What this swim fitness skill is
Once you can keep a steady pace, the next step is changing it on purpose. You swim a relaxed length, then a quicker one, then come back down to easy. The change is your choice, not just what happens when you get tired.
The most useful part comes after the faster swim. You learn to bring your breathing back to comfortable, calmly, before carrying on. It comes after keeping a steady pace. Next, you learn to count your strokes and lengths.
Why it matters
Control over your effort.
Knowing how to speed up and slow down means you choose how hard you work.
Calmer after hard moments.
Settling your breathing after a burst of effort helps anywhere in the water.
More interesting swims.
Mixing easy and faster lengths keeps lap swimming from feeling repetitive.
Fitness at your level.
Faster always means faster for you, not for anyone else.
Who it is for
Teens, adults and older adults who can already keep a steady pace for a few lengths. Teens often enjoy the faster swims. Adults and older swimmers often get the most from the easy part and from settling their breathing. If you have a heart or breathing condition, check with your doctor before adding faster swimming.
Easy and fast swims
The goal
You swim an easy length and a faster length, and anyone watching can see the difference. After the faster one, your breathing settles back to comfortable.
Why it matters
Choosing your effort, then calming down afterwards, puts you in control of your swim. It is also reassuring if you ever find yourself out of breath.
What happens in lessons
Feeling the difference.
You swim one very relaxed length, then a slightly quicker one, so the contrast is clear.
Faster, not frantic.
Your instructor helps you speed up while keeping your stroke long and smooth.
Settling your breathing.
After each faster swim, you rest or swim gently until your breathing feels comfortable again.
Mixing it up.
Over time, you swim a short plan that mixes easy and faster lengths.
How you can help between lessons
- With someone watching, swim one easy length, then one a little faster, then rest until your breathing is comfortable.
Common questions
- How fast is fast?
- Faster than your steady pace, while still swimming well. It is a strong effort, not an all-out sprint, especially at first.
- Is it safe for older swimmers to swim faster?
- Faster is always measured against you, and your instructor builds it gently. Check with your doctor first if you have a health condition, and stop if you feel unwell.
- What if I cannot get my breath back afterwards?
- Then the faster part was too hard or too long. Your instructor shortens it and gives you more time to settle.
- Why practise swimming easy? I can already do that.
- Swimming truly easy, straight after a faster length, is harder than it sounds. It is also the part that lets you keep going.
