[Looseness]

ok, so I have heard from some that pool swimming just aggravated their shoulder issues. Then the username {a rabid masters class swimmer  } mentioned to me that mixing up strokes, particularly doing backstroke, balanced out the musculature. So, I started doing 500 of backstroke during  my cool-down and it definitely seems to help with shoulder issues. It causes me to reach higher and back {increasing flexibility} and it definitely is working scapular and other back muscles, the ones everyone ends up doing exercises for when they have shoulder problems. I did some research and found an exceedingly dry and dense scientific paper on swimming/shoulder issues that as far as I can tell agrees with this idea. Anyway, I used to hate backstroke, I don't love it now because the not seeing where you're going thing, even with the overhead flags to let you know the wall is coming up is just unnerving, but I do like the relaxing aspect of breathing full time and the fact that I FEEL the difference it's making in my shoulders. Well actually, what I don't feel {shoulder pain} is the thing I'm noticing.     

[surfcitynj]

As a competitive swimmer for some time before college, I can definitely attest to the backstroke theory. "Unwinding" by doing a cool down or even a few sets of backstroke mixed in really helps. Many people too often think of backstroke as freestyle on your back, when in actuality it is a reversed movement and really helps to balance out the tightness you get from throwing your arms forward in freestyle and the likes.
Peace,
Kyle

[seacow]

This is good to know.  I've cut back big time on swimming because my shoulders/ rotator cuffs were hurting constantly after a swim.  I read it could be from breathing out of one side, putting too much pressure on one shoulder.  I changed that up, but this sounds like it will also help. 

Thanks.

[surfcitynj]

Breathing to only one side will definitely cause irritation of your rotator cuffs because the arm that is extended often winds up really reaching forward putting a lot of extra stress on your shoulder.  I'm so happy to be swimming again though it always feels like a great workout no matter how many yds. I can fit in.
Peace,
Kyle

[Looseness]

As a competitive swimmer for some time before college, I can definitely attest to the backstroke theory. "Unwinding" by doing a cool down or even a few sets of backstroke mixed in really helps. Many people too often think of backstroke as freestyle on your back, when in actuality it is a reversed movement and really helps to balance out the tightness you get from throwing your arms forward in freestyle and the likes.
Peace,
Kyle

yeah, it just feels right. Opens the chest/shoulders up since all that freestyle pulling brings everything forward. And if you are doing other stuff like push-ups and pull-ups, you get the same effect, the shoulders pulled forward and tightened by the front development which needs balancing by exercise that compensates.

[seacow]

Just went for a swim at lunch.  Tried out some backstroke for my cool down...just 100 meters.  Lets just say I gotta work on my technique a little.  Overall, felt good though just to change it up.

[surfcitynj]

Remember to roll and keep your head back. Two of the simplest tips for backstroke haha.
Peace,
Kyle

[Looseness]

Just went for a swim at lunch.  Tried out some backstroke for my cool down...just 100 meters.  Lets just say I gotta work on my technique a little.  Overall, felt good though just to change it up.

Nice! you have place to swim near work eh? I have a city wide Y membership for that reason. One really close to work, one on the way to/from work, and one in the neighborhood in Brooklyn. Now if they finish the one at um, Cacaway  .....

[HydroGlide]

I raced alot of backstroke as a kid and once that starters gun fired I was so amped up I think I inhaled half the pool with all that breathing in the splash zone and smashed my head hard into the finish wall more than once (which dropped my medal color to bronze in one final) because I mistimed the flags - but I loved it and I still love the backstroke now - it really is a must for me when mixing it up especially after sprints get me winded a bit - I need that wide open breathing space to get some more relaxed breathing going - sorry for the tangent - swimming never really bothered my shoulders and still doesn't (and I have injured my shoulders pretty badly doing othe rthings in the past) so maybe its because of the backstoke laps that I always throw in? 

[seacow]

Thanks Kyle.  I completely forgot to focus on the roll.

Loose, yeah im really lucky to have a pool in my building.  I can literally take the elevator right down to it.  I used to swim at the Parks and Rec center on 59th and 10th but they closed down that location for a 3 year renovation.  It completely needs it, but i loved my cheap empty pool. 

Also, not sure where you are in Brooklyn but in Red Hook they have a big outdoor pool in the summer that is free.  dedicated lap swim time is like 7A - 9A and 7P - dark which is pretty nice.  But if you go to the Y there are locations right around that area too and probably a lot nicer.

Thanks for the tips guys.     

[theusername]

hey looseness, cool to hear that mixing up strokes is working for you. as you mentioned i used to get shoulder pain when i swam on my own, before i started swimming with a masters team and began doing all four strokes during workouts. i really haven't had any shoulder pain since then and i do think it has something to do with avoiding repetitive stress injury by mixing things up, but also has something to do with having coaches on deck to check poor technique. for example, once i was getting a bit of a pain in my shoulder blade during workouts whenever we would go over 3,000 yds, and when i asked the coach to check out my stroke, turns out i was not rotating enough on one side, causing excessive strain in that shoulder. it was not something that more and varied swimming would have corrected. i needed to fix the underlying problem first. once i did that... no more pain, even as we increased yardage up to 4,500 at times.

anyway, those nyc rec centers are a great deal. i used to swim at one of them before joining a masters team. the water quality wasn't really that bad. the red hook pool is fantastic. (swimming is much more fun outdoors.) the YMCAs i've been to (dodge and mcburney) are not really that great. they keep the temperature too warm (for the elderly and kids) and do not have proper ventilation, but they're convenient.

the best pools are the university ones. columbia has a really nice pool. i've only attended a practice there once, but it was great. nyu's pool is pretty nice too. oh, and asphalt green's pool is really nice. and by nice i mean, not overheated with adequate ventilation to let the chlorine fumes escape!