Self-evaluation and proprioception

15.0 How can I be sure to do the exercises correctly?

The specificity of swimming lies in the fact that the environment in which we practice is different, the water. But also in the fact that our reference points are different, and our senses disturbed. This can make it a rather complex sport, but one that will develop many other coordinations and senses.

15.1 Limbs in the environment

In swimming, all our reference points are disrupted, because of the horizontal position we're trying to get into

As earthlings, the 4 directions (forward, backward, upward, downward) are clearly represented for us when we're standing up. But what about it in the water?

First you have to think about the direction of movement. In the same way, when you're walking upright, for example, the front corresponds to the direction in which you're moving. In swimming, it's really the same thing. If we imagine someone lying in the water, the front will therefore be what corresponds to «up» when we're standing up out of the water

Illustration :

Lander standing:

Lying swimmer:

Swimmer standing:

Arrow colour legend = 1 direction :

Upwards

Downwards

Forward

Backwards

15.2 Sensorial perceptions

Swimming is one of those sports (like gymnastics, for example) where senses that we are not used to using in everyday life become the main ones. The first sense to be affected is vision. We can't see all our gestures and movements. Nor can we see the direction in which we are heading. Vision will be used differently and will see its role reduced, whereas it used to be the most used sense when we were on earth. The same goes for our sense of hearing, which we will no longer be focusing on because it is no longer useful to us in the water. Our sense of touch will also be affected by the environment we're in. Our whole body touches the water, so it's difficult to use this sense for anything in the water. Your sense of smell will tell you whether the water is more or less chlorinated, but otherwise it won't be useful for learning to swim. Taste? It's best to avoid drinking it. Otherwise it won't be a very pleasant experience

So that leaves proprioception, because you have to be able to feel something. Proprioception is built up from an early age. By removing all the other senses, it enables us to know where we are in space, for example. If I close my eyes and stretch my arm forward, how do I know it's stretched? And that it's facing forward? All these answers are provided by proprioception. We perceive our limbs and our position in space through internal sensations. This is what tells us whether our body is relaxed or sheathed

As swimming doesn't allow us to use the other senses, or only very minimally, it's proprioception that we're going to have to develop through exercises (especially for people who don't «feel anything»).

Some training will use another sense, for example touch, to simplify the swim and enable us to concentrate more precisely on what we're trying to feel.