Swimming suits for women are generally classified into two types - the one-piece (or tank suit) and the two-piece (or bikini). The two differ in their range of body coverage, with the latter known to have been fashioned in a way that it exposes as much of the body as possible. Bikinis are the favorites of many women when sun bathing or swimming for recreation. As it is called a two-piece swimsuit, a regular bikini has two parts. The upper part (called bikini top) covers the breasts, while the lower...

The name should already be a clue as to what kind of swimming pool a vanishing edge swimming pool is. Simply defined, it is a swimming pool that produces a visual effect of water proceeding infinitely into the horizon. It's like an edgeless pool, hence it is also called by other names: disappearing edge, infinity edge, or negative edge swimming pool. A vanishing edge swimming pool may also be likened to a reflection pool, which is often seen in a memorial. The Taj Mahal in India, the Oklahoma City...

Choosing what to give to a friend who's a swimming enthusiast on his/her special occasion should not be hard when one thinks about the wide variety of swimming accessories available in the market. But other than the usual swimsuit, swim cap, or such other swimming needs, one may also consider giving a book on swimming. Here are 12 books recommended as gift ideas for your swimming friends: 1. "First To The Wall: 100 Years Of Olympic Swimming," by Kelly A. Gonsalves and Susan A. LaMondia - This...

The heat of summer should not keep children from having fun outside. As a matter of fact, this is the time of the year when children should be enjoying the cool waters of a lake or a swimming pool. And to make their afternoon swimming more enjoyable, children can play some of the popular swimming pool games. Three are suggested here: Cherry Drop, Fish out of Water, and Marco Polo. How each of these games is played is described below: Cherry Drop: This game, which is sometimes called "Chicken...

The breaststroke, one of the swimming styles currently supervised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), is also one of the oldest swimming techniques. It is perhaps the most popular style in recreational swimming primarily because the swimmer is able to keep his head out of the water a great deal of the time. The swimmer performs this swimming technique on his chest. His torso must not rotate as his arms make a series of sweeping movements - the outsweep, insweep, and recovery motion. The...

The 4 x 100 meters medley relay swimming event is a team competition, with each team composed of four swimmers. In a competition, the four team members swim consecutively, with each member swimming one of four strokes. The order goes this way: backstroke first, breaststroke next, butterfly third, and freestyle last. Since backstroke is started from the water, it is necessary to begin the relay with this stroke. Making it otherwise will have the finishing previous swimmer and the starting backstroke...

Swimming is one of the best forms of exercises. It is good for one's health primarily because it involves the coordinated movements of practically all the parts of the body. It enhances muscle and respiratory functions. And what better way is there to spend a hot summer day than to immerse oneself in the cool waters of a swimming pool? But a dip in a swimming pool can have other health concerns, too. There is, for instance, the presence of germs that a swimmer has to worry about. Also, the kind...

Exercise, recreation and athletic training are the three most common purposes for swimming. We agree that swimming is an excellent form of exercise; it is a good way to relax; and it provides the opportunity for a full-body workout. Swimming may also be a requirement in certain occupations. Here are six examples: Lifeguard: This work is given to someone who is an expert swimmer. Lifeguards man beaches, water parks, and swimming pools, and their job calls for overseeing the safety of those who...

Swimming is a sport that provides a complete balanced workout. Swimmers are known to benefit from its stimulating effect on cardiovascular health, flexibility, and muscle strength. Yet all sports entail risk of injury, and swimming is no exception. The most common injuries associated with swimming are neck pain and swimmer's ear. There, however, are hazards swimmers face that are far more serious than the two low-risk injuries mentioned. Three examples are given here: hypothermia, the "bends",...

Swimming is generally regarded as the best form of physical exercise. There's no doubt that the person who regularly engages in swimming possesses a healthy body and a sound mind. But can swimming also serve as an auditory stimulus? It's a question intended for fun, actually. The sound of the word "swimming" may really be pleasing to the ear, as there are quite a number of songs that has this word in their lyrics, often repeated many times throughout the song. Here are some examples: 1. "This...

One of the five aquatic sports currently being supervised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) is synchronized swimming. This sport combines swimming with gymnastics and ballet. Accompanied by music, synchronized swimmers perform a sequence of complex moves. Performers in a competition are judged based on three criteria: difficulty of every movement; satisfactory execution and synchronization of routine; and the ease projected by the swimmers while performing the elaborate moves. Obviously,...

Swimming is an exercise that is good for people of all ages and of most any physical condition. It can be performed with little risk of strain. In turn, there is a form of swimming exercise that is used as a form of training for athletes and also for use as a therapy. This is known as resistance swimming. As a form or method of exercise for swimmers, resistance swimming is useful when training for any of the swimming styles or strokes. Its simplest form makes use of a restraining device that keeps...

