Last updated: 10 April 2025
Why warming up before swimming matters
Before jumping into the water, taking just a few minutes to properly warm up can make a huge difference in how you feel and perform in the pool. Whether you're a parent encouraging your child in swim lessons or an adult swimming for fitness, warming up isn’t just about avoiding stiffness—it’s about preparing your body and mind for an efficient, safe, and enjoyable swim.
Benefits of a good warm-up
- Boosts circulation and oxygen supply: It widens blood vessels, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach your muscles, so they’re ready to move.
- Prepares your heart and lungs: Gradually increasing your heart rate and breathing reduces strain on your cardiovascular system, making your swim feel smoother.
- Loosens up muscles and joints: Warmer muscles contract more efficiently and flexible joints allow for better stroke mechanics.
- Engages your brain and body: A warm-up helps you mentally connect with your movements, improving coordination and reaction time in the water.
It’s also important for more advanced swimmers to not only practise swimming technique, but also complete some exercises to improve their physical fitness and prevent injury, and mentally prepare for a strong training session.
Exercises for swimmers
We've put together a list of 10 simple exercises from Swimming Australia for children aged 10 years and up to complement their swimming skills practice.
Start with 10 repetitions of each exercise, increasing by small increments over time to a maximum of 20. Make sure anytime you perform the exercises you are performing them correctly and without discomfort to avoid injury.
When doing these exercises, remember to breathe. Don’t hold your breath!
While these exercises are designed for warming up before training sessions, they can also be done at home to maintain fitness.
This warm-up exercise list includes both dynamic and static exercises. Dynamic exercise are good for working on mobility, muscle activation and strength before you jump in the pool.
While dynamic movements are essential to raise heart rate and activate muscles, incorporating certain static exercises before swimming can help improve mobility, flexibility and body positioning in the water. These exercises focus on enhancing range of motion, preparing key muscle groups for stroke efficiency, and reinforcing core stability for a strong, streamlined posture.
Perform these stretches with controlled movements and avoid holding positions for too long to maintain muscle readiness for swimming.
Please ensure you have a safe space when exercising at home. Leave enough space around you and remove any objects which may create hazards. To avoid injury, do not undertake any exercise that causes discomfort or undue stress to any area of the body.
What you'll need
- Skipping rope
- Light resistance band
- A towel or mat if you prefer
What you'll do
1. Skipping
Muscle groups worked: Calves, quads, hamstrings, core, shoulders.
Purpose: Improves cardiovascular endurance, foot speed and ankle mobility for better kicking efficiency.
Equipment: Skipping rope
Exercise:
- Use the skipping rope for 5 – 10 minutes
2. Half squats
Muscle groups worked: Quads, glutes, core.
Purpose: Strengthens leg drive, useful for push-offs and underwater kicks. Improves mobility in the hips and knees.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Step 2: Keep your arms out in front, a tall back and put your weight on your heels.
- Step 3: Squat down till your thighs are horizontal.
3. Two arm push (resistance band)
Muscle groups worked: Chest, triceps, core
Purpose: Strengthens push-off power and simulates freestyle, backstroke and butterfly.
Equipment: Resistance band.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Attach the band securely to something around shoulder height.
- Step 2: Step away to tension the band with hands at shoulder levels.
- Step 3: Press both arms forward, keeping your hands at shoulder level, making sure you keep a strong core position.
4. Two arm rows
Muscle groups worked: Upper back, lats, biceps.
Purpose: Improves pulling strength for strokes like freestyle, backstroke and butterfly.
- Step 1: Attach the band securely to something around shoulder height.
- Step 2: Step away to tension the band with hands at shoulder levels.
- Step 3: Pull your arms back from a fully extended position to where your elbows are at 90°, making sure you keep a strong core position.
5. Dead bug
Muscle groups worked: Core (abdominals, lower back).
Purpose: Enhances core stability, crucial for maintaining a streamlined position in the water.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Start by lying flat on your back with your arms straight above your head and legs straight with your toes pointed.
- Step 2: Keep a strong abdominal position and don’t let your back arch up.
- Step 3: Raise your right arm and left leg up toward each other.
- Step 4: Lower them to the starting position and repeat with the opposite side.
6. Lunges
Muscle groups worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core.
Purpose: Improves leg strength for kicking, turns, and push-offs. Enhances hip mobility.
Exercise:
- Step 1: While standing tall, take a step forward.
- Step 2: Lunge forward with your leg until the thigh is parallel to ground and lower your back knee to the ground.
- Step 3: Return to a standing position.
Step 4: Repeat on the other side.
7. Knee push-ups
Muscle groups worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
Purpose: Builds upper body strength for powerful stroke propulsion.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Lay down horizontally with your hands on the ground, in line with your shoulders.
- Step 2: Push up whilst keeping your knees on the ground.
- Step 3: Keep your upper body straight and strong.
- Step 4: Lower down so your upper arms are parallel with the ground.
8. Supermans
Muscle groups worked: Lower back, glutes, shoulders
Purpose: Strengthens posterior chain and improves body position for streamline in the water.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Lie flat on your stomach with your arms straight out above your head, head in a relaxed position and your legs straight with pointed toes.
- Step 2: Raise your arms and legs off the ground slightly, pressing up into streamline with the arms and shoulders, and making the spine as long as possible.
- Step 3: Hold this position for 3 – 4 seconds.
- Step 4: Make sure you don’t over extend your lower back.
9. Front plank
Muscle groups worked: Core abdominals, obliques, lower back.
Purpose: Enhances core endurance which is important for a strong position in all swimming strokes.
Exercise:
- Step 1: While lying horizontal on the ground, have your shoulders and elbows at a 90° angle, with your forearms on the ground.
- Step 2: Push up onto your toes.
- Step 3: Hold your position for 30 seconds, ensuring you maintain a flat body, with your head and neck in a neutral position in line with the body.
10. Cobra to child
Muscle groups worked:
- Cobra stretch: Lower back, abs, chest
- Child's pose: Lower back, shoulders, hips
Purpose:
- Improves spinal mobility and shoulder flexibility, aiding in recovery and better stroke extension.
- Cobra stretch helps improve spinal extension which is useful for breaststroke and butterfly positioning.
- Child's pose enhances flexibility in the shoulders and spine aiding in recovery and relaxation.
Exercise:
- Step 1: Begin by lying flat on your front with your hands flat on the ground, in line with your shoulders and your elbows pointed upward.
- Step 2: Gently lift your head and slowly push your upper body into an extended position.
- Step 3: Move your upper body back so your bottom is on your heels, keeping your hands in place and dropping your chest between your shoulders.
- Step 4: Return slowly to the original position.
Extension exercises
1. Full squats
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
- Keep arms out in front, a tall back, and weight on the heels.
- Squat down as far as you can, maintaining a strong back position.
2. Full push-ups
- Lay down horizontally with your hands on the ground, in line with your shoulders.
- Push up with weight on your toes.
- Keep your upper body straight and strong.
- Lower down so your upper arms are parallel with the ground.