Why swimming breaststroke is great for hip health
Breaststroke may not be the coolest looking swimming style, & is considerably slower than the sleeker looking freestyle, but it can be super beneficial for those of us with sore hips, arthritis, labral tears, bursitis, sacro-iliac pain… and more!
Immersion in water, particularly salt water, offers a buoyant support for the hip joint, legs, torso, and arms that can create greater freedom of movement with minimal compression or tension in, and around the hip… and no weight bearing! This is all great news for any inflammatory conditions affecting the hip joint and surrounding muscles.
Plus – given that the ocean and river waters in Canterbury rarely top 17 degrees – we can experience the benefits of cool, cold, and bloomin cold water for pain relief, immune system boosting, improved circulation, and reduced inflammation… simply by getting in the water.
When we add the kicking movement of breaststroke in a mindful, steady rhythm we take the hip joint through its full range of motion with the least amount of impact or irritation:
- Preparing for the frog-like kick involves hip flexion as the muscles at the front of the hip contract to draw the knees in towards the body.
- Then external rotation of the femur (thigh bone) as the muscles at the back and side of the hip contract, turning the thigh, knee, and foot out.
- The kick from this position requires hip extension – creating all-important space in the hip socket.
- The kick leads to a natural internal rotation (thigh bone rolls inwards) as the inner thigh muscles contract whilst the hip is extended & open at the front.
- When this happens with minimal resistance i.e. water instead of gravity and in the lengthened position, the irritation of bone to bone, or cartilage, fluid-filled bursa, or torn labral tissue is significantly reduced.
- We can create movement without damage – yesssss!
- Once the full, accessible range of movement has been achieved, a natural recoil creates a transition into the next hip flexion… ready for the next stroke.
- This completes a full, steady circumduction (rolling or spinning movement in each direction) with minimal to no irritation.
- Hips can move and heal at the same time – the ultimate medicine!
It’s even possible that each stroke can enable just a little bit more freedom, ease, and range as the muscles learn to let go. Every experience of pain sends messages to the brain, then muscles to ‘shut it down’. This is helpful in acute injury as movement can worsen the impact of injury, but it’s really not helpful when pain is created by inflammation and irritation in chronic conditions. Muscle contraction reduces space in the hip socket, bringing bone ends closer together or creating more pressure on injured tissue or bursae. Ironically, this creates more friction, tension, and compression & we can get stuck in a cycle of stimulus response creating more pain & difficulty or reluctance to move.
Hips need to be mobile in their full range to prevent compensatory movement in other areas of the body that might get the job done, but do so creating harm, pain, and dysfunctional movement in long-term conditions.
If you’re too sore to kick – immersion in the water can provide pain relief that lasts far longer than the time spent in the water.
Movement will come when it’s ready to do so.
