3 best swimming strokes to improve your upper body

Swimming is one of the best all round physical activities to improve fitness. It helps develop nearly all the major muscle groups, but there are three strokes that are particularly good for the upper body.

The butterfly

The Butterfly is the most effective stroke for an upper body workout. In this stroke, the arms lifting out of the water propel the body forward. This uses the triceps and bicep muscles.

The butterfly is also very effective in strengthening the shoulder muscles. As the arms are rotated through the water, the shoulders rotate, and this develops deltoid muscles in the shoulders.

Front crawl

The front crawl, or freestyle, uses the deltoids, the side of the back, the triceps and bicep muscles. It is the fastest of the swimming stokes that tone the upper body.

The crawl is not easy to master. It involves keeping the face in the water and turning the head to breath. This at first feels unnatural, so takes getting used to.

Breaststroke

The breaststroke is a good all round muscle trainer. It is not as strenuous as the crawl, and is slower. The stroke involves breathing out into the water, and feeling resistance on the chest. This particularly improves lung functions.

The breaststroke tones the upper body with emphasis on the back and chest muscles.

The best place to develop your swimming strokes is to visit one of our Hallmark Hotel luxury swimming pools.