Routine

1) Gentle Neck Rolls (exercise)

Start with the chin on the chest. Slowly, easily, calm-like, move the head around the shoulders.

Do some to the one direction and then reverse. Okay to look far to the right, then far to the left.

Okay to look far up, and then far down. Heads need to be attached to the bodies. When the neck is hurt or injured, comfort is absent. The mind leads, the body follows.

2) Reverse Gentle Neck Rolls

Could do variation with 1 roll to right and then 1 roll to left. Body is complicated in holding one’s head in place. We need our heads to be in the game. Water polo players have head on a swivel!

3) Trunk twists (exercise)

Put both arms on one side of body. Kick opposite leg to the arm side while swinging the arms in front to the side of the kicking leg while standing on the other leg. Kick higher. Twist farther. Kick and hold for 3 seconds. Kick and re-kick higher. Point toes on kick. Flex foot on kick.

The spine and back are precious, often a place for injury, especially if conditioning isn’t done. Have a backbone!

4)Reverse Trunk Twists

Other direction with other leg and motion.

5) Leg swing forward and back (exercise)

Stand on one leg. Swing the other forward and then backwards in toe to heel directions.

6) Other leg swings forward and back

7) Leg swings lateral with abductor and adductor motions (exercise)

8) Switch legs and swing laterally.

9) Foot Spins (exercise)

While seated hold two hands on one foot with one hand on toes and other hand on the heel. Spin to loosen foot, ankle and other soft tissue for increase flexibility and warm-up. Often done while sitting. Could be done while standing. Kicking speed is about flexible flippers. The tail fin of a fish or shark moves the water for propulsion.

10) Foot Spins with same foot in the other direction.

Spin the toes in the other direction. Change to or from counter-clockwise to the other direction.

Could micro-manage what foot to grasp and what direction to spin.

11) Foot Spins on other foot

12) Foot Spins on other foot other direction

13) Kneeling position (exercise)

Place tops of feet and toe nails onto ground with knees bent and body weight on the feet. Works on toe point and quad flexibility. Can have a soft surface or towel, with or without shoes. Can ask swimmers to lay back with head then shoulders to the ground with legs bent fully at the knees.

Legs! Feet! Whatever is tight gets attention with this position. Do it at night and in the morning in a soft bed or with a pillow and improve your comfort in a week’s time.

14) Right Arm forward Arm Swing (exercise)

Full range of motion with shoulder swinging so it touches the ear. Hand goes past hip at bottom of circle. Do some slow, some medium and some fast. With or without milk jugs as weights.

ROM = Range Of Motion. Shoulders and backs are points of power when attached to the base of the body and core.

15) Left Arm Forward Arm Swing

16) Right Arm Backwards Arm Swing (exercise)

17) Left Arm Backwards

18) Right arm swing in a Sideways Figure 8 Motion (exercise)

The sideways 8 is also a math symbol for infinity.

19) Right Arm Figure 8 in the Reverse Direction

20) Left Arm Figure 8

21) Left Arm Figure 8 Reverse

22) Up the Sides with both arms (exercise)

Begin with hand down with hands near pockets. Swing arms up the sides and touch overhead with the back of the hands together. Shrug the shoulders and pinch the ears with every movement.

23) Up the Front Arm Swings (exercise)

Hold one thumb in the other hand and keep the arms straight. Lift the arms from the shoulder and back. At the bottom, let go of the thumb and allow the arm to swing past the hips to the back before stopping.

24) Horizontal Arm Swings (exercise)

Start in a T position with hands outstretched. Bring the hands together, always keeping them as high as the shoulders. Hug yourself. Swing them apart and try to clap and touch the hands together at shoulder height.

25) Opposites Arm Swings (exercise)

One arm swings forward while the other swings backwards, in the opposite direction.

26) Opposite-Opposites Arm Swings (exercise)

The one arm that was moving forward goes in reverse and the opposite arm goes the opposite direction too.

