Vertical Body Wave

The child pushes off from the edge of the pool and treads water on the spot. The body is vertical. On command the child transitions into the body wave. The legs are brought together and the kicking movement comes only from the hips. The hips are moved alternately forward and backward, and the legs follow. The arms rest at the sides of the body and can provide more stability through a slight counter-movement to the hips. The child should try to maintain the wave movement for five seconds, followed by a break (treading water). This process should be repeated several times, and the duration can be increased to 10 or 15 seconds if needed. The alternating movement of the hips forward and backward is more intuitive in the vertical position and forces the swimmer to move the hips quickly and powerfully in order not to sink. Thanks to these properties the exercise is particularly well suited for learning the body wave.