How to Float During Swimming?

How to float during swimming?

Floating is dependent upon body fat percentage and relative density. In other words the shape, size and composition of your body will determine if you will float and if so how well. Body fat floats and muscle sinks, therefore the ratio of muscle to fat in your body will be the deciding factor in your ability to float.

We are of course talking about floating in a stationary position in the water and your question was how to float during swimming. All of the above factors will of course help or hinder floatation during swimming but remaining at the surface of the water whilst you swim will depend on your swimming technique. This is particularly true if you have little or low body fat as your body will naturally want to sink and therefore your swimming technique will have to be more efficient.

Momentum and efficiency through the water will greatly assist your body to remain afloat as you swim. Momentum from the propulsion generated from the arms or legs and efficiency from a streamlined body position that enables you to move easily through the water.

If you swim breaststroke then propulsion is generated from a powerful leg kick and efficiency comes from a stretched body position and glide after each leg kick.

If you swim front crawl then the propulsion comes from the arm action and the body moves through the water easily as it remains in a stretched out and streamlined position.

Our best-selling book 'The Complete Guide to Simple Swimming' contains aspects of learning to swim plus over 80 separate swimming exercises to help all parts of basic swimming including floating. You can download it, print out the parts you need and take them to your pool to try out. Click the link below for more information.

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