There’s plenty of room for improvement in regards to swimming, whether you do it competitively or just for your own spare time and conditioning. So if you’re a swimmer or not and you want to get great results sooner rather than later, then you might want to consider investing in swim training aids and equipment.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most helpful swim training aids to assist you with choosing the right equipment a bit easier. With the list we have provided, it will help build your upper body and core strength, as well as increasing your kicking power. We’ve also tossed out several necessary accessories no swimmer should be without. All of this equipment will teach you proper stroke technique and mechanics.
#1 Kickboard
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A kickboard can help you build a bigger overall motor if you spend more time practicing with it. Your legs are the largest muscles in your body, and as a result it will suck up a big amount of oxygen. You need to have good kick fitness since it’s vital towards the end of races (and you can’t fake a good kick with lots of dryland).
Although you don’t really have to have a powerful kick, better leg fitness will help you maintain better body position, enhance your ability to finish a lap, and accomplish a more powerful pulling motion.
#2 Fins
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This is probably one of the favorites of most swimmers. If you strap on a pair of swim fins, it will develop more flexibility and range of motion in your ankles and feet, and can help modify you to swim at a race pace or faster, and can teach you how to breathe properly and maintain proper technique while swimming at high velocity. And can we even highlight how fun it can be to swim and kick with fins?
#3 Swim Caps
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If you have longer hair and you’re new to swimming, you probably do understand that it can be pretty annoying to swim with your hair dragging in the water and in your face. Before you start training, you may want to invest in a nice swim cap such as college swim caps, that’s affordable and reliable, making your training more comfortable. Swim caps come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, materials, and styles, so choose one that will work for you perfectly.
#4 Ear Plugs
Although swimming can give great benefits for your cardiovascular endurance, there are potential risks to it. One of those is an infection to the swimmer’s ear. Some of you might already have it before and understand the pain it can cause. The infection is normally caused by remaining water in the ear after swimming.
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Wearing earplugs can prevent potential danger and can help minimize water entry into the ear. Choose plugs that are lightweight and soft, so it can also be easier to insert and remove. Wearing these will make you spend more time in the pool practicing and less out of it in pain.
#5 Push Plate
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If you consider swimming as a way to be fit, then you can incorporate a push plate when you’re in the water. This device can help you get a gym workout but just in the pool. Choose one that has great water resistance to provide you a complete core workout. Having a solid core can go a long way in swimming especially if you swim competitively.
#6 Swim Gloves
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Swim Gloves can help you get extreme water resistance when you are training to build your upper body strength. Opt for swim gloves that have a webbed design for a more powerful propel through the water quickly and smoothly for a total core workout. Aside from using for swim training, you can also use it for surfing, body boarding, and water aerobic classes.
#7 Hand Paddles
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Hand paddles can provide you multiple training such as proper stroke technique, stroke efficiency, and develop upper body strength. Pick a strapless one that’ll fit the natural contour of your hand. You will instantly know if you’re not using it the right way, the paddles will fall off. You can wear the paddles for all 4 strokes— freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly.
#8 Band
Courtesy of swimswam.com
Don’t overlook this one, a simple little rubber can add serious power and torque to your pulling motion. Take note that this is not easy to use and should be avoided if you are suffering from an extreme swimmer’s shoulder. So take time to practice with it and ask assistance from your coach if you do have one. Using a band will force your arms to move at a balance and even rate, and will make your legs to sink, keeping your hips high in the water and your face down.
