choose goggles with mirror lenses that reflect light and minimise the am ..read more

“The reason I undertook The Grand Swim was to raise money and awareness about the ever present issue the oceans face.” (Oly Rush) Miles: 60 miles 95.5km   |  Air Temperature: 81℉ Hours: 36.59   |   Sea Temp: 82℉ Wind conditions: 11 Knots SE   |  Stroke Rate: 44 Swell: <2 feet SE   |  Visibility: Good/Excellent When I completed my Isle of Wight swim (#swimiowplasticfight) I was elated but somehow I felt I wanted to push myself further! I had been training for a 20+ hour swim and we managed to get round in 15 hours due to some i ..read more