5 Ways To Make Prehab Fun For Swimmers

You are staring at your Blue Theraband in your swim bag and think to yourself "It won't kill me to skip prehab. I'll do it tomorrow." 

Don't worry you're not alone.

Many swimmers know they are supposed to do the injury prevention stuff to keep them in the water and doing what they love. Still on those days when you want to scroll through "one more" TikTok, it can be very tempting to skip prehab. 

If you are a swimmer and are struggling with making injury prevention a routine we got you!

Here are 5 ways to make injury prevention a little more fun:

1. Bring a Friend

The next time you are thinking of doing prehab alone, think again! Ask a teammate to join you or better yet make it a competition with the whole team! Not only will prehab feel easier (and more fun) but your teammates will also benefit.  It's a win- win!

2. Habit Stacking and Treat Yo Self (after) 

What is the best thing to do after doing something you don't want to do? Treating yourself! This is refered to as habit stacking. Psychologists have found that habit stacking is one of the most effective ways to start (and keep) a new habit. Whether it is having your favorite snack or making a Tik Tok with your friends after prehab, literally give yourself an award for doing the thing! Over time injury prevention will become second nature and you will always have something to look forward after!

3. Remember your "why" 

As a swimmer it's easy to get caught up in the demands that come with staring a black line for hours anddismiss prehab as not important. 

If you are struggling with starting prehab as a routine, go back to why you started (and stuck) with swimming in the first place. Now imagine the emotional and physical cost an injury would have on you and your swimming career. Prehab only takes 10 to 15 minutes and it is the "insurance policy" to the years of hard work you have put into the sport. Perspective can give you the discipline to do prehab on the  days you are lacking motivation. 

4. Listen to Music during Prehab 

Nobody said you have to the exercises in silence! Put on your headphones and play your favorite song as you do your prehab exercises! Add a dance move in between sets- the more fun the better! Having fun with prehab almost guarentees you are more likely to do it and see it less as a chore. 

5. Track your progress ( make it fun!) 

As swimmers we love to see progress and improvement.

Elizabeth Beisel's coach referred to hard work as making deposits in a bank. The more deposits you have, the more you will be able to take out at the end of the season. Take the same approach with prehab! The more "prehab deposits" you have in the bank the less likely you are to experience an injury. 

If you still have a piggy bank literally put money in it each time you do your prehab. Having visual representation of all the prehab "deposits" you have made makes it seem worthwhile. 

Outro 

A common theme in this article is to try to have fun with prehab! As with any routine there will be days you are lacking in motivation. On the flip side, you don't have to be perfect! Life happens! Just try your best every day to show up on the days you don't want to. 

We hope these 5 tips make prehab a little easier on the days you don't want to do it and make it a little more fun on the days that you do! 

Cheers to an injury free 2022!