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A Stroke of Luck!

Swimming is great exercise for bad-back sufferers. ‘Your whole body is supported in the water so you weigh only one tenth of your actual body weight’, says ASA swim coach Jo Melchoir. ‘As well as giving you gentle exercise, it helps you stabilise your core muscles and reduces strain on the supportive tissues of the spine’. If you’re worried your technique isn’t up to scratch it’s worth investing in some lessons. ‘You cannot self-correct a potentially “damaging” swim stroke, so a teacher will be able to analyse your technique and show you how to swim more efficiently and safely’, says Jo. Front crawl will give you an aerobic workout and burns about three calories per mile, while back crawl will strengthen your core. It’s best to avoid breast stroke because it arches the spine.

For more information go to www.britishswimming.org or www.swim4fitness.com

Article printed by health magazine.

Supported by Indera Ajimal, BSc (Hons) Ost. Traditional and Cranial Osteopath.

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