Pre-Practice Mobility
Six floor exercises to do on deck before you get in the water. They wake up the shoulder blades and upper back for the pull and breathing, and open the hips for kicks, walls, and breaststroke. Follow the order below so you move from all fours to kneeling to lying down without wasted time, and tap each set as you finish it.
- Use a mat or folded towel under your knees. Pool decks are hard and wet.
- Move slowly and with control . These are mobility drills, not a race. You should feel a stretch or muscles working, never pinching or sharp pain.
- Keep your lower back flat in every exercise. If it arches or sags, make the movement smaller.
- This is a warm-up for healthy swimmers. If something hurts during swimming, talk to your coach and an athletic trainer or physical therapist.
How much
One set of each exercise before practice.
The full program: 2 sets of 10. Use it on days with extra time or at home.
Do 10 on each side for anything marked "Each side".
About 2–3 seconds each way. Quality beats quantity.
The flow
Exercises
Source. Adapted from a HEP2go home exercise program (Oct 2025) with six exercises: quadruped scapular retraction/protraction, prone row Ws, thread the needle to reach up, hip flexor rocker, adductor rockback, and kneeling hip CARs. The sets, reps, and holds match that program. The exercise order, coach cues, and swimming notes were added by NSEA.
Demo videos. The "Find a demo" links open a YouTube search, not a specific video. NSEA doesn't produce or endorse these videos. When a video differs from this guide, follow the written steps here.
NSEA Swim dryland reference, updated Sept 2026. This guide is a warm-up for healthy swimmers and is not medical advice. Rehab after an injury should be guided by a licensed athletic trainer or physical therapist.