Body Parts Used In Swimming

Swimming is one of the most beneficial types of exercise. The front crawl alone utilizes more than 60 muscles in the body. It provides low-impact exercise and utilizes every major muscle group.

  1. Arms

    • The muscles in the arms are one of the most obvious muscle groups utilized in swimming. Each stroke through high-resistance water works the triceps and biceps.

    Abdominals

    • The abdominal muscles are constantly engaged while swimming. Core muscles keep the trunk stable and balanced while moving through the water. The butterfly stroke is arguably the stroke that utilizes the core the most as the swimmer must lift his upper body partially out of the water.

    Legs

    • Leg muscles are used to propel strokes and to push off the walls when turning. The major leg muscles utilized include the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus muscles and calf muscles.

    Chest

    • Chest muscles are very important with regard to the physiology of swimming. The pectorals provide the power behind the arm movements in the stroke.

    Shoulders

    • The shoulders, especially the deltoid muscles, are the support and power behind the movements of the arms. They provide the strength to lift the arms out of the water. These are most used in the butterfly stroke.