Part of getting the most out of swimming is having full knowledge of water safety, which includes proper procedures for inclement weather, especially during rain and storms. The National Lightning Safety Institute’s safety slogan regarding swimming during storms is, "

Your energy needs decrease during a swim taper -- the period before a key meet in which you drop off training significantly to give your body a rest. The result of a taper is stronger, refreshed muscles and a boost in cardiovascular performance for competition.

Swimmers sometimes debate the importance of legs versus arms in swimming but neglect the significance of what connects the limbs together. Your core or trunk generates the lift and speed that distinguishes an elite swimmer from an average one.

Of the four competition strokes in swimming -- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle -- breaststroke is the slowest. For example, the world record for the men's 100-meter breaststroke is just 58.46, while the world record for the men's 100-meter freestyle is 46.9.

Like every sport, swimming follows a strict set of rules to ensure competitive balance and to protect the safety of its athletes. Any swimmer who violates the rules may suffer an immediate disqualification. The exact reasons for disqualification may vary depending on the race's precise swimming stroke or style.

Bacterial, viral, algal and protozoan infections are common after exposure to contaminated water. Swimming in ponds, lakes and oceans that are near developed areas may increase your risk of exposure to waste-water contamination if the areas have inadequate or overburdened sewage or waste-water treatment facilities.

A cardiovascular activity, swimming works every major muscle group in the body and strengthens your heart and lungs. As with most cardiovascular exercises, you can perform it at least three times weekly to build stamina, tone muscles and lose weight.

Even though ear tubes reduce the risk of ear infection under general circumstances, a child with ear tubes in place faces a greater risk of infection if she goes swimming.

Swimming offers many benefits as a full-body exercise. Every stroke uses multiple large muscle groups in your upper and lower extremities while placing far less stress on your joints than land-based exercises.

In swimming competition, the 500-yard freestyle event is commonly called "the 500" or "the 500 free." It can be grueling, consisting of 20 lengths of a 25-yard pool. Focusing on a few elements of the 500 can help you improve your performance.

The breaststroke provides benefits for swimmers of all different skill levels because of its simplicity. Since you control the pace of the stroke, you can swim through the water at a slow pace or swim more rapidly for an intensive workout.

Distance swimmers possess mental and physical toughness, and they sometimes tease sprinters for being lazy, but swimming sprints takes strength and excellent conditioning. Distance is a relative term when swimming in a pool, but, in general, sprint workouts feature short, intense sets.