Mia Russell

Swimming is an individual or team sport that takes place in the water (a pool, lake, or the ocean). The sport requires moving the entire body through the water by using most of the muscles in the body. Swimming has four strokes which are swum competitively – butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. A fifth stroke

Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise and while some people just swim to keep fit, most swimmers want to be able to swim faster. Swimming faster doesn’t just mean moving your arms and legs quicker – an increase in speed in the water directly correlates to several aspects of swimming such as conditioning and

Most lovers of swimming have a swimming idol – an Olympian or world-renowned swimmer that has done great things in the pool and inspired other swimmers to achieve greatness. Here is my list of the top 20 most famous swimmers of all time and their impressive achievements. Men 1. Michael Phelps Born on June 30th

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that provides an all-around body workout. Swimming works every muscle in the body and is one of the most versatile and effective workouts around. It offers a safe, high-aerobic, low-impact workout, allowing you to swim as much as you like without worrying about injuries. If you do have

Competitive swimmers spend long hours in the pool working hard to get stronger and faster, which is demanding on both the body and mind. Coaches often use a variety of games in the pool to lift spirits and add some fun after a week of grueling workouts. Here is a list of swimming games that

The joys of open water swimming are unrivaled… expanses of beautiful blue water, crisp fresh air, endless horizons, and no crowds (unless you are doing a triathlon!) But as with any activity in the water, whether a dam, lake, or the ocean, safety comes first, and this is where the open water buoy comes in.   

Snorkeling in beautiful clear water is like being transported to another world – an underwater world of brightly colored corals, hundreds of fish, other sea creatures, and waving forests of seaweed. However, this world can only be seen with a good snorkel mask that fits well, doesn’t leak, and doesn’t fog up. Choosing the right

Whether you are a sprint triathlete or an Ironman, these swim workouts for triathlon will help you improve your swim leg. Many triathletes work solely on their upper body for the swim leg so they can save their legs for the bike and run, however, it is still important to maintain some form of kick

Gone are the days of the “Speedo” style swim briefs for men. While they are still around, swimmers and triathletes tend to wear the more comfortable and more modest option of jammers. Similar in design to cycling shorts, jammers fit snugly around the thighs and groin area and provide the most coverage for men when

Gone are the days of swimming when all you needed was your swimsuit, a cap, and a pair of goggles. Now we have fins, paddles, pull buoys, kickboards, swim snorkels, and all the rest, so we need a great bag to carry it all around in. Swim bags have come a long way from the

The pull buoy is another important piece of swimming equipment used by swimmers around the world. Designed to fit between the thighs to allow swimmers to focus on arm work without having to kick, the pull buoy can be a friend or foe. The appeal of the pull buoy is obvious— it lets us swim

Do you lose track of the number of laps you have swum during a long set? Or do you like to know how many laps you have done after a workout? A lap counter is a great way to keep track of how many laps a swimmer has completed and are used regularly by swimmers,

There is nothing more irritating than your goggles fogging up all the time during a training session and if they fog up in a race, it could be the difference between victory and defeat. The first thing we all do when our goggles start to fog up is wipe the inside of the goggles with

Hand paddles are among a swimmer’s favorite pieces of equipment in their swim bag. Similar to using fins to develop power and strength in the legs, hand paddles, also known as swim paddles, are an excellent tool for strengthening your stroke and pulling motion and working on your upper body strength. Hand paddles come in

Over the last decade, the swim snorkel has become one of the most popular pieces of swimming gear. Like the other gear in your swim bag – your paddles, kickboard, and pull buoy, a swim snorkel is a fantastic piece of swimming equipment to help with an endless number of stroke-related things in the water.

Exercising in water is a fantastic way to get and stay fit. Aquatic exercise is a low-impact activity that provides a great full-body workout without the risk of injury as the body is almost weightless in the water and it takes the pressure off your bones, joints, and muscles.  Water also offers natural resistance, which

There are multiple benefits to using a nose plug when swimming. While plugging your nose while swimming might seem like the last thing you want to do when you already have limited time to breath, a nose plug, also known as a nose clip, can help with several things from stopping water from getting up

When coaches call for kicking sets, most swimmers usually groan… kicking sets can be a killer, however, kicking is an essential part of any stroke and a strong kick adds power and speed to your overall stroke. The kick set is a staple in any swimmer’s workout – it’s designed to strengthen the leg muscles,

Swimmer’s Shoulder is a swimmer’s worst nightmare. Also known as shoulder impingement, Swimmer’s Shoulder is a common injury among swimmers where the shoulder ligaments and muscles become aggravated due to the constant joint rotation. Approximately 90 percent of all swimmer’s complaints and injuries are related to problems with their shoulders with one of the most

A swim parka is a versatile, comfy, and cozy piece of clothing that makes keeping warm and changing on the pool deck easy. Part winter jacket, part towel, and part changing room swim parkas are often one of a swimmer’s most valued pieces of gear outside the pool. They are ideal for staying warm before

Backstroke is the only stroke that is swum on the back and while it is one of the easiest strokes to learn, it is also one the most difficult to master. There are some essential elements and key concepts of backstroke that swimmers need to perfect if they want to swim an efficient and fast

Loathed by some swimmers and celebrated by others, the butterfly is an elegant and graceful stroke to watch when swum correctly – there is nothing more awe-inspiring than watching the world’s greatest butterfly swimmer, Michael Phelps, powering through a 200m butterfly. However, it can be the most tiring stroke to swim if the technique is

Breaststroke may look easy to swim, but it is the most difficult stroke to master. The slowest of the four strokes, breaststroke is all about timing and once that has been mastered, it becomes an elegant and powerful stroke that is beautiful to both swim and watch. It may be the slowest of the four

Competitive swimmers have always spent long hours in the pool training at various intensities to improve their swim performance. In the few decades, however, swimming has become more competitive with the world’s top swimmers producing faster and faster times. Elite swimmers now have to look for methods of training in addition to swimming that will

One of the best ways to increase your fitness and strength in the water is by monitoring your heart rate and this can be done with a waterproof heart rate monitor designed especially for swimmers. Pushing yourself to the limit in the pool is hard, particularly if you are training by yourself. By using a

A swim cap is an essential part of your swimming gear. It not only keeps your hair out of your face while you are swimming, but it can also protect your hair from the damaging effects of chlorine, sun, and salt. A swim cap can also reduce resistance from water flow around your hair and

Fitbit fitness trackers are a fantastic way to increase your fitness and strength in the water. When the brand was first launched, there were only water-resistant models on the market, but now you can get waterproof Fitbits that can be used while swimming. Pushing yourself to the limit in the pool is difficult, particularly if

There is nothing better than a cool dip on a hot day! While in-ground swimming pools are expensive to install and maintain, above-ground swimming pools are a fantastic alternative to escaping the summer heat. Above-ground swimming pools are an affordable alternative and are easy to install and maintain. They provide just as much as an

While swimming is one of the best sports for the body, mind, and soul, it can wreak havoc on your hair, particularly if you are swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool. Whether competitive or recreational, swimming is a fantastic all-body workout that is low-impact, burns calories, and leaves you feeling amazing. However, even a quick

Waterproof Mp3 players are the answer to overcoming boredom on long swims. There is nothing better than listening to your favorite tunes or podcasts while you are swimming long-distance sets in the pool or doing a long open water swim. Some of the best underwater and waterproof Mp3 players for swimming have state-of-the-art technology that

Wetsuits are an essential piece of equipment when it comes to open water swimming and triathlons. Unless you are a hardened cold-water swimmer and prefer to swim in “skins” (just a costume), a good swim wetsuit can make or break your swim. The primary purposes of a swim wetsuit are to keep you warm and

Whether you are swimming in fresh or saltwater, being able to see in the water is imperative and swimming goggles are the most important piece of gear you will need. Goggles not only prevent your eyes from becoming red and irritated from the chlorine or the saltwater, but they also allow you to see other

Dryland training for swimmers also referred to as strength and conditioning training, consists of workouts on land that swimmers do to increase their strength, flexibility, posture, and overall physical mobility. Dryland workouts for swimmers are designed to complement the training they do in the water by providing a foundation of strength, power, and mobility to

Swimming fins are to swimmers like running shoes to runners and are an invaluable piece of specialized gear that helps swimmers achieve their goals. Specially designed swim fins not only provide a full-body workout and improve cardiovascular fitness but also help with speed training for both amateur and professional swimmers. For amateur swimmers, swim fins

Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise that provides an all-round body workout. Swimming works every muscle in the body and is one of the most versatile and effective workouts around. It offers a safe, high-aerobic, low-impact workout, allowing you to swim as much as you like without worrying about injuries. If you do have

Swimming goggles are the most important piece of gear you need when swimming. Goggles allow you to see clearly in the water, see the wall and other swimmers, and the backstroke flags above the pool, and they protect your eyes from becoming red and irritated from the chlorine or the saltwater. Swimming goggles can be