Land sirens are back. Or maybe they never left, thanks to the fascination that these bewitching sea creatures have always exercised. And now on the wave, it must be said, of Disney’s live action The little Mermaid, are experiencing a new moment of glory. To increase its charm also the Mermaiding, the water sport that allows you to learn to swim just like a mermaid. But which, as the expert explains, is especially indicated if you already have a past in the water.
Swimming: mermaiding, the dream of becoming a mermaid
Halfway between finswimming and freediving, Mermaiding is a sport which has been gaining more and more success in recent years. Born as a form of entertainment in the Philippines around 2004, it is in the USA that it has turned into one real sporting discipline, complete with an academy, the Mermaid University in Florida. From there the myth of this sport has spread all over the world.
Literally “mermaiding” means “move like a siren”: in practice it means diving into the water with the legs inside a sheath ending in a fin, just like the tail of the mermaids. Certainly a very particular and fascinating sport, specialized schools also recommend it for children, also thanks to stimulating their imagination, but a certain preparation is required for adults.
The characteristics of this sport
«I think that to start practicing mermaiding courses you have to already have a certain familiarity with the water and with all swimming styles. Furthermore, diving or finswimming past could also help” explains Paola Miretta, personal trainer.
Why is this particular preparation necessary? «Why to practice this discipline you must be familiar with and understand how your body moves in the waterwhere the movements are slower. Not only that but wearing a fin, basically you swim underwater in apneafor this reason having this type of preparation can be helpful».
Fundamental in fact to practice siren swimming, as it is called in Italy, is first of all one good cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary enduranceit is no coincidence that many schools in the training phase also teach yoga breathing: «It is a complete sport, mermaiding develops the whole body, especially the arms, buttocks and thighs, back and abs: quite intense, if done well it is equivalent to two hours in the gym». Is there a difference between those who decide to practice it in the pool or in the sea? «You learn it in the swimming pool, which is a closed and delimited space, perfect for starting to become familiar with swimming while wearing a girdle. The difference with the sea is obviously in the currents, for this reason it is necessary to be very familiar not only with the discipline itself but also with swimming in open waters».
Are there any contraindications?
There are different techniques of this discipline: the first is the one that includes the teaching of the four different styles and are taught on the surface; the second technique is mainly in apnea, with short ascents to the surface. For this reason it can be a sport not suitable for beginners of water sports: «Surely having years of swimming behind you is very important. In fact, the style that most recalls mermaid swimming is the dolphin which is not taught, for example, when swimming as a child. Also, it’s important to have aquatic coordination.”
Added to this are also physical problems: mermaiding is not a highly recommended discipline for those with heart problems because the effort made should not be underestimatedas the expert explains.
Mental benefits: rediscover your self-esteem and femininity
Mental benefits must also be added to the physical benefits: «Mermaid swimming is one of the sports that have the greatest benefits on personal self-esteem. We are confronted with a very fascinating myth, also linked to the imagination of a mysterious femininity. Also, this is a discipline that it allows you to have greater awareness of your body but also of your sensuality being very sinuous and soft movements» explains Miretta who continues «We must also not forget that gives great balance to the mind: being suspended in the water practicing an undulatory movement is a return to pre-natal lifeto when it was suspended in the placenta».
A tail for all: the characteristics of the famous fin
At the heart of mermaiding is obviously the particular fin. Real sheath where to insert the legs, the queue is usually supplied when you enroll in the course. Usually there are two types, one for beginners in flexible plastic and neoprene covered on the outside with lycra of different shades just to recreate the tail of a mermaid; then that for professionalsheavier because in solid rubber for this with greater power but you need to be very trained to use it.
In fact, it must be taken into account that basically a line made of fabric when wet can weigh even ten kilos, twenty if it is made of silicone.
Where to try mermaiding
The largest school in Italy is the Mermaid Academy in Milan, it is also very famous Mermaids Mermaid Lifestyle by Maya Devi, the only one associated with the Mermaid University in the United States, in Castellammare del Golfo where, in addition to the classic lessons, there are also preparatory training sessions and courses on myths and legends around the figure of the mermaid.
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