Fish Swim - Our Most Natural of Swimmers

Fish swim natural, in fact they are one of the most fascinating natural swimmers that can be found. While you may know that sea creatures swim in general, you might not have an understanding of how they actually move through the water. This is handled by the muscles that fill their body, which are called myomeres. As the fish causes contractions in these muscles, they are able to create a wave system that helps to propel them through the water and to continue a forward motion.

Fish also have a slimy substance that they excrete from their skin that allows them to glide through the water more effectively and it is very important when combined with buoyancy. As they swim, this helps them with their speed and endurance and it can help them to get out of the way of danger in many cases. When fish swim though, there are other things that do impact them. This includes the shape of their tail (their fins) and the body itself.

The Eel:

Take for example the eel. As you know these are long swimmers that have a snakes body and they slither through the water in the same manner that a snake swims on land. Their long bodies and tiny tails prevent them from having the thrust that you would imagine they would have, so that prevents them from being the top swimmers of the sea.

Not an Eel:

Slower fish than the eel though are fish that are round bodied with round tails. This shape prevents them from gaining the speed they need to swim at fast speeds. A fish with a forked tail in turn will be among the faster swimmer, but that doesn’t make them the fastest. Instead, there are swimmers who can make the speed that these fish swim, seem like child’s play.

Ocean Life swimmers:

In the Atlantic ocean and other bodies of water, the fastest species are those who have bodies that will taper into a large wide tail. This includes species like the great white shark, tuna and the power and the drive they have make them powerful and dangerous creatures that still fascinate all of us.

That doesn’t mean that all fish have to swim with their tails by any means. There are other fish that flap their fins to swim. This includes animals like sting rays and even skates. Their bodies are designed to adjust the motion of the waters around them to help them to effectively swim through the waters.

As you can see, there are some incredible creatures that fill the waters of the world. As swimmers, we can learn quite a bit from how fish swim and use a similar concept to help to improve the ways that we glide through the water.

Today's Daily Swimming Workout:

Warm-up:  500 freestyle, 100 breaststroke kick, 200 Individual Medley, 100 butterfly kick-on-your-back, 100 freestyle super slow tai chi style

4 X 150 swim with swim fins:  as 50 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 freestyle

Kick with swim fins on:  5 X 100 as 25 butterfly, 75 freestyle

Drill 4 X 25 alternate butterfly and freestyle

Swim with hand-paddles on:  3 X 250 , 3 X 150, 3 X 100 and 3 X 50;  the middle swim is to be swum breaststroke

Drill 150 backstroke and freestyle

8 X 25 sprint freestyle

Warm-down:  200 your choice of strokes super slow tai-chi style

Total:  4400 meters or yards depending on the measurement of the pool

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