How to Float Legs While Swimming

Swimmers commonly deal with the problem of sinking legs. Your upper body seems positioned correctly on or near the top of the water, but your lower body sinks too far below the surface.This slows you down and makes it harder to get your laps in. Learning to float your legs means training your body -- your whole body, not just your legs -- to stay in the right position in the water and practicing some simple kicking techniques.

Things You'll Need

  • Goggles
  • Snorkel
  • Pull buoy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wear goggles while swimming. This eliminates the need for you to close your eyes or turn your head to avoid a rush of water.

    • 2

      Place a snorkel into your mouth so that the breathing tube extends behind your head. Kick off from the side of the pool to swim with a freestyle stroke, keeping your head facing down. Your head, neck and back should be in complete alignment, making a flat line in the water. When your head is down, your body won't see-saw and push your legs down; it keeps your legs up in the water. When you've mastered the technique, lose the snorkel and practice turning your head to breathe as you swim, returning it back to the aligned position between breaths.

    • 3

      Kick correctly. About 85 to 90 percent of your propulsion comes from your upper body, not your kicks, according to the Swim Smooth website. Use small kicks to keep your legs floating; the deeper you dip your legs, the more likely they are to sink. Keep your legs straight as you kick without bending your knees, which causes drag and pulls your legs down. Point your toes to reduce drag further.

    • 4

      Move your arms with the proper stroke. Since this is where most of your power comes from, this stroke is essential in keeping your entire body, including your legs, floating efficiently. Bend your elbow right before your arm enters the water on a forward freestyle stroke. If you use a straight arm, you lift your upper body and see-saw your legs too far underwater. Keep your arms pulling through the water at your sides, not drifting under your body, which causes the center of your body to shift and you to swim unbalanced.

    • 5

      Slip a pull buoy between your thighs and practice your stroke form without kicking, or only making kicks small enough to keep the buoy in place. Pull buoys are shaped similar to an hourglass to fit securely between your legs as you swim. They create drag, which helps you build your upper-body strength, while helping your legs float so you learn the proper body position.