Hi all,
I'm an injured runner and brand new swimmer trying to keep my fitness up while recovering. I've made notable improvements to my stroke, but it's still far from perfect. One big issue is my mobility. I can't extend my arms straight overhead without arching my back a lot, and even then it's still not perfect. This is likely due to right lats and pecs as well as a lack of mobility in my thoracic spine. Does anyone have any tips for exercises or stretches I should to to improve this? Or is this rather something that just develops over time through swimming, and if so, how long might that take? Thank you, and my apologies for all of the questions!
Rotator cuff and scapula exercises in general, stretches like the one they call in yoga “down dog“ can open up the area of restriction.
Are you properly rotating during stroke?
Steve nailed it. The "down dog" is an awesome stretch! Another one is the "corner stretch" that is often prescribed by physical therapists:
www.youtube.com/watch
