BREASTSTROKE | three week course | Starts Wed Dec 6 18:30 PM – 20:30 PM – Amsterdam

Course period 6 Dec – 20 Dec 18:30 – 20:30

The Shaw breaststroke is fundamentally different from what is often understood by 'breaststroke' in the Netherlands. Often people have learned to swim the 'breaststroke' in which the head is kept above water by constantly tightening the neck muscles. With the Shaw Method, however, you learn a much more graceful way of swimming breaststroke, in which the neck can remain constantly relaxed and one swims alternately under and above water. In this way you learn a graceful and flowing breaststroke, which does not put any pressure on the spine or on the joints. This course is suitable for anyone who can swim and/or float with their face in the water.

The purpose of this course is to teach you this Shaw breaststroke step by step, so that you can take full advantage of the benefits that this stroke offers. The Shaw breaststroke promotes mobility of the neck, shoulders, wrists, spine, hips, knees and ankles. It strengthens the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thighs and the hamstrings in the back. Although this stroke is the slowest in terms of speed, it burns the most calories. You move through the water in dolphin-like movements, where the expulsion moment can be a wonderful relief after a busy working day.

At the end of this course we have worked on:

• a nice alignment of your head-neck-back during all phases of the breaststroke
• perfecting a symmetrical leg movement, which can be beneficial for any abnormalities in the spine
• learning to focus on the long slip phase that is at the heart of this stroke: This gives you time to exhale slowly and give the back its full length and width
• good timing for the arm and leg movement
• coordinating a relaxed breathing pattern
• finding the optimal effort for arm and leg movement

We recommend getting in the water at least once a week to practice. In the first lesson, the teacher will give you tips to plan your practice sessions.

Lesson 1: Wed Dec 6 18:30 pm-20:30 pm
Lesson 2: Wed Dec 13 18:30 pm-20:30 pm
Lesson 3: Wed Dec 20 18:30 pm-20:30 pm