Category Archives: ‘Reasons to be Beautiful’ articles

Your guide to stress-free festivaling

16 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in 'Reasons to be Beautiful' articles, 'This Festival Feeling' articles, Lifestyle, Travel

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If you’re like me and you can’t live without a daily shower, then the idea of camping for several days without facilities can seem quite daunting. I recently went to Pukkelpop festival in Belgium – my first ever camping festival. Now, I’m not really the roughing it type so this was quite a challenge for me, but I survived! Whether you’re a keen festival-goer or you’re thinking about going for the first time, following these simple steps will help you make the most of your festival experience.

  1. Be prepared

Before you go, make a check list of everything you will need. When I was at Pukkelpop, my friends and I agreed it would be so much easier if there was a brand of toiletries that you specifically need at festivals like ‘the festival wipes’, and ‘the festival anti-bacterial gel’ – absolute life-savers by the way! If there are showers to use, it’s definitely worth the wait (one day I queued for over an hour), if not, dry shampoo will become your best friend. Also at the top of your list should be: toilet roll. Festivals say they provide it but if it runs out, it’s a must. And of course tickets, ID, money and if you’re travelling abroad, passport. If it’s a camping festival, don’t forget your rucksack, tent, roll mat and sleeping bag.

  1. Be ready for all weather

Make sure you check the forecast before you leave to get a feel for the weather. Even if it says it’s going to be swelteringly hot and sunny, don’t believe them. Do pack your sun cream and sun glasses, but it doesn’t hurt to put in your rain mac/cagoule/poncho, whatever it is that will shield you from a surprise downpour. Wellies are a must. I took mine all the way to Belgium from the UK, just in case. It ended up being extremely hot, but you never know – Pukkelpop had a freak storm the year before. Don’t get caught out!

  1. Be realistic

So you’ve packed your new pair of shorts, your Raybans and your digital camera. Think again! Don’t take anything you would hate to see get ruined. I bought a pair of sun glasses for £1 and they served me well. If you want to take some snaps to remember the event, take a cheap camera, or a disposable one is even better. You don’t need loads of clothes – I found this out the hard way as my rucksack was ridiculously heavy. Take one outfit per day, a hoodie in case it gets cold at night, a pair of trainers and maybe a spare t-shirt.

  1. Set up camp

If it’s a camping festival, I’m afraid you’re going to have to sleep in on the ground. I don’t think I got much sleep at my festival – but then I did sleep on top of mole hills! Make sure you get to the campsite early to get first pick of the camping spots. Top tip: be close to the entrance and showers, but far from the portaloos – after a couple of days of hot weather they start to pong! I also found that pitching your tent near a landmark will help you find it again when faced with a sea of other tents. According to research from one of the Policy Expert panel insurers, around 12% of people have lost valuables or been victims of crime at festivals. Three quarters of items stolen are from the humble tent, so whenever you leave the campsite, take your valuables with you – you can’t lock a tent!

  1. Keep hydrated

Making sure you drink lots of fluids while you’re at a festival can be hard work – the price of water can be ridiculous, the queues can be long and you have to weave it into your packed schedule. However it is of upmost importance that you keep yourself hydrated, especially at a festival where you can be drinking alcohol, constantly dancing around and, if you’re lucky, in hot weather. Make sure you find time to buy water, or, if there are free drinking water facilities, make use of them.

  1. Stay safe

Say no to drugs. If you’re going to have alcohol, take it slow. You want to be able to remember the bands you’ve seen and you don’t want have a stinking hangover the next day. Be careful what you drink and don’t accept alcohol from a stranger as you never know what could be in it. Personally I stay completely sober when I go to festivals – much cheaper and safer! Don’t get lost either. Try and stick with your friends, but if you do decide to split up, keep in contact via phone and arrange a place and time to meet in advance. According to NHS Choices, festival music can reach over 110 decibels so invest in some ear plugs, it could save your hearing! The music will be so loud that you’ll still hear the majority of it through the plugs.

At the end of the day you’ll have to accept that you won’t be in the most luxurious of conditions and that you will have to get up close and personal in packed crowds of sweaty festivalgoers. I found that when I was at my sweatiest and dirtiest I had the most fun – raving in a tent to a Major Lazer gig in 30 degree heat! Put aside your reservations and make the most of the experience – you’ll be enjoying amazing live music in an incredible atmosphere with thousands of like-minded people. Have fun!

