Swimming

Exertion    Phase                   Cardio            Balance/Strength                         Sports Drills

Phase 1 

 15-20  

Minutes

Walking outside 

• Treadmill walking 

• Stationary bike 

• Arm bike

• Single leg balance 

• Tandem stance  

  • One foot in front of  the other 

• Neck strengthening

 

• Light stretching 

• May walk during practice or PE class

 

 

Phase 2 

 20-30  

Minutes

• Walking 

  • Speed/Uphill 

• Elliptical 

• Stairmaster 

• Swim with kick board

• Light Jump rope 

• Light jogging

• Core exercises 

  • Minimize head movements Planks, leg lifts 

• Body weight exercises

  • Lunges, squats, puss ups, step-ups, tricep dips 

• Yoga and Pilates 

  • Minimize head movements

• Balance exercises

 

• Activities without risk of  contact or collision 

• No activities with multiple balls in the air 

• Examples

  • Swimming with kick board
  • Low intensity swimming

  

  

 

 

 Phase 3 

 30-40  

Minutes

 

 

 

 

• Running and sprinting

• Footwork and cutting

• Jumping

• Core exercise with head  movement 

  • Bicycle crunches, planks with head rotation

• Low weight high  

repetition lifting 

• Squats, curls, bench press, lunges 

• Dynamic warm up 

  • Jogging, high knees

• Jumping exercises 

  • Squat jumps, jumping jacks, box jumps 

• Balance exercises 

  • Single leg balance with forward reach to floor

 

 

 

No head first diving to flip turns

• Examples:

  • Jump in feet first
  • Forward and backward rolls in the water
  • Lower intensity swimming in own lane
  • Start with low intensity breast stroke and may advance to to free style once head motions are tolerated. 
  • Progression to back stroke with flags up and wall touch only
  • Advance distance from 50 to 100 m as tolerated

 

Phase 4 

 40-60  

Minutes

• Continue Phase 3 Cardio while increasing duration

• Advanced core exercises

  • Burpees, mountain climbers

• Higher weight lower repetition lifting 

• Continue balance exercises 

 

• Dive into the water from the side of the pool

• Add flip turns

• Begin butterfly and advance intensity

• Initiate medley training progressing to relay

 

Phase 5 

 > 60 Minutes


• Full practice
participation without restrictions 


• Full practice participation without restrictions


• Full practice and participation without restrictions

If headache, dizziness, or any other symptom occurs during the progression, stop exercising, wait 24 hours, then resume activity at the pervious symptom free level.