In addition to the preparatory exercises, some core exercises are required.
The child holds a pull buoy or a kickboard in their hands. The body is fully extended, and propulsion comes from flutter kicks. The child then rotates from a prone position onto their back and, after a few meters, back onto their stomach. The exercise is performed over 10-15 meters with at least four rotations. This exercise trains shoulder rotation, which is a crucial factor for proper side breathing. It can also be performed with a kickboard, which requires even stronger shoulder rotation to turn the entire board, making the exercise even more effective.
The child lies on their side in the water. The body should be as parallel to the pool wall as possible, not just slightly rotated. One arm is extended forward, while the other arm rests alongside the body. The mouth and nose should remain above the water on the side throughout the exercise, with the head resting on the extended arm. This exercise teaches the correct body position for freestyle breathing. Ensure that your child’s extended hand stays at the water's surface. It’s easy to let the forward arm drop during this exercise, but this is a mistake. The hand must remain as extended as possible at the water's surface.
The child swims 25 meters using the freestyle kick with arms resting along their sides, breathing forward as an exception. This exercise focuses on building strength and endurance for the freestyle kick. The kick is crucial for longer distances as it provides stability and rhythm to the swimming technique.
In this exercise, the body rotates 90 degrees in both directions, both from the prone and supine position. The hands remain at the sides of the body. In a further step, a complete rotation is performed while maintaining the lateral hand position. This makes it easier to correct the water position on the back and return to the starting position after the 90-degree turn. The change of direction during the body rotation promotes body control in the water.
In this preparatory exercise, the turn is practiced with a swimming board. Alternatively, a pull buoy can also be used. The buoyancy of the swimming board enables the learner to return to a comfortable position in the water without any problems after a turn. The board prevents the face from remaining under water after the turn. However, turning onto the back requires a stronger body rotation to turn the board over. This exercise trains this more intensive rotation.
For significant difficulties with water feel, when the child struggles with the kick despite having straight legs and relaxed feet, I recommend practicing with fins. Fins help facilitate the correct foot position by providing a stronger response from the water. Start with a mat and a kickboard. Use short fins that are only slightly longer than the foot, as the movement with long fins is different and less suitable for this purpose.
Many children understand that side breathing is essential for this exercise, but they fail to realize that it requires shoulder rotation. As a result, they attempt to breathe by tilting their head to the side without rotating their body, often lifting their head forward slightly and twisting unnaturally to the side. This posture looks awkward and, over time, can harm the spine. Clear communication is crucial here. If the child has successfully completed the preparatory exercises multiple times, they should already have the ability to rotate their body. For this reason, emphasizing the importance of shoulder rotation cannot be repeated often enough.
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Many children struggle to understand the need for shoulder rotation. Additionally, they are accustomed to breathing forward from previous exercises, such as the "motorboat" drill. This mistake often stems from poor communication, as children may not grasp that side breathing is the key element of the exercise. For this reason, emphasizing the importance of side breathing cannot be repeated enough. Alternatively, it could simply be that they are unable to perform it correctly yet. In such cases, the previously mentioned exercises can help.
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