Special Interest Hobby: Swimming Is the Only

¶ … Special Interest

Hobby: Swimming

Swimming is the only activity that I enjoy doing so much. This is because it involves the whole of my body yet at the same time it relaxes my nerves (Gifford 17). It is a sport that has come a long way from its inception. There are no chronological recordings of discovery of when the sport. Therefore, it is one among the few sports that has been in existence for the longest time possible. Swimming in sports and recreational activities, is the forward motion of the body in water by a combination of legs and arms motions and the natural floating of the body on water. It is a tremendously enjoyable recreational activity.

The archaeological evidences and other sources show that swimming had been in practice since 2500 BC. The practice of swimming started in Egypt and later spread through Assyria, Greece and the Roman empires (Wiltse 8). In some sections such as Rome and Greece, swimming was a main part of training for martial arts and the elementary education sessions for the male children. However, in the After Domino (A.D) period, swimming is first traced to Japan as the origin of the sport. In Japan, it was compulsory for every school to teach swimming by the 17th century (Gifford 21). The first swimming competitions were established with the outside world in the early 19th century in Japan. Interesting fact is that the earliest heated swimming pool was built in the 1st century in Rome by Gaius Maecenas.

However, in Europe the practice of swimming did not develop fast because of fear that sharing water for swimming caused epidemics and spread infections. The earliest swimming evidences in Great Britain show that the sport was established in the late 17th century (Gifford 23). The primary swimming organization was formed in 1837. Swimming pools with diving boards have ever since then been built and various swimming competitions held.

Competitive swimming internationally was held in the London Olympics of 1896. The events included catered for men only, but later women were included. It has hence evolved to a full sport with many physically endowed swimming champions. Various people have made a name for themselves via the sport.

There are various styles of swimming (Keegan 21). Personally, am talented to know all basic strokes of swimming, and therefore, I enjoy doing all these styles. Besides the common four styles, that is freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke, there are also others. These additional strokes include the sidestroke, combat swimmer and the trudgen strokes.

The freestyle swim stroke is also called the front crawl. It is a common stroke and the most basic. Almost every Learner begins learning the front crawl as it is the simplest to learn and practice. It is preferred by most of the seasoned swimmers. In doing the freestyle stroke, the swimmer propels the body forward by using alternating arm motions continuously recovering from above the water and pushing the water beneath the body (Webster, and David 10). The swimmer uses the legs to execute a fluttering kick on in the water to propel the body across the water surface. The face of the person usually faces down. The freestyle stroke is the fastest and most efficient.

The second stroke is the breast stroke (Keegan 67). It is perhaps the most popular of all swimming strokes. In this style, the swimmer executes half-circular movements of the arms simultaneously beneath the water surface in front of the body. The recovery of the arms is also at the same time for both arms and occurs under the water surface. The legs of the individual on the other end perform a frog kick. It is also exceptionally easy to learn, and most beginners learn the style. It is also most advantageous in that it is easy to keep the head above the water surface hence breathing easily. However, experienced swimmers submerge the head so as to enhance efficiency. It is the slowest form of all strokes.

The third type is the backstroke. In this stroke, the swimmer swims on the back with the face up on the water surface. In executing the stroke, the individual kicks the legs in a flutter kick similar to freestyle. The simmer also uses reverse alternating circular movements of the arms with an above the water surface recovery. The backstroke is much faster than the breast stroke but slower than the butterfly stroke. It is useful for patients with back problems too.

Another stroke of swimming is called butterfly. The butterfly stroke is among the most competitive of the strokes used for competitive purposes (Keegan 81). It also among the most spectacular swimming strokes because of its unique technique (McLeod 4). In executing the butterfly stroke, the swimmer uses symmetrical arm motions with a recovery above the surface of the water. Moreover, the swimmer uses a wave-like undulation of the body and a leg kick similar to that of a dolphin tail. The stroke is the second fastest, coming second to the freestyle swim stroke. It also is hard to learn and quickly exhausting. However, once a person masters the stroke, a few lengths of swimming are a lot of fun.

An additional stroke is the sidestroke. This stroke is executed by using a scissor kick (Keegan 130). The swimmer swims on the side of the body and performs asymmetrical arms movements under the water surface with an above the water recovery. The sidestroke is not practiced in swimming competitions and is used fewer times. However it is easy, and fun to use. It is used by the lifeguards in rescuing victims. The other additional strokes are not common.

Why swimming? Swimming is not only a sport that people engage in; it is also a hobby for many individuals. The benefits the swimmer gains from swimming are determined by the swimming activity. For fun, health or competition Swimming is an exceptionally safe activity to engage (Lucero 77). This is because water is not hard object that can easily harm the swimmer physically. However, it is imperative to take safety measures so as to avoid drowning and also other minor issues.

Moreover, it is an activity that every person can practice. This is because, the body has natural buoyancy hence floating is easy, simplifying swimming (Lucero 31). The resistance of water aids immensely in increasing the buoyancy. Moving through water is easier than through air. The stress of moving is usually on muscles and not the joints.

Swimming also helps the body to relax. When tired, swimming helps ease the stress on my joints and hence relaxing my body. It also helps me to stretch through the movements made when swimming. It is also healthy to swim as a person with back problems can stretch using the back stroke. Cardiovascular diseases are also managed when a person engages in swimming practice (Whyte 18). People with physical joint injuries can also perform their therapy sessions without any difficulties in the buoyant waters. Moreover, disabled people can easily manage to swim hence it a common choice of sport for them.