Many beginners and those who do not yet know how to swim, prefer to use a special board for training in the pool. Is it true that the use of the accessory by beginners can cause a violation of technology? How to choose the "right" board, what options for its use exist?
Description
A swimming board is a special device that helps an athlete stay longer in the water, while spending a minimum of effort. Product Feature is streamlined shape and waterproof material from which it is made. It is incorrect to assume that such equipment is necessary only for beginner swimmers and children, often experienced athletes also use it to work out certain elements, as well as perform various tricks in the pool. Equipment is actively used in aqua fitness and children's swimming, as well as rehabilitation programs in the pool.
Swimming with the board (subject to the technique) helps beginners to master the positioning and the correct balance of the body in water, to work out the technique of movement. If a person is afraid of water, then the use of this equipment can psychologically facilitate the learning process. A person sees in the use of the board a certain support. The product allows experienced swimmers to work out the technique and strengthen certain muscle groups. At the same time, it is possible to increase the productivity of the training through the use of this equipment - this saves forces.
If you use a special board and train at a high intensity pace, then such exercises will contribute to increased energy consumption and, as a result, weight loss.
Models
Depending on the destination, such swimming boards can exist.
- Products for training legs. They are characterized by a variety of shapes and sizes, equipped with additional slots for gripping the board with your fingers.
- Boards-sausages (combined models). Such shells have a wavy shape due to the deepening in the middle of the board. It is necessary to capture the projectile with the hips. Suitable for training hands, developing skills to maintain balance, and is also used in aqua aerobics and rehabilitation aqua fitness.
- Noodles. Another universal variety, which is used both for training in swimming and in water aerobics, and is also suitable for practicing jumping techniques. It is a long stick made of soft material, and therefore is suitable even for practicing with an oar.
These shells can be designed for adults and children. The first are larger. In addition, children's products usually have a brighter design. If we talk about specific brands, then such models won the trust of customers:
- Speedo fastskin (a trapezoidal product, suitable for learning to swim and practice equipment);
- Joss (rectangular universal board for beginners with slots for gripping the upper part of the product);
- Swim keel (an unusual-shaped board from the Arena brand is a “mix” of a triangular board and a sausage, which ensures a wide scope of its application);
- TYR Streamline (EVA is a hydrodynamic board for training legs).
Materials
When choosing a material for a board, manufacturers are guided by the following criteria:
- lightness of the product;
- hygiene (mold and fungus should not appear on the surface of the board);
- hypoallergenicity (when using a shell, skin allergic reactions should not occur);
- moisture resistance;
- wear resistance and resistance to chlorine and similar additives for the pool.
Among the popular materials that fully meet these requirements, the following are distinguished.
- EVA - This is the trade name under which the material with the complex name "ethylene vinyl acetate" is hidden. Despite the “chemical” name, it is EVA boards that are most popular today. They not only meet the above criteria, but also have a warm, pleasant to the touch surface.
- Polyethylene foam (abbreviated as PES or EPE).
- Polyethylene, characterized by increased density (has the designation HDPE).
- Improved Styrofoam and plastic.
Shapes and sizes
The dimensions of the shells for swimming can be different. The simplest and most versatile is the rectangular version with rounded corners. The more streamlined the edge of the board, the lesser the workload with such a product. Accordingly, to increase the load, a board with more straight sides should be selected. However, the angles on all boards, regardless of its shape, are rounded to reduce the risk of injury during swimming.
In addition to the "rectangles", shells in the form of a wedge, trapezoid, triangle are popular. In addition, there are products of complex shapes. The size of the board is determined by who it is intended for. A standard adult projectile usually has a length of 40 cm, a width of 25 cm. The height of the product varies between 2.5-3 cm. The sausage boards are usually smaller and thicker, they are complex in shape.
In terms of size, children's equipment is slightly smaller. In length - from 34 cm, in width - from 21 cm. The height is usually the same as in adult products. It is fair to say that the minimum thickness of the board is 1.5 cm (usually lightweight children's models), and the maximum can reach 10 cm. The last indicator is the thickness of the bulge thickening places.
The smaller the thickness, the lighter the projectile.
How to choose and use?
When choosing inventory, you should focus on your own goals. If you need to learn how to swim, a product of the right size of a simple form will do.No need to strive to facilitate the process of learning to swim by choosing a product that is too streamlined. It is better to choose a model that gives more resistance - so you learn to swim faster. This is a recommendation for adults and teens. For children, a more streamlined shape of the board is better.
More experienced athletes are better off acquiring trapezoidal or wedge-shaped boards, as they are more versatile. You can rotate the projectile forward at one or the other end, increasing or decreasing the load. If you deploy the inventory with an acute angle forward, this will increase the load.
For training arms and legs, losing weight, it is better to choose a sausage.
It is convenient if the product has special openings for gripping it with your hands. In this case, the board will not slip out of the hands, and the wrists will be less tired during classes. The next parameter is the conformity of the material to GOST, which is confirmed by the seller’s availability of appropriate quality certificates. If the board is imported, then its quality is confirmed by an international certificate of quality.
It is desirable that the material of the model be subjected to heat treatment. This provides increased strength of the product, helps to prevent its cracking, crumbling during operation. Also, heat treatment of the material improves its water resistance. Using various types of grip boards, you can change the load on the muscles. So, the close grip (the inventory is held at the front edge, arms extended and arms folded on the board) allows you to train your legs.
If you hold the board with a long grip (at the back edge located closer to the swimmer), then all muscle groups get the load.
Experts recommend accustoming to hold the projectile with a long grip. This allows you to properly balance on the water. The arms and spine should be extended, straight, and the face down. In this position, the athlete should exhale into the water, and inhale while turning the head to the right or left. This turn is done with a small turn of the body. A big mistake is an attempt to raise your head above the water, which creates an unnecessary deflection in the spine and increases the load on it. To get started, you just need to learn how to stay on the water using a board. The next step - exercises to develop the technique of moving legs. The pace of swimming is average. If the task is to strengthen the muscles of the legs, then you need to swim at a fast pace.
Products are used by both swimmers and athletes of other directions to train certain muscle groups. Holding the shell with your hands, you can train the leg muscles in a convenient technique and pace. To train the upper body, including working out the stroke, you can use special equipment, the so-called blackboard-sausage. The same board model is used to develop the ability to maintain balance. To bring the ability to hold your breath also allows the board for swimming. To do this, they lie on her stomach, placing most of the body on the inventory. At the same time, the legs make movements in the selected technique, and the athlete periodically lowers his face into the water, holding his breath.
You can find out below how to make a do-it-yourself swimming board.