The Sheldon Cooper Theory: Why we all love the awkward know-it-all!

09 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in 'Reasons to be Beautiful' articles, Arts, Psychology, Television

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Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D, Sc.D, has an IQ of 187. He’s a theoretical physicist focusing on quantum mechanics and string theory. He enjoys comic books, sci-fi and online role-playing games.

There is no doubt he is the king of the nerds.

He’s convinced he’s more intelligent than anyone else (and probably is), so he constantly shows off his knowledge and points out other people’s faults whenever the opportunity arises. He’s rigidly logical, extremely stubborn and completely asocial.

And yet, he steals almost every scene of Big Bang Theory as he absolutely hilarious. Why do we find him so likable?

A pragmatic analysis of Sheldon

The reason we love this unlikely sitcom hero can be partly answered by some of my own linguistic research. For my English Language degree, I studied how the characters in Big Bang Theory create humour by breaking the social conventions of language. To do this, I compared Sheldon’s geeky, socially unaware character with Penny’s, as she is his polar opposite.

To demonstrate this personality clash, I used a pragmatic approach called Grice’s Theory of Implicature (1975). This is the idea that we have a framework of conversational expectations, and that when they are broken, we look for the implicature (a different meaning).

Grice suggests that we all abide by certain conversational rules or ‘maxims’, but they can be broken in different ways to create different implied meanings. I aimed to find out how this varied between Sheldon and Penny in order to create humour.

I found that Sheldon unintentionally breaks Grice’s maxims as he doesn’t understand the rules of conversation and therefore doesn’t realise that he is:

a) Speaking too much
b) Taking something literally
c) Going off on a tangent

Penny however intentionally breaks conversational rules by being sarcastic and rhetorical – the former involves saying the opposite of what you mean, and the latter involves being blindingly obvious. This often confuses Sheldon as he can’t quite grasp sarcasm or rhetorical speak.

According to Piazza, Bednarek and Rossi (2011), linguistic deviance can be used in television discourse, not only to create humour, but to create an interpretation of a character as ‘abnormal’. It seems that both types are in action in Big Bang Theory – Penny breaks rules on purpose for comedic effect, while Sheldon deviates from the norm, signifying his eccentric personality. This creates further humour.

However, I also found that on some occasions Sheldon tries to change his behaviour. We all know that Sheldon has difficulty keeping secrets. In one episode, ‘The Loobenfeld Decay‘, Leonard lies to Penny about his plans for the evening so that he doesn’t have to see her performance in an amateur version of Rent (he doesn’t think she can sing very well).

Sheldon gets roped into this lie and feels very uncomfortable about it. In one scene, Leonard tries to teach Sheldon how to tell a white lie. Sheldon comes up with “When we played chess earlier you were terrific and I can’t wait to play you again” – which, under the circumstances, just sounds like he was being sarcastic as he was obviously lying.

We can also see that as the series progress, Sheldon starts to get better at identifying sarcasm and human emotions.

The lovable robot

So even though Sheldon is an unapologetic genius who avoids human contact and is confused by people’s feelings, he still tries to function normally. Seeing Sheldon’s soft side can be quite heart-warming. Like when he gets sick and needs Penny to sing the lullaby ‘Soft Kitty’ to him. And it’s a big moment when he hugs Penny for the first time. He even manages to get a girlfriend later in the series.

It’s also hard not to laugh when he gets into situations he’s not used to, such as when he gets drunk from only one sip of alcohol, or when a woman asks to sleep in his bed, only for him to assume he had to sleep somewhere else.

Not only that, but I’m sure a lot viewers can identify with some of Sheldon’s behaviours. Everyone has a slightly nerdy or eccentric side. I’m sure many people have difficulty coping when they are interrupted, when they have to keep a secret or when they hear arguing. It’s hard to put on a smile when someone else succeeds and you don’t.

This is why we love Sheldon. His oddities make us laugh and his sensitive side brings a tear to the eye. Although we know we aren’t as intelligent, bizarre and socially awkward as he is, there are things that do make sense to us. He points out the absurdities of life and questions why we act the way we do. He’s not afraid to stand up for himself, even if he is at odds with others.

