Kimberly B.

Cortez
A12-Rosemary
Basic Skills in Swimming
Water Comfort
- The most basic and essential swimming skill is simply becoming comfortable in the water.
Although humans are born with innate water skills, many people develop a fear of the water.
To become more comfortable in the water, spend time in a shallow pool or wading in the ocean.
Never enter the water alone, especially if you are not a strong swimmer.

Breathe Control
- Breathing is often difficult for novice swimmers. With water all around, having some water enter
the nose and mouth is a common occurrence. Learning to control your breathing is a key
component in learning to swim. Breath control begins with simple exercises such as drawing a
breath, submerging, blowing bubbles and then resurfacing for another breath.

Floating
- Floating, or keeping your body in a horizontal position in the water, is a basic water skill. If you
accidentally fall in the water, you may be able to float until you are rescued, even if you are
not strong enough to swim to safety.

Kicking
- Kicking provides propulsion through the water. Once you are comfortable with floating,
kicking is the logical next step. Kicking is also used in treading water, which is the process of
remaining in one place while keeping your head above the water line.

Strokes
- Strokes are the arm movements used to pull the body through the water. The front crawl,
sidestroke, breast stroke, backstroke and butterfly are the five most common swimming
strokes. Each stoke uses different body positioning, breathing techniques and arm
movements.

Basic Swimming Techniques

Flutter Kick
- The flutter kick is a simple yet effective swimming technique where your legs execute kind of a
whipping motion.

Starfish Float
- The starfish float is a basic swimming technique where you float on your back with arms and
legs spread apart. This article explains how to do the starfish float.

Breaststroke Kick
 - The leg action used in swimming the breaststroke in which the feet, moving in a horizontal
plane, are drawn toward the hips and then thrust sideward and backward.

Sculling Water
- Basically, you float in an upright position with your head above water and with your arms
extended sideways at shoulder level. You use quick sweeping movements of your arms at the
water surface to stay afloat.

Treading Water
- Treading water allows you to stay afloat in the same spot while keeping your head above water
and your body upright.
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Dog Paddle
- Dog paddle or doggy paddle is also a basic swimming technique. You float in the water in a
more or less horizontal position and keep your head above the water surface and look forward.
Your legs do a flutter kick and you paddle forward and downwards with your arms.

Elementary Backstroke
- Elementary backstroke is a basic swim stroke that you can learn quickly once you are able to
float on your back. Elementary backstroke uses an inverted breaststroke kick and simple
synchronous movements of the arms for propulsion.

Benefits of Swimming

1. Full body workout.

Swimming uses all the muscles in the body so whether you swim a gentle breaststroke or hammer
butterfly, you will get a full body workout. Plus, exercising in water makes your body work harder so 30
minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land.

2. Great for general wellbeing.

Just 30 minutes of swimming three times a week alongside a balanced, healthy diet and lifestyle is
one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy and maintain a positive mental outlook. Do it with friends, and
it’s even more fun!

3. De-stresses and relaxes.

Whether its work stressing you out, the kids being a nightmare, or just life in general, we all get
times we just want to SCREAM. Well, help is at hand. Swimming regularly can lower stress levels, reduce
anxiety and depression, and improve your sleep patterns. Feeling the mental benefits of swimming takes
just a light swim. No lane pounding needed.

4. Burns those calories.

Swimming is one of the most effective ways to burn calories. A gentle swim can burn over 200
calories in just half an hour, more than double that of walking. And a faster swim would see that chocolate
bar gone quicker than if you went running or cycling.

5. Lowers the risk of diseases.

 As well as being a great form of cardiovascular exercise, swimming just 30 minutes a week can help
to guard against heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

6. Supports the body.

Water supports up to 90 per cent of the body’s weight. So if you sprained an ankle at Monday night
football or have a long term injury or illness, swimming is a brilliant way to stay active.

7. Increases your energy levels.

Inactivity and not ageing is often responsible for people’s lack of energy. Just 30 minutes of
swimming three times per week can boost your energy levels through increased metabolic rate.

8. Exercising without the sweat.

If sweating puts you off other forms of exercise, fear not! As a swimmer, you’ll never feel sweaty no matter
how hard you work because the water around you is constantly cooling you down.

Mountaineering

Mountaineering is the sport of climbing a mountain. Regardless of the length of the trip ―which
can range from a few hours to multi-day expeditions―, mountaineering is more physically demanding
than hiking. Mountains often provide a mixed terrain (with the presence of rock, ice and snow), so climbers
need to be able to navigate through a wide variety of conditions. Depending on the case, mountaineering
may involve using technical equipment and combining a series of related skills like scrambling, climbing,
glacier travel, ice climbing or mixed climbing.

Difference between Hiking and Trekking

The main difference between the two is that hiking is mainly a leisure activity which is done by walking on
well-made trails and man-made roads. However, trekking is more rigorous, and a more challenging activity.
It tests one's physical ability, endurance, and even their mental or psychological capacity.

Hiking
Hiking is an act of walking but leisure walk compared to other sports.
Hiking is walking on well-made and wide trails which may be manmade too.
Aim of the hike may be enjoying the nature and scenic, roaming in forest or may be climbing a
small hillock.
Hikes are ‘One Day’ activities that doesn’t need so much planning.
Doesn’t require any equipments or gears as people have to walk on a set trail.

Trekking

A trek is a longer and a harder hike.

 It is an adventurous journey undertaken on foot i mountainous terrain or in areas where common
means of transport are generally not available.
Hiking is generally easy to moderately paced activity, whereas trekking is more vigorous and done
with a purpose to achieve something or to reach somewhere.
Requires some equipments i.e. camping gears, first aid kit, survival kits etc.
Trekking activity may be conducted for one day but it is mostly more than one day activity.
Purpose of trekking is enjoy nature, walking in natural scenic places and hills as well as to achieve
some purpose like walking certain kilometers and reaching till specific point it may be the peak or
a lake on mountain.

Orienteering

Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to
navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants
are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find
control points.[1] Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has
developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering.