Swimmers

Technique

How to perform Swimmers

1. Lie face-down on a mat with your legs extended, toes pointed, and arms resting long overhead, palms facing the floor.
2. Gently press your forehead into the mat to keep your neck neutral and brace your core.
3. Lift your right arm just clear of the ground, keeping it straight and in line with your shoulder.
4. This is your starting position for the movement arc.
5. Exhale as you sweep your right arm out to the side in a wide arc, maintaining height off the floor, until it reaches your hip.
6. Continue rotating the arm so your palm turns up and the back of your hand rests as high on your lower back as mobility allows.
7. Pause momentarily, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then inhale as you reverse the motion: glide your arm back along the same arc, rotating your palm down as it passes your hip, and finish by reaching it forward past your head - still hovering - before lowering it lightly to the floor.
8. Repeat the same sequence with your left arm, alternating sides for the recommended number of repetitions while keeping your torso still and glutes lightly engaged throughout.

Programming relevance

Muscles involved

Primary targets: Posterior Deltoid, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Trapezius.