However I think I’m right in saying that there some people out there who know a lot about something but will refrain from going on about it as they don’t want to appear geeky.

But I think we can all learn a lesson from Sheldon. Don’t worry what people think of you. Speak your mind, even if you think people won’t agree with you. And if you’re passionate about something, embrace it and be proud of it…just don’t go as far as mixing hydrogen peroxide and saturated potassium iodide with dish soap and deploy it in your rival’s lab for foamy vengeance…

All you need is laughter: Why laughing really is the best medicine!

09 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in 'Reasons to be Beautiful' articles, Mind, Wellbeing

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It’s more infectious than a cough or sneeze, and when shared, it’s the social glue that brings people together. Safer than medical treatments and free of side effects, it is one of the simplest ways to boost healing and well-being. This priceless medicine is fun, free and can be used anywhere.

Laughter; it’s the most obvious sign of happiness. I have to say, I always get a buzz from seeing live comedians and laughing out loud at their gags. Whenever I’m feeling down, I just watch some funny YouTube videos, and I’ll be rolling on the floor laughing. No one can deny that having a laugh with your friends is the most fun you will have, and it’s those hilarity-filled moments that you always remember. It’s so important we’ve even made up a language of laughter for when we can’t physically see or hear each other…LMAO.

“Like language, laughter is a basic part of being human” says Robert Provine a laughter expert at the University of Maryland. However, laughter doesn’t have to be learned; babies produce their first laugh when they are around three months old. Even so, laughter is very complex and sometimes it can mean a lot more than words. It evolves from a simple baby’s giggle into to a multifaceted social tool. We may be born with this innate ability, but the ability to utilise it socially is something we learn, stemming from the development of a sense of humour.

Stephanie Davies, author of Laughology: The Science of Laughter and one of the UK’s top laughter experts, says that there is a difference between laughter and humour. She says, “Laughter is a response; it’s usually the outward manifestation of humour but doesn’t always have to be about something which is funny. It can be used to fit into a social situation or it can be a way of coping with a situation.” Davies explains that humour is a system for processing information, which can change depending on age and situation.

For such an essential part of life, the study of laughter is still relatively new. However experts are starting to take the field of humour seriously by investigating the personal and social benefits of a good laugh.

The healing powers of laughter

Physical health

So what evidence is there that laughing can benefit your health and wellbeing? The most famous case is that of the journalist and editor Norman Cousins. During the 60s he was diagnosed with a debilitating spinal disease and had a very small chance of survival. Cousins however believed in the importance of environment in healing, so he left the hospital and checked into a hotel. Here he took large doses of vitamin C and watched continual episodes of Candid Camera and the Marx Brothers. Over time, he found that the laughter stimulated chemicals in his body, allowing him several hours of painless sleep. He kept up this routine until his disease finally went into remission and he was able to return to his job. All with the help of humour.

Since this groundbreaking study there have been numerous tests undertaken with similar results. For example, The University of Maryland conducted a study which involved showing people laughter-inducing movies to assess the effect on cardiac health. They found that laughter seemed to cause the blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow. Indeed there has been consistent evidence that laughter, over time, offers significant medical benefits. These include; strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, improving heart and respiratory functions and regulating blood sugar. Surely a good reason to have a daily chuckle!

Mental health

There are also plenty of mental health benefits. According to Dr Frank Lipman, an expert in integrative and functional medicine, a good hearty laugh reduces stress hormones such as cortisol, and releases endorphins which elevate your mood. It allows you to relax, increasing your energy and helping you stay focused. Laughing also helps you keep a positive outlook through difficult situations as it shifts your perspective. It doesn’t just distract you from sadness, laughter goes a long way to make you feel better and give you the motivation to find a solution.

Laughter and relationships

Laughing is good, but sharing laughter with others is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Laughing and playful communication strengthens our relationships by triggering positive feelings. It’s a powerful way to heal disagreements as well as uniting people in difficult times. Bringing more laughter into your interactions can improve the quality of every kind of relationship whether it is with friends, family or co-workers. It allows you to be more spontaneous, let go of inhibitions, and express your feelings.

