Braxton Taylor
If you are preparing for Army training that involves much running and rucking, you may not need to spend time in the pool. However, swimming and treading water are valuable skills and exceptional nonimpact cardio activities if you need a break from the high-impact volume of running and rucking. Here is a question from a soldier preparing for future training in either the Army Rangers or Army Special Forces:
Would you consider mixing swimming/swimming with fins as a low impact cardio option for Army soldiers training for Special Forces or Rangers, or is it not worth the time to learn the techniques? Thanks, John
The goal of getting in the pool is to reduce the impact of your cardio activity. If you wear fins, you may not need to know how to swim well and can get by with just flutter-kicking. You can do treading with fins, aqua-jogging or get horizontal and flutter-kick across the pool for 30 minutes. This requires very little skill or technique. I consider every 10 minutes of treading or swimming as a solid replacement for one mile of running or rucking.
Read Next: How to Build Mental Toughness for Special Operations Selections
If you have time, learn how to swim well. It will only make you better and more confident when your missions require getting wet or swimming to land from a boat insertion method. Besides, the ability to swim makes you effective on 75% of the globe.
Consider swimming when the total volume of running and rucking gets steep in your week and you need to rest your feet, knees, hips and lower back. Here are some classic workouts that work your legs and your lungs and can help you replace the impact cardio with the following ratio of 500 meters of swimming (or a 10-minute tread) = one mile of running or rucking:
On leg days, swim with fins. You can swim laps with any stroke or flutter kick while on your back for 20-30 minutes. You can also do what we call vertical swimming with fins and tread while holding 5-10 pounds of weight in your hands to work the legs and hips (and lungs). I would not recommend swimming with fins every time you are in the pool unless it is only 1-2 times a week.
Without fins, your legs will not be strained as much, and your lungs will be better conditioned. Swimming freestyle or using the combat side stroke (CSS) is a good skill to have, as you can take this workout with you into retirement and enjoy effective cardio with no impact. As an excellent cardio option, you can try 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter CSS sets for as many as you can handle.
Another option that is easier on both the lungs and legs and best used for rehab and mobility purposes is aqua-jogging. For 10-15 minutes, it also is a great cooldown activity after any workout, especially after a long run or ruck.
But to answer your question, swimming is worth learning for many reasons. From therapy and rehab to challenging lung and leg conditioning, adding swimming to your training will help you recover and provide effective alternatives to staying on land and beating the pavement all the time.
Check out the many swimming, treading and pool skill workouts that you can use as alternatives or improve to attend Army Dive School in the future at Military.com Fitness Section. Whether you’re looking to master swimming for future military diving and swimming programs, or want a hobby of adding nonimpact cardio to your fitness routine, we’ve got you covered.
Want to Learn More About Military Life?
Whether you’re thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.
Story Continues
Read the full article here