27) Wrist, door-knob open (exercise)

The rotator cuff gets attention with arm forward and slightly down. Twist.

28) Wrist door-knob closeEdit

Close the door knob.

29) Wrist range of motion (exercise)

Handshake up motion. Quickly lift the hand. Shake.

Handshake down.

With wrist range of motion, spin or twist wrist, both directions. Stretch fingers to back of forearms of both tops and bottoms. Do one hand. Or, do both hands together.

Palm up motion with hands. Sculling and pulling on the water takes strong forearm coordination to get the hands pitched in the proper positions throughout the underwater pulling stroke.

Palm down shake. Passing the ball and even a disk ends with the finger tips and wrist flick.

30) Other wrist range of motion

Hands control our pencils, keyboards, water polo balls and even give a grip on the water — one of the hardest elements to grab and control.

31) Sit ups (exercise)

Do sit ups all different ways. Bent leg, straight leg, crunches, legs apart, twisting at top. twisting at bottom, pike, and elevated flutter kicks, and rower style are a few.

32) Yoga Cobra (exercise)

Lay on floor with face down. Interlock fingers under the chin. Keep hips down but lift upper body and shoulders so the elbows get straight and hands are stationary. Look to the sky. Look to the sides. Stretch the abs and move the back with smooth and slower motions.

33) Rattle Snakes (exercise)

Prone, with head and upper body down along the floor, lift your thighs and feet up. Do both legs. Then single leg lifts.

34) Hamstring Stretch with Legs in Figure 4 (exercise)

Sit with one leg straight. The other leg bends at the knee and the foot of the bent leg crosses onto or else over the straight leg. Bend your head lower to the straight knee. Hold the stretch for time, even up to 2 minutes.

35) Other Side, 4 for Legs

Switch legs so the other leg gets straight and move to stetch that hamstring.

36) Yoga Butterfly Stretch (exercise)

In a sitting position, bend both knees and put the soles of the feet against each other. Pull your feet close to your bottom. Gently stretch by pressing the bent knees closer to the floor. Easy on the groin muscles.

37) Knee to ear (exercise)

Sitting, bring a bent knee to touch the ear.

Hold knee to ear. Then twist and touch the knee to the other ear.

Could be done standing if advanced for balance.

38) Other knee to each ear

Do the same with the other leg to one ear, then the other ear. Inserts a twist to the back and neck.

39) Butterfly arm motion (exercise)

Standing, swing arms in the butterfly stroke. Be powerful like Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte.

40) Backstroke arm motion (exercise)

Standing, move arms in a backstroke form like Missy Franklin. The recover with fast handspped so quickly that the fingers are a blur. Then do some double-arm backstroke to cool down. Make a bent elbow pull.

41) Breastroke arm motion (exercise)

Standing, do the motions for a breastroke underwater pull out that follows a dive: Dive, glide, pull, glide, kick-arm-head, come to the top, start to swim. Then do 15 strokes of breastroke making a small pulling pattern and breath with every pull. Glide with hands forward in a “V.”

42) Freestyle arm motion (exercise)

Standing, make the arms swim like freestyle as fast as Cullen Jones. Take 10 strokes without a breath and the head looking forward and still. Then breath on one side. Other side. Then both sides, ever 5th arm recover. Then 3rd. Finish the race with out a breath, touching the wall on your side and then give a fist pump and sign of emotion.

43) Toe raises (exercise)

Stand on one leg and lift the toes of that standing leg off of the ground to balance on the heel.

44) Other leg toe raises

45) Heel raises (exercise)

Stand on one leg and lift the heel of that standing leg off of the floor. Balance on the toes.

46) Heel raises with other leg

47) Squat stoop (exercise)

Feet flat on the floor, bend down into a deep squat like the Pirates starting catcher, #55, Russell Martin. Stay there for extended time. Put knees apart then together. Keep feet flat.