Always look on the funny side of life

Paul E. McGhee, a pioneer in humour research, said: “Your sense of humour is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.” Therefore, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is an excellent ability to be able to master. Here are a few ways to boost you daily laughter production and improve your sense of humour:

  • Experience something funny: The possibilities are endless. Watch a sit-com or a rom-com, go to a comedy club, visit a humour website, watch parodies and bloopers on YouTube or create your own funny moment by doing something silly with your friends. You could even try Laughter Yoga!
  • Bring humour into conversations: Share a joke or funny anecdote. Ask “What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you this week?” Banter with your friends – being able to make fun of them without hurting their feelings can be hilarious.
  • Learn to laugh at yourself: Take yourself less seriously. If something goes wrong, push aside the shame and learn to see the humorous side. Be able to make fun of yourself for example by telling an embarrassing story.
  • Look for the comedy in tough situations: Attempt to laugh at situations rather than complain. Life’s challenges are fuel for your imagination so think outside the box and uncover the irony in the circumstance. This will improve your mood and that of those around you, as well as helping you to maintain an optimistic perspective.

As you integrate laughter and humour into your life more, you will not only experience the physical and mental benefits but it will allow you to be more creative in your interactions and view the world from a more relaxed, positive and joyful perspective.

Go on, laugh your cares away!

Exclusive Interview with Liz Davies: Don’t worry, be in the moment!

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in 'Reasons to be Beautiful' articles, Interviews, Mind, Psychology

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Liz Davies, a qualified councillor and spiritual teacher, has worked in the mental health field for 12 years as a psychological well-being practitioner for the NHS, helping people with stress, anxiety and depression management and other common mental health problems. She recently set up Angelic Interventions, which offers workshops and one-to-one sessions combining psychological techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with spiritual methods such as meditation. I had a chat with Liz about her new practice and the topic of worrying.

RTBB: What made you decide to set up Angelic Interventions? 
Liz Davies: I wanted to spread some knowledge about what people can do to help themselves feel better, and in my own style. Setting up this practice allowed me the freedom to tailor the sessions, and I’ve found that the mixture of the psychological and the spiritual works really well. I’ve always been on the spiritual side and after doing my spiritual teacher course I found that the methods really complemented the psychological work I was doing.  People often get ‘spiritual’ confused with ‘religious’, but they’re very different things. Being spiritual is more about appreciating yourself and the world around you.

RTBB: Why do people worry?
LD: A common reason is that people think that worrying will help them to control the outcome. People have the mistaken belief that it is helpful to worry and that if they don’t, they won’t be able to cope. They then get into a habit of worrying, and we don’t challenge it as it seems natural to us. It’s also about a need for certainty. A lot of people don’t feel comfortable with uncertainty so worrying becomes a way of feeling that you are prepared for the worst. However, uncertainty is part of life, so in a way worrying about the future is quite pointless because it puts us into a state of anxiety and doesn’t solve the problem.

RTBB: What are the negative effects that worrying can have on our lives?
LD: When we’re worrying, we’re basically not living our lives in the moment. When we’re dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, we’re missing out on all the things that we could be enjoying in the present. Our senses are redundant a lot of the time because we’re so wrapped up in our heads or in distractions. When you’re living in the present you’re actually calmer, more alert and able to cope with things easier. If you fully engage yourself in the moment then there’s a lot to be found. The practice of mindfulness talks about paying attention to what’s going on right now by engaging your senses. For example, if you’re doing some work and are worried about the deadline, take a break and mindfully make some coffee. Notice the grains of coffee and sugar, listen to the water as you pour it in, feel the warmth of the mug and appreciate the smell and taste of the coffee. Savour the experience. This can be very relaxing, and if you apply this to your life generally it can lower your anxiety.

RTBB: Can worrying ever be a good thing?
LD: Worrying evolved as a way of helping us to solve our problems. If we weren’t ever anxious about anything or vigilant to any kind of threat, we wouldn’t care about anything and we’d never get anything done. So there’s a certain level of anxiety that we need to keep us on our toes and be able to solve a problem when it comes along. “What if” worries don’t help us because they get you into a spiral of negative thoughts which, in turn, affect your mood, making you feel more down. Catch yourself when you’re getting into a negative loop of worrying and switch your thought process to something that’s going to help you.

