Importance of core stability in swimming

Balancing and maintaining a streamlined body position are critical in swimming. Being able to control your body improves efficiency and allows swimmers to move through the water with minimal resistance. To achieve this position however, swimmers need to have strength and control of the muscles through the middle part of their body – the area known as core. This muscles in short are: the erector spinae muscles, the internal and external oblique muscles, the transverse abdominis, the rectus abdominis, and many other muscles that attach to and control the pelvis and spine, such as those that flex and extend the hip.

Taken together, these muscles allow for a range of movements throughout the middle third of the body, but they also provide stability to the pelvis and spine. Most important, the core links the upper and lower halves of the body. When the upper and lower halves of the body are linked, swimmers will be able to attain the following:

• Maintain a streamlined body position in the water. Many swimmers believe that they should focus on streamlining their body only during starts and turns. However, being streamlined essentially means that swimmers move through a small hole in the water to reduce drag, whether you they are coming off the wall or swimming at the surface. The great thing about developing core stability is that swimmers will be able to swim faster without having to pull or kick harder simply be being able to maintain a better body position.
• Establish a stable base of support that will help swimmers develop a stronger pull and kick. Core stability allows for limb movement; meaning that having good core stability allows swimmers to use their arms and legs to generate propulsion. Swimmers can use their arms and legs to balance on the water and to generate propulsion. It is also known that their strength and endurance are not unlimited. If swimmers use them for balance they will not help them as much as they would like in the propulsion part. It is very important to have great core stability to help them balance on the water so that their arms and legs will be used only for propulsion.
• Increase the effectiveness of swimmers kick. When swimmers are able to create a rigid link between upper and lower body, it allows their legs to push them through the water rather than rely entirely on their arms to pull.
• Generate body roll in freestyle and backstroke. A large part of the rotation comes from the muscles of the core – particularly the oblique muscles. This body rotation is necessary for efficient pulling and kicking in freestyle and backstroke.
• Drive swimmers undulation in butterfly and breaststroke. Core stability is not just important for freestyle and backstroke. A strong core allows the propulsion of the kick to drive the body forward and adds to the power from the upper body.
• Control side to side movement of the body. Swimmers with a weak core will often fishtail, or produce side to side movements of the hips with every pull and kick, creating extra drag and reducing swimming efficiency.

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