Both swimming paddles and swim resistance gloves deliver numerous benefits that make you a better, faster, and stronger swimmer. In fact, both swim aids allow you to build body technique and strength. These effectively improve your efficiency through the resistance it creates in the water. As with pull buoys, swim paddles and gloves help you to maximize the use of your body parts that propel movement.
While both training accessories are helpful for every swimmer in training, it is important to note that swim paddles and resistance gloves are not the same. In this post, we will be talking about what makes one different from the other. Keep on reading this post as we discuss the benefits you can acquire from using these swim training aids.
Swimming Paddles or Swimming Gloves: Which is Better?
The Differences Between Swim Resistance Gloves and Swim Paddles
Before we proceed with the discussions, we first need to talk about the two’s individual properties and characteristics. This will allow you to make a better comparison between swim resistance gloves and swim paddles.
Swim Resistance Gloves
Via: Amazon.com
Swim resistance gloves are made using soft neoprene, which is the common material used in making wetsuits. What makes it a lot different from swim paddles is that it has webbing in between the fingers, which altogether provides you with an additional resistance while swimming.
Triathletes and open water swimmers, who need insulation while swimming, commonly use swim resistance gloves. The gloves’ thick material allows body temperature regulation, making it perfect for use in the cold water swimming. If you’re into water aerobics and other water fitness activities, then swim resistance gloves would also be perfect for you. If you excel in breaststroke and butterfly techniques, swim resistance gloves will be able to provide you with a range of motion, as well as flexibility.
However, a downside of using swim resistance gloves is that the need to spreading your fingers apart. Not only does is it a contributor to fatigue but it also can potentially result in unnatural swimming.
Swim Paddles
When comparing swim paddles with swim resistance gloves in terms of popularity, swim paddles are a clear winner. The reason is that swim paddles come in a variety of sizes and shapes, even when they do deliver the same rewards. Swim paddles often are made using stiff plastic and these feature finger straps for you to be able to keep it on your hands when you’re swimming.
Swim paddles are commonly used as training accessories, especially for swimming workouts. In fact, they also have been proven to be very helpful when you are trying to perfect your finger’s position when swimming. Also, they ensure that your hands are in open position, which can be very useful in preventing swimming injuries. Swim paddles would come in handy if you’re learning freestyle or backstroke swimming. They can improve your efficiency in the water even without the need to kick.
As with swim resistance gloves, swim paddles also have a disadvantage. For instance, using swim paddles incorrectly would only result in developing wrong swimming habits. You may also be susceptible to swimming injuries, especially when you are using paddles of the wrong size. Lastly, they can also cause strain and inflammation to your tendons and ligaments.
The Difference Between the Swim Resistance Gloves and Swim Paddles
As mentioned earlier, swim resistance gloves and swim paddles use different materials. Swim resistance gloves use neoprene while swim paddles are often made using plastic. In terms of design, swim resistance gloves are likely to remind of the gloves used in kayaking. The difference, however, lies in the webbing in between the fingers, which expands as you open your hand. Swim paddles, on the other hand, uses strong solid material and they feature straps where you insert your fingers.
In terms of benefits, swim resistance gloves allow a freer range of motion, which makes it a lot easier for your hand to move. Meanwhile, swim paddles hold your hands in a stiffer position, which makes your motion very limited. While there is no right or wrong in this discussion, swim paddles can also teach you to correctly position your hand, therefore, building power and strength in every stroke.
The use of swim resistance gloves effectively improves your strength. It also builds your arms and shoulders. The webbings, specifically, add drag and resistance, which is mostly used by your upper body. Overall, this feature alone gives swimmers a toned yet lean upper body. Additionally, swim resistance gloves increase your endurance and at the same time, improves the workout intensity. Lastly, it also acts for the improvement of propulsion because it makes you push a lot more water every stroke you make.
Swim paddles also help you build strength. In fact, it is considered one of the best training workouts. The use of swim paddles results in an increased surface area, allowing you to use more of your chest, arms, shoulders, and back. And admit it, it certainly adds spice to your boring swim workout. Another great benefit of using swim paddles is that it effectively improves your pull and stroke. In fact, it lengthens your every stroke; thus, allowing you to pull a lot more water, improving the efficiency of the forward movement. Lastly, the use of swim paddles allows you to increase speed and it promotes better arm positioning, even when they’re not spread.
Conclusion
To sum, both swim resistance gloves and swim paddles deliver improvements in resistance, propulsion, and endurance. Whatever you choose, may it be the gloves or the paddles, you surely will benefit, especially when you take into consideration the speed of your upper and lower body. Overall, these swim aids are effective in honing your swim techniques, as well as improving your swimming efficiency.
That said, both the swim resistance gloves and swim paddles are must-haves. If you’re serious about it, you may also consider investing in swim accessories including kickboards and swim parachutes. Hopefully, you have learned a lot just by reading this post. We do hope that by now, you get to choose which one of these two is the right swim accessory for you
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét