3 exercises to strengthen your core for ocean swimming

When it comes to advancing beginner ocean swimmers or swimmers in general, one area that is widely forgotten is the benefit derived from having a stable and strong core.

Your core is made up of the major muscles that reside in the area of the belly and the mid and lower back (not the shoulders), and peripherally include the hips, the shoulders and the neck.

A strong core in swimming keeps your body flat in the water and when activated stops your hips dropping, allowing your legs to sit up on the surface of the water and not drag through the water.

In the ocean environment, a strong core will assist in:

• Dolphin diving and diving under waves where you need to be able to initiate movement from your pelvis (whipping your lower body/legs up and over to follow your upper body through the same line),
• Sighting (where you need to be able to lift and hold your head up while keeping your legs on the surface of the water), and
• Body surfing (when you need to keep your body as rigid as possible for maximum wave riding time).

To strengthen your core for ocean swimming it makes sense to use exercises that are set in the same functional position that you find yourself in for swimming.

Here are 3 core strength and stability exercises that will help you develop the core needed to become a better ocean swimmer.

Thanks to Bondi Rescue Lifeguard Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll for being our model!

1. Plank

• Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor
• Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows
• Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels
• Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle
• Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 2-5 reps

2. Plank with arm/leg lift