Balance & Planks: quick poll...

[Alex-SG]

I am 1m91 and my legs are 1m00. As a result balance is something I need to work on more than the average swimmer.

In a previous post I pointed out that keeping the head relaxed and down may not be sufficient in my case. Keeping hips & legs up via core muscles is also needed.

I wonder if having strong Core muscles automatically implies good balance.

How long can you hold the Plank position? In my case 1minute....

ALEX

[Richardsk]

Hi Alex

I'm just about to start my morning yoga session, which will include several planks. I'm up to a count of 25 breath cycles on each plank now, I'll time it this morning and report in. Allegedly after a few months you see enormous benefits.

[Richardsk]

Hello again

My first plank was timed at 2:35, the second at 1:44 and the third at 1:49, all on thirty breath cycles. I conclude that my breath cycles had speeded up after the first repetition. The planks are part of a modified surya namaskara routine.

I also do the supine plank.

[CoachSuzanne]

It's less about absolute strength and more about finding the proper activation of the core.

[Alex-SG]

Richard,
I am impressed by your Plank Times. I would think you have a strong CORE and balance is not too much of an issue for you. ALEX

[Richardsk]

Thanks Alex

Balance is something of an issue with the older person and I now find it difficult if not impossible to stand on one leg without holding on to a chair or something similar - even touching the support with a finger tip is enough to prevent the sideways loss of balance.

In the water I think my legs are probably too low and I sometimes over-rotate, which is probably a balance issue.

Recently I have been doing a yoga exercise in which one starts on all fours (hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips) and then points one arm forwards (and if possible points the opposite leg backwards). One can feel the muscles engage on the supporting side, especially in my case on the left side because I am right-handed. I'm hoping this will benefit my swimming, but it is too early to say yet.

In any case I'm convinced that yoga is the ideal companion to swimming for health and fitness.

[Alex-SG]

One of these days I will also have to get into YOGA...

Speaking about Balance, I recently read an interview of Luca Marin, an Italian IM swimmer better known for being the ex-boyfriend of Federica Pellegrini.

They split up 2 weeks before the Shanghai world championships and that caused Luca to lose 6Kg in 20 days !!!

When asked about his poor performance in the 4x100m Individual Medley race (4'19'' instead of his usual 4'14'') he said he lacked energy and felt his body was totally unbalanced in the water.

ALEX

[Richardsk]

So the obvious solution ( for Luca anyway) is to go back to being Laure's boyfriend. Unfortunately she's now with Fred Bousquet and they have a child. She's making a comeback, too. I look forward to seeing her swim again. Luca Marin was swimming in Shanghai but I don't think he won any medals.

Here's his page from the Italian Swimming Federation web site (in Italian):
http://www.federnuoto.it/pdf/azzurrinuoto/marin.pdf

Primaverili = spring
Estivi = summer
Invernali = winter
Vasca = pool or course (or length of a pool)

Misti = medley
Dorso = backstroke
Rana = brreaststroke
Farfalla = butterfly
Libero = freestyle