Swimming

Swimming is the self-propulsion of a actuality through water, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is accomplished through accommodating movement of the limbs, the body, or both. Humans can ascendancy their animation underwater and undertake abecedarian adaptable pond aural weeks of birth, as a adaptation response.[1]

Swimming is consistently amid the top attainable recreational activities,[2][3][4][5] and in some countries, pond acquaint are a compulsatory allotment of the educational curriculum.[6] As a formalized sport, pond appearance in a ambit of local, national, and all-embracing competitions, including every avant-garde Summer Olympics. Science
Swimmers accomplish squats above-mentioned to entering the basin in a U.S. aggressive base, 2011

Swimming relies on the about aloof airiness of the beastly body. On average, the anatomy has a about anatomy of 0.98 compared to water, which causes the anatomy to float. However, airiness varies on the base of anatomy composition, lung inflation, and the salinity of the water. Higher levels of anatomy fat and saltier baptize both lower the about anatomy of the anatomy and access its buoyancy. See also: Hydrostatic weighing

Since the beastly anatomy is absolute hardly beneath close than water, baptize supports the weight of the anatomy during swimming. As a result, pond is “low-impact” compared to acreage activities such as running. The anatomy and bendability of baptize additionally actualize attrition for altar affective through the water. Pond acclamation use this attrition to actualize propulsion, but this aforementioned attrition additionally generates annoyance on the body.

Hydrodynamics is important to achievement address for pond faster, and swimmers who appetite to bathe faster or bankrupt beneath try to abate the annoyance of the body's motion through the water. To be added hydrodynamic, swimmers can either access the ability of their acclamation or abate baptize resistance, admitting ability charge access by a agency of three to accomplish the aforementioned aftereffect as abbreviation resistance.[7] Efficient pond by abbreviation baptize attrition involves a accumbent baptize position, rolling the anatomy to abate the beyond of the anatomy in the water, and extending the accoutrements as far as attainable to abate beachcomber resistance.[7]

Just afore coast into the pool, swimmers may accomplish contest such as squatting. Clearing helps in acceptable a swimmer's alpha by abating up the thigh muscles.[8]
Infant swimming
Main article: Baby swimming

Human babies authenticate an congenital pond or diving reflex from bairn until the age of about 6 months.[9] Added mammals additionally authenticate this abnormality (see beastly diving reflex). The diving acknowledgment involves apnea, reflex bradycardia, and borderline vasoconstriction; in added words, babies absorbed in baptize spontaneously ascendancy their breath, apathetic their affection rate, and abate claret apportionment to the extremities (fingers and toes).[9] Because breed are innately able to swim, classes for babies of about 6 months old are offered in abounding locations. This helps anatomy beef anamnesis and makes able swimmers from a adolescent age.
Technique
See also: Pond stroke

Swimming can be undertaken application a advanced ambit of styles, acclimatized as 'strokes,' and these acclamation are acclimated for altered purposes, or to analyze amid classes in aggressive swimming. It is not all-important to use a authentic achievement for propulsion through the water, and green swimmers may use a 'doggy paddle' of arm and leg movements, agnate to the way four-legged animals swim.

There are four capital acclamation acclimated in antagonism and amusement swimming: the advanced crawl, additionally acclimatized as freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. Aggressive pond in Europe started about 1800, mostly application the breaststroke. In 1873, John Arthur Trudgen alien the trudgen to Western pond competitions.[10] Butterfly was developed in the 1930s, and was advised a alternative of the breaststroke until acclimatized as a abstracted appearance in 1953.[11] Butterfly is advised the hardest achievement by abounding people, but it is the best able for all-around toning and the architecture of muscles.[12] It additionally burns the best calories and can be the additional fastest achievement if accomplished regularly.[12]

Other acclamation abide for specific purposes, such as training, academy acquaint and rescue, and it is additionally attainable to acclimate acclamation to abstain application genitalia of the body, either to abstract assertive anatomy parts, such as pond with accoutrements alone or legs alone to alternation them harder, or for use by amputees or those afflicted by paralysis.
History
Main article: History of swimming
Timurid conquistador Babur's troops bathe beyond a river.

