Lifeguarding Essay, Research Paper

Adequate swimming skills is the key to being a successful lifeguard. Being that freestyle is the fastest stroke, improving your speed and stroke is important while training to be a lifeguard. One of the main points discussed in the article I read, called Pinky Power, was about the importance of the placement of your pinky in the duration of each step of the freestyle stroke. The article also touched upon the importance of patience and relaxation while learning and perfecting the technique discussed. And last, but not least, a few different drills are mentioned to help with improving skills. Overall, I personally found this article helpful to me in that my skills were far from flawless upon beginning my lifeguard training.

The title and main point of the article was the importance of the placement of the pinky in the duration of the stroke. It was noted that during the catch phase of the stroke the pinky should be kept up in order to prevent slippage. Your pinky should also be facing out from your hip while pushing away from your body. These two things are important because keeping your pinky above your forefinger also forces the use of the appropriate muscle groups and causes you to adjust the rhythm between your hands and hips.

In the process of learning these techniques it is important to not become distraught and to keep your body from being stiff. While trying to incorporate these techniques into your stroke it can, at first, slow you down and seem to be very complicated. Also, the muscle group this technique uses will take time to adjust, and will take more energy to move your body past your hand in the beginning, therefore keeping your forearm relaxed is important. In the long run, affiliating these techniques will benefit your speed with less exhaustion and less strokes per lap.

Drills can be important for an overall workout for the entire body, which is important for a professional lifeguard who needs to stay in shape. The five drills mentioned offer different ways to strengthen different muscles, strokes and kicks. These drills are a good way to keep your muscles toned and to keep up your skills. The drills offer a variety in your workout, which is important for staying in shape and keeping healthy, especially for those professionals who are depended on for their sound ability.

As a whole, the article, although not directly related to lifeguarding as a profession, does offer techniques to help with the freestyle stroke. Through these techniques and with time and patience your stroke will be greatly improved. Also, the drills mentioned are a great tool to use while working out. Altogether, the importance of excellent swimming skills could be the difference of life or death for a victim while you are on the job.