RTBB: How can people effectively cope with their worries?
LD: Sometimes it’s not a practical problem that can be solved as it’s out of your control. The best thing to do in that situation is learn to let go of your worry, and accept that it is not helpful to you. There are other things you can do, like distracting yourself in a positive way by doing something you enjoy. Anything creative is brilliant as in gets you into the moment and out of your head. You can also set yourself a ‘worry time’ where spend half an hour at the end of the day going through your worries. Whenever a worry comes to you during the day, write it down and literally worry about it later. Then, when its worry time, you sit down with your list and you might find that some of those things aren’t worrying you anymore. You might also find that some of them are practical problems that you need to solve, in which case you can use that time constructively to work out a solution. It’s also helpful to talk it over with other people. Putting your worries into words, verbally or on paper, can help you process it and even see a way through.

RTBB: How can cognitive behavioural therapy help?
LD: The CBT model says that we can’t change our mood directly but we can change our thoughts and challenge our behaviour. CBT talks about using evidence to question how acceptable the worry is. For example, if you’re worrying about failing an exam you would ask yourself “How many exams have I done well in?”, “How many exams have I worried about but went alright in the end?”. If you find that there’s not much evidence for the worry, you need to come up with a more realistic view of the situation. Accept that you’re nervous and that it’s important for you to do well, but realise that you’ve coped with exams in the past, you’ve revised and you can only do your best. CBT is about changing you irrational thoughts into more balanced and fair thoughts.

RTBB: How can meditation help people relax?
LD: A lot of it’s to do with taking yourself out of your buzzing thoughts and mental chatter, and bringing yourself into your body so that you’re focusing on your breathing, for example. Mindfulness of breathing meditation involves concentrating on each breath whenever your thoughts start to wander, which physically and mentally relaxes yourself. It can help you to learn to bring yourself into the moment and let go of the worries. The time out also helps you to just gain some clarity on things, and you’ll start to feel calmer generally.

RTBB: You mentioned about maintaining balance, how can people maintain a balance in life generally?
LD: One method is the see-saw model. On one side you have your worries and on the other you have your resources – the things that help you cope. If you’ve got a lot of worries, you need to focus more on making sure you’ve got enough resources in place, otherwise the see-saw will tip. It’s common when people are really busy for them to squeeze out the stuff in their life that help them. They think they haven’t got enough time, energy or motivation, so they just don’t bother. Resources can be a range of activities: exercise, mediation, yoga, spending time with friends, music and art. Doing things that you enjoy boosts your energy levels and it helps you to cope better.

RTBB: Anything you’d like to add?
LD: Don’t beat yourself up. The most important thing that I have learned is to be compassionate to yourself. Whatever your habits are, just accept that it’s just a pattern that you’ve fallen into as you were trying to help yourself. Forgive yourself and find a new method for the long term. Then it’s just a matter of doing new things – practicing to live in the moment, learning to let things go and making sure you’ve things in your life that give you a balance and bring you joy.

If you’re in the Brighton area and want to find out more about anxiety or stress management, come along to Liz’ free taster workshop on 11th August. For more information visit http://angelic-interventions.com/

The Power of Language: How it shapes yourself and your experiences

27 Friday Jul 2012

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I recently came across this quote from Michele Toomey, psychologist and author of Social Interaction: Shaping Each Other’s Lives:

“Words can inform our mind, caress and comfort our feelings, excite and thrill our spirit, or warm and kindle the flame of our hearts. They can also slap our face, punch us in the stomach, rattle our nerves, kill our desire, or destroy our self-confidence. Of course this is metaphorical, but these metaphors capture in words our physical reactions to what is said, and that is the power of language. It can emotionally move and affect us as powerfully as physical actions.”

It got me thinking that even the simplest articulated sound or written word can have a huge impact on others and ourselves. After all, language is our preferred method of communication, and we use it to create an effect every day – from complimenting a friend to give them a boost, to cracking a joke to make someone laugh. I have always been fascinated by the power of words. I even spent 3 years of my life studying them. One thing I have learned is that words don’t just convey meaning, they are a force.