By far, the biggest risk associated with swimming pools is drowning. It is for this very reason why most pool owners enclose their pools with fences. As a matter of fact, some countries have pool fence laws primarily to protect children and pets from falling into the pool. In Australia, for example, the law requires pool owners to install a 4-foot (1.2-meter) high fence around their pool and secure this with a self-latching gate. The best kind of pool fence is the chain-link type, which allows...

Athletes with physical and visual disabilities compete in the different fields of the Paralympic Games. Twenty sports events make up the program of the Summer Paralympic Games. One of these events is swimming and, hence, is called Paralympic swimming. But Paralympic swimming is also played in sports competitions for the physically- and visually-impaired athletes in many countries. Its rules conform with those outlined by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), most of which are similar to...

Swimming, whether for recreation or in competition, requires the use of certain equipment, aids or accessories. The essential ones are, of course, swimsuits and goggles (the latter are particularly important in competitive swimming). Some swimming accessories are used to aid the swimmer in some specific water exercises, to enhance the swimmer's performance in his/her chosen style, or simply for protection. Examples of optional swimming aids and accessories are fistgloves, hand paddles, kickboard,...

Swimming is such an interesting subject that not a few movie makers considered at one time or another creating films based on this topic. In fact, there already were a number of films shown that carried the theme of "swimming." Here are eight of them: "Dangerous When Wet" This is a 1953 musical that starred Esther Jane Williams, an American competitive swimmer who set a number of national and regional records during her teen years. The movie is most memorable for its featured animated swimming...

Watching the various water sports competitions, particularly swimming, have made us familiar with some of the swimsuits being worn by competitors. Of course, swimsuits are not confined for use only in such competitions; they are also donned by those who swim simply for recreation. Swimsuits come in different styles. There are swimsuits fashioned for use exclusively by women as there are those made exclusively for men. Still other swimming outfit styles are unisex. Some of the most popular swimming...

The International Swimming Federation (FINA) is the organization tasked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to oversee international aquatic sports competitions. There are 5 aquatic sports FINA supervises, which include open water swimming. Simply defined, open water swimming is swimming in any of the different bodies of water, including rivers, bays, lakes, or oceans. Several events are held in different countries at various times of the year. Three of the most notable open water swimming...

Summer is that time of the year when families troop to beaches and swimming pools for a cool dip. Other than being a good form of exercise, swimming is an opportunity for members of the family to enjoy each other's company in a relaxing environment. There shouldn't be any boring time for parents and their children at the swimming pool, as there certainly are lots of fun-filled activities that can be done here that one wishes the day will never come to an end. For example, several games can be played...

Each of the different swimming styles has known advantage and disadvantage. In the case of backstroke, the advantage is that the swimmer is able to breathe easily, while its disadvantage is that the swimmer is not able to see where he is going. And of the different swimming competitions, the backstroke competition is the only one that starts in the water. A backstroke competition begins with the swimmers seen in the following position: they lie flat on their back, arms (and the fingers) extended,...

The backstroke swimming style dates from the remote past and is more or less as ancient as the forward crawl. As its name suggests, backstroke is swum like an upside down forward crawl (note that both backstroke and forward crawl are considered long-axis swimming strokes). Backstroke had its debut in Olympics during the Games of the II Olympiad (the 1900 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France), with an event in men's 200-meter individual race. This event was won by Ernst Hoppenberg of Germany. At...

The term "underwater sports" includes a range of disciplines, most of which involve the use of certain equipment, such as a snorkel, scuba, or a swimfin. The discipline that makes use of a swimfin is aptly called fin swimming (also sometimes written as a single word - finswimming). Simply defined, fin swimming involves the action of a swimmer in advancing into the water using muscle strength and with the aid of a monofin (a type of swimfin consisting of a single surface attached to footpockets...

Several factors need to be considered when choosing the kind of suit to wear for swimming or any other water activity. Most of the factors are optional or those that are dictated by the wearer's preferences. For example, how much exposure to the sun is the swimmer willing to take? Here, he or she will pick a swimsuit based on the extent of body coverage the garment will provide. Of course, trends in fashion will also be in his/her mind. But one factor that always has to be given weight is water...

Swimming in outdoor bodies of water always entails some risks. There is, for instance, the possibility that a swimmer will attempt descending to great depths and then getting caught between rocks or entangled in weeds. Such a scenario can most likely result to drowning, often the main cause of death in underwater accidents. In a typical case similar to that illustrated above, the swimmer who begins to drown is at once overpowered by fright. This makes attempts of rescue by another swimmer highly...

There are at least sixteen different strokes used in swimming, and about half of these are used in competitions. By simple definition, a swimming stroke refers to a technique used by a swimmer to drive himself forward; the technique involves the coordinated movements of the arms and legs. Of the different swimming styles that are regulated by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), the butterfly swimming stroke is regarded as the fastest (actually, another swimming stroke - called forward...