The Best Exercise for Young Swimmers

Some swim training occurs outside of the water. Dryland training, using just a swimmer's body weight or light weights, builds basic strength and flexibility needed for swimming, according to Michael Brooks, author of “Developing Swimmers.” In addition, the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics training program incorporates strength training as young as 5 years old, adding light weights at 8 years old. Focusing on major muscle groups and stabilizing key joints ensures that your young swimmers get the best exercises.

  1. Chin-Ups

    • To efficiently propel themselves though the water, swimmers need strong upper-back muscles. Young swimmers can strengthen these muscles by doing chin-ups. This body-weight exercise requires little equipment and is easily modified for all age groups. To perform this exercise, swimmers grasp a chin-up bar with both hands with the palms facing inward. If a swimmer can't lift himself so that his chin is above the bar, hold the child so that his chin is above the bar and let him hang for a few seconds, building strength to perform a full chin-up.

    Lateral Raises

    • A swimmer's joints are at risk of overuse injury due to the repetitive motion involved in swimming strokes. Proper stretching and strengthening exercises minimize this issue. The shoulder is a particular area of focus for swimmers. Lateral raises strengthen the shoulder muscle group, stabilizing the joint to minimize injury. Using a light weight, have the swimmer slowly raise her arms out to her sides, repeating for at least a minute. The American Academy of Pediatrics says weight training is safe for young athletes, but should be done with proper supervision.

    Squats

    • Swimmers also need strong legs to produce effective kicking. The quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles are primarily responsible for lower body strength during training and racing. Squats are one of the best exercises to target these muscles. To execute a squat, a young swimmer should stand with his feet at about shoulder-width apart and slowly bend his knees and squat down like he is sitting on a chair. As the swimmer develops, add light dumbbells held in each hand to increase the challenge.

    Plank

    • A streamlined body position is vital in swimming. To effectively control her body in the water, a young swimmer needs strong muscles in her core -- the muscles of the abdomen, upper thigh and back. If these core muscles are weak, she may have poor swimming technique, risking injury and poor performance. A core exercise performed by swimmers is the plank, where a swimmer rests in on her forearms and toes, maintaining a straight body for a specific count, such as 15 seconds. In addition to strengthening the core muscles, the plank encourages young team members to maintain a consistent body line.