It was only recently that I really realized how strong that force is. From updating and tailoring my CV to filling out online applications, I have been harnessing language in order to sell myself and find a job, and it has to be done just right in order to show you have the skills and the potential to slot into the job, without using empty words, sounding cheesy or using clichés.

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Language defines you

The truth is, the language we use can have a massive impact on the way we are viewed. It’s been found that being able to communicate effectively is more important to employers than actual qualifications. According to an International Employer Barometer survey, ‘soft’ skills including communication skills and team working are the most important capabilities sought amongst new graduates, with over 85% of employers regarding these as important, compared to 60% rating a good degree qualification as important.

This is good news for those who may not be as studious, and suggests that if we can use the right language, showing we can communicate effectively, we’re on the road to success. But what exactly is the ‘right language’?

These days we are so careless with what we say, especially in the age of Facebook, Twitter and blogs. We comment without thought, tweet our every move, and click publish without re-reading. Because we use language so automatically and unconsciously, we treat it lightly – we don’t think about how it influences the people around us. We think that because we can hide behind our screens, we can use language however we want.

With the growing importance of social media, online language is becoming just as important as language face-to-face. The language we use online is an extension of our personality. That’s why it’s so important that we think about what we write and say, and choose our words carefully.

Language shapes your experience

Words aren’t only important to those we direct them to, but ourselves. Another thing I have learned is that language shapes the way we experience the world. According to Marketing Strategist, Ivana Taylor, publisher of DIYMarketers, the words you use could actually be sabotaging your own success.

Taylor says that people use the words ‘but’, ‘want’, ‘should’, ‘try’ and ‘hope’ not only with a high frequency, but also in a context that puts people in a negative mindset.
These are all things I have said recently: “I’d love to buy that dress, but I can’t afford it”, “I want to get a job”, “I should contact that company”, “I’ll try to update my CV”, “I hope I find a flat”.

Observe how every one of these statements is self-defeating – they are all potential actions that go undone and therefore have no impact. Ivana Taylor suggests that you should transform passive words into powerful actions:

  • Replacing ‘but’ with ‘and’ gives you more options by turning an excuse into a possibility – “how can I afford to buy the dress?”, and possibly a solution.
  • Replacing ‘want’ with ‘am’, changes a usually passive word into a verb. “I am getting a job” puts you more in control of the outcome.
  • ‘Should’ and ‘try’ are both weak words which shift the blame if you don’t succeed. Substituting them with ‘will’ leaves no room to change your mind. Thus “I will contact that company” and “I will update my CV” both demonstrate strong positive actions.
  • ‘Hope’ can go either way – you can be hopeful or have hope. However, when you find yourself hoping without an action plan in place, swap the word ‘hope’ with a word like ‘intend.’ Instead of hoping to find a flat, intend to find one.

Language can make you proactive

So using language in a positive and meaningful way changes your outlook on situations and can help you put your own thoughts into actions. Don’t speak out of habit or convenience, speak of with a clear purpose. Realise the potential your language has to create and transform your life.

Depending on how you wield it, language is an immensely powerful tool. It can be the weapon that weakens, or the medicine that heals. And with great power…well, you know the rest!

Just Keep Swimming: Your Guide to Correct Swimming Technique

21 Saturday Jul 2012

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Swimming: the second most popular physical activity in the UK, with 14% hitting the pool on a regular basis, according to Sam Murphy of The Guardian. There is no doubt a frequent swim has obvious health advantages; you exercise your whole body, it increases energy levels and it improves your strength, flexibility and balance.

Swimming at a moderate pace burns around 800 calories an hour, it’s beneficial for those with joint and muscular problems, and the simple act of gliding gracefully in the water relieves your mind of stress, as Swimming Information tell us. It’s also a lot of fun; who hasn’t imagined they were a mermaid whilst swimming underwater or splashed around in the pool with your friends on holiday? And accomplishing your goals can be very rewarding.

I recently returned to swimming after a long break when I decided to swim a mile for charity. I would train 3 times a week, and after each session I would feel invigorated, refreshed, and a lot fitter. Even after completing the mile, I try to swim at least once a week for my fitness fix – I gained a lot more than a medal! Whether you want to start out this great activity, swim for your health or to just improve your technique, read on for some great advice from some professional swimmers and coaches.