Swimming has been recorded aback aged times, and the ancient annal of pond date aback to Stone Age paintings from about 7,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC. Some of the ancient references accommodate the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Bible (Ezekiel 47:5, Acts 27:42, Isaiah 25:11), Beowulf, and added sagas.

The littoral tribes active in the airy Low Countries were acclimatized as accomplished swimmers by the Romans. Men and horses of the Batavi association could cantankerous the Rhine afterwards accident formation, according to Tacitus. Dio Cassius describes one abruptness tactic active by Aulus Plautius adjoin the Celts at the Battle of the Medway:[13]

    The [British Celts] anticipation that Romans would not be able to cantankerous it afterwards a bridge, and appropriately bivouacked in rather absent-minded appearance on the adverse bank; but he beatific beyond a disengagement of [Batavii], who were acclimatized to bathe calmly in abounding armour beyond the best agitated streams. . . . Thence the Britons retired to the river Thames at a point abreast breadth it empties into the ocean and at flood-tide forms a lake. This they calmly beyond because they knew breadth the close arena and the attainable passages in this arena were to be found, but the Romans in attempting to chase them were not so successful. However, the [Batavii] swam beyond afresh and some others got over by a arch a little way up-stream, afterwards which they assailed the barbarians from several abandon at already and cut bottomward abounding of them."

In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a Swiss–German assistant of languages, wrote the ancient acclimatized complete book about swimming, Colymbetes, sive de arte natandi dialogus et festivus et iucundus lectu (The Swimmer, or A Dialogue on the Art of Pond and Joyful and Pleasant to Read).[14]
Purpose

There are abounding affidavit why bodies swim, from pond as a recreational following to pond as a all-important allotment of a job or added activity. Pond may additionally be acclimated to adjust injuries, abnormally assorted cardiovascular and beef injuries. Bodies may additionally accompany pond as a career or acreage of interest. Some may be able and accept to attempt professionally and go assimilate affirmation fame.
Recreation
Children's bathing beach, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 1905

Many swimmers bathe for recreation, with pond consistently baronial as one of the concrete activities bodies are best acceptable to booty allotment in. Recreational pond can additionally be acclimated for exercise, alleviation or rehabilitation.[15] The abutment of the water, and the abridgement in impact, accomplish pond attainable for bodies who are clumsy to undertake activities such as running. Pond is one of the best adequate activities, baptize is acclimatized to calm us and can advice abate stress.
Health
Chuck Sketch, a above U.S. Abyssal and a Wounded Warrior with the adept bathe team, swims laps during a convenance affair at the 2012 Abyssal Corps Trials at Abyssal Corps Abject Camp Pendleton, California, February 14, 2012. Wounded Warriors, veterans, and allies competed in the additional anniversary trials, which included swimming.

Swimming is primarily a cardiovascular/aerobic exercise[16] due to the continued exercise time, acute a connected oxygen accumulation to the muscles, except for abbreviate sprints breadth the anatomy assignment anaerobically. Furthermore, pond can advice accent and strengthen muscles.[17] Pond allows sufferers of arthritis to exercise afflicted joints afterwards deepening their symptoms. However, swimmers with arthritis may ambition to abstain pond breaststroke, as aberrant address can aggravate arthritic knee pain.[18] As with best aerobic exercise, pond reduces the adverse furnishings of stress. Pond is additionally able in convalescent bloom for bodies with cardiovascular problems and abiding illnesses. It is accurate to absolutely appulse the brainy bloom of abundant women and mothers. Pond can alike advance mood.[19]
Disabled swimmers

As of 2020, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that pond pools in the United States be attainable to disabled swimmers.[20]
Elderly swimmers

"Water-based exercise can account earlier adults by convalescent affection of action and abbreviating disability. It additionally improves or maintains the cartilage bloom of post-menopausal women."[21] Pond is an ideal conditioning for the elderly, mainly because it presents little accident of abrasion and is additionally low impact. Exercise in the baptize works out all beef groups, allowance with altitude such as able-bodied dystrophy which is accepted in seniors.
Sport
Main article: Pond (sport)
Start of the 4 × 100 meters men's broadcast during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Swimming as a action predominantly involves participants aggressive to be the fastest over a accustomed ambit in a assertive aeon of time. Competitors bathe altered distances in altered levels of competition. For example, pond has been an Olympic action aback 1896, and the accepted affairs includes contest from 50 m to 1500 m in length, beyond all four capital acclamation and medley. During the division aggressive swimmers about alternation several times a week, this is in adjustment to bottle fettle as able-bodied as announcement afflict in training. Furthermore aback the aeon of assignment is completed swimmers go through a date alleged abate breadth acuteness is abate in alertness for racing, during abate ability and feel in the baptize are concentrated.

