There are 3 ways to use a kickboard to work on your lower body:
- With your hands on the front of the board, and your elbows resting on it. This makes leg work easier.
- With your hands placed in the middle of the board, which means you can swim with your head underwater and work on your breathing.
- With your hands on the back of the board, to help slimming and breathing.

A kickboard can be used with all strokes. You can swim backstroke with your head on the board. Be careful if you have ant neck problems.

A kickboard can also be used to learn crawl and backstroke movements. Do this by holding the board with one hand while the other does the stroke movement. It's important to start combing the stroke with your breathing, by exhaling regularly under the water.

Place one hand on the board and the other down by your thigh. Kick your legs in a regular rhythm. Turn your head to the side where your hand is by your thigh to breathe.
Count approximately one breath for every 6 kicks.

The board can be placed between your thighs to allow arm work, and to learn how to keep your legs tight together and stretched. It's harder to keep the board between your legs than a pull buoy.
Any slackening in your stretch and the board will slip free.

With a pull buoy you can work on the upper body (arms, chest, shoulders). It can be used in 2 ways:
- either between the thighs (easiest way), for better buoyancy.
- or between the knees or ankles to learn how to stretch your body. This position is not suitable for those who suffer from back problems (as it arches the back).

A pull buoy can be used along with paddles to intensify arm work.

It's a good training technique for athletes with "heavy" or stiff legs, as it lifts them.
Often, using a pull buoy with paddles generates a good sensation of speed, which makes the session more fun.

Paddles are worn on the hands and are generally bigger than the hands.
They create more pressure on the water and a greater water displacement.

They help build up back muscles. There are different sizes of paddle:

- Small paddles can be used by children and women with low muscle strength, and are also useful for working on your swimming stroke and technique.
- Medium and big paddles are for adults. The bigger the paddles, the better the work out as long as the swimmer can keep pulling their hands through the water.

Paddles create a good impression of speed and pressure for the swimmer, and also help to understand bad technique in the way the arm enters the water.

Don't use paddles that are too big or swim for too long with them as sometimes they can cause tendonitis in the shoulder.

Fins are great for working the legs and the heart. There are many different ways to use them:
- With a board (all 4 strokes) to work on buttocks and thighs.
- With paddles, for gentle muscle building in the arms and legs.
- Without a board or paddles, to work on endurance and breathing.

The longer the fins, the more they work out the thighs. Shorter fins means more regular and faster kicking, to slim down legs.

You wear an elastic band around your ankles to intensify arm work. They should only be used by confirmed swimmers, who use them
to build up arm muscles. There are different combinations:
- Swimming with an elastic band and pull buoy to really work on the arms and only use upper body muscles.
- Swimming with a pull buoy, paddles and elastic band; this is the quickest way. It builds up muscle strength and creates a good impression of speed.
- Swimming with just an elastic band: strengthens the arms and helps stretch the body, but is hard work.

It is extremely important to drink plenty when training.

Swimming is an endurance sport, and you will sweat a lot even though you don't notice this.

You should drink about 800ml of water for every hour you swim. Get into the habit of taking your water bottle to the pool side, and stop
to take a few mouthfuls all through your training session. Don't wait until you feel thirsty.

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