Swimming is a year-round sport and not at all difficult to learn — even the genteel breaststroke, which has powerful results on the body.

To swim the breaststroke, the arms must work in unison, rather than alternately as they do in freestyle and the backstroke.

As you lie in the water with your body facing downward, think of your two hands and arms drawing a large circle to achieve the power of each stroke and then extending from the chin and snapping straight overhead in unison for the recovery portion of the stroke.

With your arms extended straight ahead of you in the water, your body forms a streamlined shape, like a javelin traveling forward from the force of the stroke. Breathing occurs as your head rises out of the water during the power portion of each stroke. The action of the legs and feet also occurs in unison rather than alternating.

The breaststroke kick is a whiplike action similar to the motion of the arms and hands. The legs bend at the knees so that the feet extend toward the posterior. The legs then separate like a V, and then both snap together quickly and in unison as they extend straight out behind the body.

The whipping action occurs mainly from the knees down. The breaststroke kick can be practiced while hanging on to the poolside with your hands.