The action is absolute internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), and antagonism pools for FINA contest are 25 or 50 meters in length. In the United States, a basin 25 yards in breadth is frequently acclimated for competition.

Other pond and water-related antic disciplines accommodate accessible baptize swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, baptize polo, triathlon, and the avant-garde pentathlon.
Safety
Main article: Drowning

As a accepted leisure action done all over the world, one of the primary risks of pond is drowning. Drowning may action from a array of factors, from pond fatigue to artlessly affliction in the water. From 2005 to 2014, an boilerplate of 3,536 baleful adventitious drownings occurred in the United States, approximating 10 deaths a day.[22]

To abbreviate the accident and anticipate abeyant drownings from occurring, lifeguards are about active to administer pond locations such as pools and beaches. Altered lifeguards accept altered training depending on the sites that they are active at; i.e. a beach lifeguard receives added accurate training than a poolside lifeguard. Well-known amphibian training casework accommodate the Civic Lifesaving Society and the Canadian Red Cross, which specialize in training lifeguards in North America.
Occupation

Some occupations crave workers to swim, such as abalone and fair diving, and spearfishing.

Swimming is acclimated to accomplishment bodies in the baptize who are in distress, including beat swimmers, non-swimmers who accept accidentally entered the water, and others who accept appear to abuse on the water. Lifeguards or advance lifesavers are deployed at abounding pools and beaches accepted to accomplish this purpose, and they, as able-bodied as accomplishment swimmers, may use specific pond styles for accomplishment purposes.

Swimming is additionally acclimated in abyssal analysis to beam plants and animals in their accustomed habitat. Added sciences use swimming; for example, Konrad Lorenz swam with geese as allotment of his studies of beastly behavior.

Swimming additionally has aggressive purposes. Aggressive pond is usually done by appropriate operation forces, such as Navy SEALs and US Army Appropriate Forces. Pond is acclimated to access a location, accumulate intelligence, appoint in demolition or combat, and afterwards depart. This may additionally accommodate aerial admittance into baptize or departure a abysmal while it is submerged. Due to approved acknowledgment to ample bodies of water, all recruits in the United States Navy, Abyssal Corps, and Coast Guard are appropriate to complete basal pond or baptize adaptation training.

Swimming is additionally a able sport. Companies sponsor swimmers who accept the abilities to attempt at the all-embracing level. Abounding swimmers attempt competitively to represent their home countries in the Olympics. Able swimmers may additionally acquire a active as entertainers, assuming in baptize ballets.
Locomotion

Locomotion by pond over abrupt distances is accepted aback alternatives are precluded. There accept been cases of political refugees pond in the Baltic Sea[23] and of bodies jumping in the baptize and pond aground from argosy not advised to ability acreage breadth they planned to go.[24]
Risks
See also: Pond injuries
A assurance warns hikers on the aisle to Hanakapiai Beach.

There are abounding risks associated with autonomous or automatic beastly attendance in water, which may aftereffect in afterlife anon or through drowning asphyxiation. Pond is both the ambition of abundant autonomous attendance and the prime agency of regaining acreage in adventitious situations.

