One thing I’ve become much more aware of over the years — both as a swimmer and coach — is how important it is to look after the body before problems become long-term issues.
I spoke during our Coach the Coaches session back in May about experiencing significant back pain back in 2003. At the time, it forced me to completely rethink how I approached training, recovery, posture, and movement.
Like many athletes, I originally thought fitness and hard work would solve everything, but I was forced to accept that biomechanics and understanding the specific needs of your own body are of utmost importance – if you have issues related to mobility, muscle injuries or, as in my case, birth defects in my lower back, it is essential to get them diagnosed correctly so that rehab can begin.
Now, I place much more emphasis on:
- movement quality (full range of motion)
- body awareness and asymmetric development (eg not breathing to one side only)
- gradual progression (“baby steps, not backward steps”)
- posture and alignment
- mobility and stability (stretching, warming up, yoga)
- and recognising early warning signs before overload becomes injury (See a physician/specialist and understand your problem. And then do your rehab! 😊)
For swimmers, this often shows up through:
- tight hips
- restricted thoracic rotation
- poor posture
- reduced core stability
- and compensations through the lower back during freestyle
Many swimmers don’t realise that lower back discomfort is often connected to what is happening elsewhere in the body.
If the hips become tight, swimmers may over-rotate or arch their lower backs.
If the thoracic spine becomes stiff, breathing mechanics can place extra strain on the lumbar area.
If posture collapses during fatigue, swimmers often lose connection through the core and start “hanging” off the back.
Over time, these small inefficiencies add up.
This is why simple land-based mobility and stability work can make such a difference — not just for performance, but for longevity.
