In the water we can all be dancers. You might be a klutz on land, but surrounded by water you are light and airy, slicing fluidly from points A to B.
Well, not my husband. The man sinks like a stone. But for the most part, watching a swimmer is seeing aquatic ballet. Like the duck, they make what’s actually going on beneath the surface look effortless as heck from above.
When in a lake or pool with my two daughters, I often found myself at a standstill, caught up in seeing the effortless elegance of their style. (Not just a biased mom here; people have commented on their beautiful strokes) While I could admittedly be a bit of a flounder as I tired, both of them are poetry in motion with strong, sure, yet graceful strokes. No matter how long they swim their movements are never sloppy.
And it’s not just nice to watch. It’s plenty good for you too. Swimming is what you need it to be — as fast or slow as you like, a warm up or cool down before or after vigorous exercise, or a great cardio workout on its own. With what other sport could you improve fitness just by hanging out at the side of a pool and kicking your legs?
It also has a mental benefit. My older girl has talked about the meditative state she reaches when doing laps. The steady action, with body supported by the water, calms and slows her mind, she says.
So, with the beauty of the swimmer in mind, I thought it might be fun to call attention to these fun images from AnimationFactory .
