Swim Fins
From LoveToKnow Swimsuits
What Are Swim Fins?
Swim fins, also known as flippers, are devices worn on a swimmer's feet that mimic the action of a fish's tail fin, driving the swimmer through the water at a faster rate than bare feet will allow. Don a pair of fins, a sleekly designed swim cap, and a racing suit, and you'll find yourself jetting though the water like a Barracuda in no time!
Fins are usually made from durable polyurethane, and the best brands are manufactured to be resistant to chlorine, and ultraviolet exposure, giving them a longer wear-life.
Basic swim fins come in three lengths.
- Short fins add just a little extra power to your normal kick strength.
- Medium fins will add even greater power to your kick, but the increased fin length will slow down the speed of your kicks.
- Long fins are the style typically used for scuba diving.
Mono Fins and Fin Swimming
Mono fins are a bit different from basic flippers in design, featuring a single blade. These fins can be used for strength training during swim workouts, and are also the regulation foot wear for a sport called Fin Swimming, in which swim racers compete to complete a designated distance in the fastest time.
Body Benefits
It's generally acknowledged that swimming is one of the best forms of exercise, providing your muscles with a good workout while avoiding the joint wear and tear that other types of exercise can lead to. If swimming is good, working out with fins is even better.
Start with the Heart
Swimming is terrific for exercising the cardio-vascular system, but you can benefit even more from your workout by increasing the amount of muscles you use as you swim.
Wearing swim fins increases the amount of resistance your muscles experience as you kick, guaranteeing you'll put your leg muscles to full use. This in turn forces your heart and lungs to operate at optimum levels for a more effective workout.
Build Strength and Flexibility
As mentioned previously, wearing fins forces you to kick harder in order to move the water. The result? Stronger legs, and that additional strength will carry over into normal swimming when you're not wearing your fins.
Weaker swimmers also tend to lack speed and drive because they are unable to fully flex their ankles into a streamlined position. Instead, the ankles remain somewhat bent, catching water instead of propelling the body through it.
Wearing swim fins actually forces the ankles to fully extend into a straight line, similar to a ballet dancer on point. This new found flexibility, just like the increased strength, will still be there when the fins come off.
For these reasons, swim racers find it beneficial to spend part of their training time wearing flippers in order to improve both strength and flexibility.
Achieve Form
The strongest swimmers achieve a fully vertical position in the water, which leads to the most efficient kicking and paddling, moving them along at optimum speed.
On the other hand, a weaker swimmer's back half tends to hang lower in the water than the upper half. So instead of achieving good forward thrust, the swimmer is continually thrusting partially upward, rather than fully forward.
Since wearing swim fins increases leg strength and flexibility, the lower half of the body is better able to remain level with the upper body, a much better position for achieving forward thrust. This posture automatically improves speed, and is the same form you'll find on the top Olympic swimmers.
Summary
Swim fins aren't just fun to wear, they can actually be beneficial to your body in many ways. Try working with a pair at your next few swim workouts, then leave them off the next time, and see if you can feel the difference.
Places to Purchase swim Fins
This page has been accessed 1,178 times. This page was last modified 19:56, 27 October 2007.
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