1. Warm Up on Dry Land
The sport places demands on the legs (calves in particular), back, and shoulder, says Brian Towin, a physical therapist in Atlanta who specializes in swimming. Stave off leg cramps with sprinters’ moves: Stand a few feet in front of a wall and, using it as support, step one foot back and bend front leg. Switch, then pull each leg to your butt for a quad stretch. Prep your back with side bends: Stand with feet together, arms overhead, pressing palms together, and tilt torso to each side. For the hsoulders, press palms into the small of your back, fingertips up, draw elbows toward each otehr and raise your chest. And shoulder rolls work, too, but don’t go Micahel Phelps aggressive. Bend elbows at 90 degrees, point fingerrtips toward the ceiling, and rotate shoulders in both directions.
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