Waterside Warmup for Swimmers

Like any other type of exercise, you want to warm up properly before going into the water. You’ll have less risk of injuring yourself, as you’ll be increasing your body temperature as well as increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the muscles you’ll be working in the water.

Here’s our quick and effective waterside warmup for swimmers!

#1 Walking lunges

Rather than do lunges, by stretching your arm up at the same time, you are mimicking the movements you’ll be making in the water with your arms. That way, you’ll be stretching your arm muscles as well as your obliques and leg muscles.

• Lunge forward with one foot while stretching up the arm that’s on the same side.
• Your arm should stretch straight up so that it’s close to your ear.
• Ensure your front knee is no further forward than your front foot, and keep your hips parallel facing forward.

#2 Banded squats

This exercise is excellent for your quads and hamstrings. Use a hip circle band like this one: https://victoremgear.com/products/hip-circle.

• Wrap the band above your knees, and spread the feet out hip-width apart.
• Sink into a low squat with your hands in front of you.
• At the bottom, hold for one second, making sure you’re pushing your knees out toward the side to work against the resistance band.
• Push up using your heels to come back to a standing position.
• Repeat slowly for ten reps.

#3 Arm circles

Prepare your arms for those strokes by working your shoulders, triceps, and your back.

Standing with your feet hip-distance apart, do large arm circles in both directions, 30 seconds each direction.

#4 90/90 stretch

• Lie down on the ground on your side, with your legs on top of each other.
• Bend the upper leg at a 90-degree angle and leave the lower leg straight.
• Extend your arms out to your sides (out from your shoulders) so that you form a cross shape.
• Now bring one arm over to touch the other, as if you were clapping your hands together but while leaving one arm on the floor.
• You should be pressing the top knee into the floor and rotating your spine as you bring your arm across.

#5 Calf raises against a wall

• Stand with your palms at shoulder height, touching the wall in front of you.
• Your feet should be hip-distance apart and far enough away from the wall so that you can touch it with your arms straight.
• While keeping your hands touching the wall, raise up onto your toes, hold, and then slowly come back down.

You should feel your calf muscles working.

#6 Wall press (chest stretch)

• Stay in the same position facing the wall, but this time stretch out your chest muscles.
• Begin by facing the wall and placing one palm against the wall (thumb pointing toward the ceiling).
• Slowly rotate your trunk away from your arm until you can feel the stretch in your shoulders and chest.
• Hold this position during 15-20 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

#7 Pushups with trunk rotation

Do pushups, but each time you come up, rotate your trunk to one side and extend one arm up. You’re working your obliques as well as your shoulders, chest, and arms.

#8 Hamstring stretches

• Sit down and extend one leg straight out in front of you, foot flexed.
• Bend your knee of your other leg so that your foot touches the inner thigh of your straight leg.
• Bring your arms up above your head as if you were about to dive into the water. Hold them there, and while keeping your back straight, lean forward to reach your hands toward the foot of your extended leg.
• Reach forward as far as you can. Hold for 10 seconds.
• Repeat for 5 more times, then switch legs and do the same on the other side.

#9 Cat cow

Cat cow is a beautiful exercise to warm up your spine.

• Begin on the floor on your hands and knees (tabletop position).
• Ensure your knees are underneath your hips and your hands are underneath your shoulders.
• Ensure your back is flat and engage your core.
• Inhale, and as you exhale, round your spine up to form an arch with your back. Think about pulling your belly in.
• Then on the next inhale, lift your tailbone to the sky and arch your back the other way, opening up your chest.
• Repeat at least 10 more times.

Enjoy your swimming warmup exercises!