Lie on your stomach, arms stretched out in front of you, legs extended, looking down (neck in a neutral position). Lift your arms, chest and legs slightly off the floor, then alternately raise your right arm and left leg; then switch sides. The movement resembles ‘swimming’ (hence the name of the exercise). Keep your movements small, quick and controlled. Maintain tension throughout the body.
Attention:
Do not lift too high (hollowing of the lower back/pressure on the lower back), do not lift your head (strains the neck), do not fidget uncontrollably (instead of smooth, controlled movement), do not make movements that are too large (loss of core stability), do not rotate your hips too much (the aim is a stable core).
Lighten:
Move only your arms or only your legs; keep the other half of your body on the floor; lift your chest and legs less high; slow down the pace.
Harden:
Faster pace whilst maintaining the same level of control; additional weights (e.g. light dumbbells or ankle weights); a ‘pause’ in the raised position; combine with static holds (e.g. hold for 10 seconds + swimmer).
Variation:
Raise and lower your arms and legs in a steady rhythm, pausing in the neutral position, or move your arms and legs rapidly up and down continuously.