When and how should I train?
Dan Bullock, director of SwimforTri, an organization that offers swim coaching, suggests swimming as often as you can if you want to make real improvements. He says “It’s better to hit the pool three or four times a week for 20-30 minutes than to go for one or two longer sessions”. In terms of nutrition, make sure you have something to eat an hour or so before you swim, keeping the amount fairly light. You probably don’t realize it but as with any other exercise you are bound to sweat, so have a drink at the pool side to keep you hydrated. Afterwards, have a healthy snack like some fruit or a cereal bar to stop you snacking on sugary foods. When you’re at the pool, mix up your strokes so you don’t get bored – when I go swimming I start off with breast stroke and challenge myself with a length or two of freestyle and go back to breaststroke. Combining this with drilling is an excellent way to build on your technique. This is when you concentrate on a certain technique e.g. legs only with a float – see Ruben Guzman’s The Swimming Drill Book for more information on this.

The art of breaststroke
A study by the U.S government, found that shockingly, 98% of recreational swimmers don’t make gains in aerobic fitness due to poor technique. Having an efficient swimming technique is therefore of utmost importance if you wish to reap the benefits, and it will make it far more enjoyable and worthwhile. Breaststroke is the main culprit of sloppy swimming. Steven Shaw, creator of the Shaw method of swimming and author of Master the Art of Swimming uses the mantra “easy, work, enjoy” to break the stroke into its different components. ‘Easy’ is coming out of the glide, pulling with the arms and inhaling, ‘work’ is thrusting your legs back as you exhale and ‘enjoy’ is the glide. Shaw says that the more powerful your leg kick, the further you’ll glide. Don’t rush into the next stroke – only when you begin to feel yourself slow down should you take the next arm pull. Try not to work the arms too hard, Shaw says it’s actually the legs that drive the stroke, with 70-80% of the power coming from the rear; this is why it is so important to nail the leg technique. Karen Pickering, a former world champion swimmer suggests that a frequent mistake with the leg kick is not finishing off properly – a lot of swimmers don’t bring their legs together in a streamlined position at the end of the kick. She says “Think of driving the legs out and back together as one fluid motion”.

Have you ever swum behind someone whose legs were doing completely different things? This is another common error, known as the ‘screwkick’. Steven Shaw says you should try and keep the legs and feet symmetrical – if one foot is turned out and the other isn’t, it can cause the back to twist. You can remedy this with a drill by swimming on your back and practicing your breaststroke kick as this will enable you to observe your leg action and tweak any asymmetry.

Freestyle: Breathe into the water pocket!
Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular sport, it works our heart and lungs better than any other exercise. As we can’t breathe under water, it is essential to learn to control our breathing. This is especially true for freestyle, as bad breathing technique can easily affect the stroke technique. Exhaling is just as important is inhaling. According to Swimsmooth fully exhaling under the water between breaths means you only have to inhale when your head is out of the water, saving time and effort. It also relaxes you and helps with bilateral breathing; try and aim for two strokes underwater and turn your head on the third, enabling you to breathe on both sides. When you’re not breathing, keep your head still by concentrating on one point at the bottom of the pool. You want to be as close to the surface and as streamlined as possible, but lifting or over-rotating your head to breathe can affect your body position and balance. When you swim you create a bow wave which drops at the side of your face, creating a dip in the water. You only need to rotate your head a little in order to breathe into this ‘water pocket’. This will avoid straining your neck and help maintain your position. Good body rotation is also very helpful for your breathing, because once you have rolled your body to the side, you don’t have to turn your head much further to breathe.

Mindful swimming
Terry Laughlin author of Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster and Easier talks about swimming mindfully. Learning to control your body in the water is one thing, but controlling or mind is another story. When Laughlin decided he needed to give his technique a makeover, he found that he needed to learn a new way of thinking before he could learn a new way to swim. He says it is important to ‘hold one thought’ by focusing on and visualizing the technique you are trying to master as you swim, and dismissing all other thoughts. Concentrate on the challenge of developing your technique and think about the potential for vast improvement in your swimming, and this will motivate you to succeed.

With London 2012 just around the corner, why not get into the Olympic spirit by getting back into swimming. Bring a friend along and you can encourage and push each to reach your goals – and have a chin wag along the way!