In addition to the preparatory exercises, some core exercises are required.
The child holds the edge of the pool with both hands, with the front of the body facing the pelvic wall. The knees are tightened, the feet parallel to the wall. After leaning backwards and pushing both legs off the wall, the child glides in a supine position for as long as possible without leg or arm drive. This exercise trains body tension and gliding in the supine position.
Use a swim noodle to make the exercise easier (see picture). This allows the learner to concentrate on the leg stroke and the feeling of water in the legs. Note, however, that the swim noodle allows the child to straighten up and lower the hip without sinking. Make sure that the gaze is directed upwards, the chin is placed back and the hip is pushed upwards. However, limit the use of the swimming noodle on your back.
This exercise should already be familiar from the last course. If you don't remember, please click on the picture of this exercise, the “bubble bath” is linked there. In short: The child sits on the stairs in the children's pool, with about half of the legs under water. In a first step, the legs and feet are stretched. The child then slowly moves the straightened legs up and down, gradually strengthening the leg and keeping the legs straight.
Viele Kinder widmen ihre gesamte Aufmerksamkeit dem neu gelernten Armzug. Dadurch geht der Beinschlag vergessen und die Beine sinken ab. Der Beinschlag ist allerdings wichtig. Er sorgt für die nötige Stabilität im Wasser, welche den Armzug erst möglich macht. Zudem ist er in dieser frühen Phase noch der Hauptantrieb. Auch für dieses Problem eignen sich die Übung mit wenigen Armzügen und auch hier können Sie Ihrem Kind als alternative Übung sagen, dass es die Arme nur in Zeitlupe bewegen soll und dafür alle Kraft in den Beinschlag steckt. Repetieren Sie das "Otterschwimmen" zudem ausführlich, bevor Sie mit dem Rückenkraul beginnen.
When turning on your back, the interchangeable angle should not be neglected. A powerful leg stroke is crucial to quickly return to the water surface after turning and to stabilize the water situation. Even though it is possible to complete the core exercise with minimal leg strokes, this requires perfect turn, body tension and water position on the back, which is a challenge for most children at this level. Therefore, an energetic leg stroke is helpful.
Rotation of the back is susceptible to errors, especially if the face briefly gets underwater when turned onto the back. The correct reaction is to stretch your body, put your chin back (look at the ceiling) and move your legs vigorously to get back to the surface of the water. A common mistake is to straighten up, which pulls your hips and chin down. This mistake is sometimes corrected by placing the hands sideways, but the core exercise requires straightened hands to prevent straightening.
As with any back position exercise, the water position is also a common problem in otter swimming. A look that is not consistently directed upwards and a hip that is not pushed upwards increase water resistance and makes the exercise more difficult. If this problem occurs, return to the starfish first to ensure the correct water situation. If this is the case, your child may have difficulty concentrating on the leg stroke and water situation at the same time. It may also be looking at your own legs, which affects the water situation. In both cases, we recommend that you start with the water arrow on your back and only start hitting your leg after a long period of gliding. This allows the child to concentrate first on the water situation and then on hitting the leg.