Maintaining correct posture is essential for every swimmer, from amateur to elite. We asked Roberto Peretti, Technical Director of Fisio&Lab, to explain why postural training is so important for improving efficiency and performance in the water.
Q: Roberto, why is posture so important in swimming?
A: Posture is the foundation of movement. In the water, every misalignment translates into drag, which means more effort with less efficiency. A well-aligned body, on the other hand, glides better, consumes less energy, and makes the stroke more fluid. We’re not just talking about aesthetics of movement, but pure biomechanical efficiency.
Q: What are the most common postural mistakes you notice in swimmers?
A: The first is holding the head too high in freestyle, which causes the hips to sink and increases drag. Another is lumbar hyperlordosis, which creates stiffness and reduces the effectiveness of the kick. Many swimmers also have an underactive core: without trunk stability, the power from the arms is dispersed and technique becomes less effective.
Q: Does swimming itself help improve posture?
A: Absolutely. Backstroke, for example, is excellent for decompressing the spine and strengthening the back muscles. But beware: swimming alone is not enough. To correct imbalances and improve stability, targeted exercises in the gym are essential.
Q: What role does the core play for a swimmer?
A: The core is the “rudder” of the body in the water. If it’s weak, the swimmer wobbles, loses position, and gets tired more easily. A strong and trained core, instead, ensures stability, allows better transfer of force from arms to legs, and makes every movement more efficient. This is why we always include specific strengthening exercises in our programs.
Q: Besides core training, what complementary work do you recommend?
A: Yoga and proprioceptive exercises are very useful: they improve body awareness, breathing, and joint flexibility. All this helps swimmers “feel” their body better in the water and reduce stiffness that often hinders technique.
Q: How does Fisio&Lab work with swimmers?
A: We always start with a thorough postural assessment. Then we build a personalized program that may include physiotherapy, osteopathy, postural exercises, core strengthening, but also methods like Gyrotonic. The goal is to provide swimmers with practical tools to swim better, reduce the risk of overload, and improve performance.
Q: To conclude, what’s the main advice you would give a swimmer?
A: Don’t think that just swimming is enough to improve. Posture is also built outside the pool. Dedicate time to targeted body training: every minute invested in stability and alignment will give you gains in speed, efficiency, and athletic longevity.
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