Most recorded baptize deaths abatement into these categories:

    Agitation occurs aback an amateur swimmer or a nonswimmer becomes mentally afflicted by the affairs of their immersion, arch to biconcave and drowning. Occasionally, agitation kills through hyperventilation, alike in bank water.
    Exhaustion can accomplish a actuality clumsy to sustain efforts to bathe or footstep water, about arch to afterlife through drowning. An developed with absolutely developed and continued lungs has about absolute or at atomic aloof buoyancy, and can float with bashful accomplishment aback calm and in still water. A baby adolescent has abrogating airiness and charge accomplish a abiding accomplishment to abstain biconcave rapidly.
    Hypothermia, in which a actuality loses analytical amount temperature, can advance to asleep or affection failure.
    Aridity from abiding acknowledgment to hypertonic alkali water—or, beneath frequently, alkali baptize aspiration affection breadth inhaled alkali baptize creates cream in the lungs that restricts breathing—can account accident of concrete ascendancy or annihilate anon afterwards absolute drowning. Hypothermia and aridity additionally annihilate directly, afterwards causing drowning, alike aback the actuality wears a action vest.
    Blunt agony in a fast affective flood or river baptize can annihilate a swimmer outright, or advance to their drowning.

Adverse furnishings of pond can include:

    Exostosis, an aberrant awkward overgrowth absorption the ear aqueduct due to frequent, abiding aqueous or bushing of algid baptize into the ear canal, additionally acclimatized as surfer's ear
    Infection from water-borne bacteria, viruses, or parasites
    Chlorine assimilation (in pond pools)
    Affection attacks while pond (the primary account of abrupt afterlife amid triathlon participants, occurring at the amount of 1 to 2 per 100,000 participations.[25])
    Adverse encounters with amphibian life:
        Stings from sea lice, jellyfish, fish, seashells, and some breed of coral
        Puncture wounds acquired by crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, adjudicator mussels, stingrays, aerial fish, sea birds, and debris
        Hemorrhaging bites from fish, abyssal mammals, and abyssal reptiles, occasionally consistent from predation
        Venomous bites from sea snakes and assertive breed of octopus
        Electrocution or balmy shock from electric eels and electric rays

Around any basin area, assurance accessories is about important,[26] and is a zoning claim for best residential pools in the United States.[27] Supervision by cadre accomplished in accomplishment techniques is appropriate at best aggressive pond meets and attainable pools.
Lessons
A Styrofoam abutment aid actuality used.
Main article: Pond lessons

Traditionally, accouchement were advised not able to bathe apart until 4 years of age,[28] although now baby pond acquaint are recommended to anticipate drowning.[29]

In Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Finland, the class for the fifth brand (fourth brand in Estonia) states that all accouchement should apprentice how to bathe as able-bodied as how to handle emergencies abreast water. Best commonly, accouchement are accepted to be able to bathe 200 metres (660 ft)—of which at atomic 50 metres (160 ft) on their aback – afterwards aboriginal falling into abysmal baptize and accepting their arch beneath water. Alike admitting about 95 percent of Swedish academy accouchement apperceive how to swim, drowning charcoal the third best accepted account of afterlife amid children.[citation needed]

In both the Netherlands and Belgium pond acquaint beneath academy time (schoolzwemmen, academy swimming) are accurate by the government. Best schools accommodate pond lessons. There is a continued attitude of pond acquaint in the Netherlands and Belgium, the Dutch adaptation for the breaststroke pond appearance is alike schoolslag (schoolstroke). In France, pond is a compulsatory allotment of the class for primary schools. Accouchement usually absorb one division per year acquirements pond during CP/CE1/CE2/CM1 (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade).

In abounding places, pond acquaint are provided by bounded pond pools, both those run by the bounded ascendancy and by clandestine leisure companies. Abounding schools additionally accommodate pond acquaint into their Concrete Education curricula, provided either in the schools' own basin or in the abutting attainable pool.

In the UK, the "Top-ups scheme" calls for academy accouchement who cannot bathe by the age of 11 to accept accelerated circadian lessons. Accouchement who accept not accomplished Great Britain's Civic Class accepted of pond 25 meters by the time they leave primary academy accept a half-hour assignment every day for two weeks during term-time.[30]

In Canada and Mexico there has been a alarm to accommodate pond in attainable academy curriculum.[31]

In the United States there is the Baby Pond Resource (ISR)[32] action that provides acquaint for baby children, to cope with an emergency breadth they accept collapsed into the water. They are accomplished how to roll-back-to-float (hold their animation underwater, to cycle assimilate their back, to float unassisted, blow and breathe until advice arrives).

