ALTON and District Swimming Club have been working hard to keep their 300 members fit, happy and healthy during the lockdown period.

The news on March 18 that all swimming was to cease –and all regional and national competitions cancelled – was devastating for the club’s swimmers, who commit up to 14 hours a week to their sport.

Head coach Luke Surplice said: “The physical and mental wellbeing of our swimmers is paramount and we knew we needed to offer them an outlet.”

March 23 saw the first Instagram live video of the daily land training launched. It was a huge success with many of the club’s swimmers and their families joining in from their homes to do 45 minutes of exercise while interacting with their friends.

Seven weeks on and Luke, with his sidekick Dan, have coached land training every week day at 6pm and the swimmers are still going strong.

A combination of strength and conditioning exercises specifically for swimmers with aerobic content keep swimmers active and happy.

In addition, there a variety of weekend challenges from den building to press-ups where the swimmers compete for a weekly prize.

The club are looking forward to getting back in the pool – but for now a live video from the head coach’s’ garden will keep our swimmers going!

To know more about the club, email [email protected]