How Yoga Has Helped My Swimming

As a working mom, student, and masters swimmer, life can be very busy. Since I can’t always get to the pool, I began looking for something that could help me cross train for swimming. In that search, I found a local vinyasa flow yoga studio with classes that were a perfect fit for me. It didn’t take long before I began to notice how yoga helped my swimming. Here are three areas I found that improved after taking yoga classes: 1. Breathing – How many times have you been told not to breathe as much when you swim? Yoga can help with lung capacity through ujjayi breathing. I have noticed, after practicing ujjayi breathing, I can use it in the pool to breathe less frequently between strokes. There are many YouTube videos that explain how to use ujjayi breathing. One of my favorites can be found here. 2. Flexibility – I have found that I am more flexible after taking yoga classes. This increased flexibility helps my swimming by improving the reach of my arms for the entry of my stroke as well as the extension of the stroke finish when swimming freestyle. Overall, I found this added reach can translate into a better distance per stroke as the increased flexibility helps when elongating the stroke. 3. Relaxation – Do you get butterflies in your stomach on race day? I do! I have used the relaxation techniques I have learned from yoga at meets to remove the nervous butterflies in my stomach before I swim. Before the meet begins and before I get on the blocks, I use relaxation techniques to calm down before the start of the race. Others have found benefits from yoga such as core strength and focus as mentioned by USA Swimming. Also, Yoga Journal and U.S. Masters Swimming list some specific poses that can help swimmers. If you are interested in using yoga to cross train, here are some helpful tips:

1. Don’t be intimidated! Don’t be afraid to try something new. Remember everyone has to start somewhere.
2. Go to class with friends. Enjoy the experience together!
3. Find a pace where you are comfortable. Just because you see others in the classes holding poses longer, that doesn’t mean that you need to do it all in the first class.
4. Modifications of poses are possible. Don’t be afraid to talk to the yoga instructor. They are there to help!

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Jamie Brandon is a lifeguard, swim instructor, and previous water aerobics instructor at the Wilmerding YMCA in Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. She also is a registered swimmer with U.S. Masters Swimming and is a swimmer for the Wilmerding YMCA Masters Swim Team in the Allegheny Mountain YMCA/YWCA Masters Swimming Association.