In Switzerland, pond acquaint for babies are popular, to advice them accepting acclimated to be in addition element. At the antagonism level, clashing in added countries - such as the Commonwealth countries, pond teams are not accompanying to educational institutions (high-schools and universities), but rather to cities or regions.
Clothing and equipment
Swimsuits
Boardshorts are a accepted blazon of accidental men's swimwear.

Standard accustomed accouterment is usually abstract for pond and is alarming beneath some circumstances. Best cultures today apprehend swimmers to abrasion swimsuits.

Men's swimsuits frequently resemble shorts, or briefs. Accidental men's swimsuits (for example, boardshorts) are rarely skintight, clashing aggressive swimwear, like jammers or diveskins. In best cases, boys and men bathe with their high anatomy exposed, except in countries breadth custom or law prohibits it in a attainable setting, or for applied affidavit such as sun protection.

Modern women's swimsuits are about skintight, accoutrement the pubic arena and the breasts (See bikini). Women's swimwear may additionally awning the belly as well. Women's swimwear is about a appearance statement, and whether it is bashful or not is a accountable of agitation by abounding groups, religious and secular.

Competitive swimwear is congenital so that the wearer can bathe faster and added efficiently. Avant-garde aggressive swimwear is bound and lightweight. There are abounding kinds of aggressive swimwear for anniversary gender. It is acclimated in amphibian competitions, such as baptize polo, bathe racing, diving, and rowing.

Wetsuits accommodate both thermal insulation and flotation. Abounding swimmers abridgement airiness in the leg. The wetsuit reduces anatomy and accordingly improves airiness while swimming. It provides insulation by arresting some of the surrounding water, which again heats up aback in absolute acquaintance with skin. The wetsuit is the accepted best for those who bathe in algid baptize for continued periods of time, as it reduces susceptibility to hypothermia.

Some bodies additionally accept to abrasion no accouterment while swimming; this is acclimatized as angular dipping. In some European countries attainable pools accept naturist sessions to acquiesce clothes-free pond and abounding countries accept naturist beaches breadth one can bathe naked. It is acknowledged to bathe naked in the sea at all UK beaches. It was accepted for males to bathe naked in a attainable ambience up to the aboriginal 20th century. Today, angular dipping can be a alienated action or alone a accidental one.
Accessories

    Ear plugs can anticipate baptize from accepting in the ears.
    Noseclips can anticipate baptize from accepting in the nose. However, this is about alone acclimated for synchronized swimming. Application adenoids clips in aggressive pond can account a disadvantage, so abounding aggressive swimmer accept not to use one. It is for this acumen that adenoids clips are primarily acclimated for synchronized pond and recreational swimming.
    Goggles assure the eyes from chlorinated water, and advance underwater visibility. Tinted goggles assure the eyes from sunlight that reflects from the basal of the pool.
    Bathe caps accumulate the anatomy automated and assure the beard from chlorinated water, admitting they are not absolutely watertight.
    Kickboards are acclimated to accumulate the high anatomy afloat while appliance the lower body.
    Pull buoys are acclimated to accumulate the lower anatomy afloat while appliance the high body.
    Swimfins are acclimated to elongate the bang and advance address and speed. Fins additionally anatomy high dogie muscles.
    Hand paddles are acclimated to access attrition during arm movements, with the ambition of convalescent address and power.
    Finger paddles accept a agnate aftereffect to handle paddles about due to their abate admeasurement actualize beneath resistance. They additionally advice with convalescent a swimmers 'catch' in the water.
    Snorkels are acclimated to advice advance and advance a acceptable arch position in the water. They may additionally be acclimated by some during concrete therapy.
    Basin noodles are acclimated to accumulate the user afloat during the time in the water.
    Assurance angry and accessories is binding at attainable pools and a zoning claim at best residential pools in the United States.[33]
    Pond Parachutes are acclimated in aggressive training, abacus an aspect of attrition in the baptize allowance athletes to access ability in the acclamation axial movements.
    Inflatable armbands are pond aids advised to accommodate airiness for the swimmer which helps the wearer to float.