Count Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson among the many professional athletes who use swimming as cross-training exercise to improve performance in their primary sport.
Wilson was asked about his outstanding durability, and the Seattle Seahawk credited his time in the pool.
“I love being in the water, in the pool,” he said, according to ESPN.com. “I think that helps a lot getting your body back. That’s a big thing for me.”
Playing one of the world’s most violent and injury-prone sports, Wilson hasn’t missed a start in his four-year career, a streak of 64 consecutive regular-season games and 8 playoff games, including two Super Bowls. Wilson’s Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014 and made it back to the NFL’s big game in 2015, where they lost to the New England Patriots.
Wilson says part of the training behind his success takes place in an aquatic setting familiar to SwimSwam readers. ESPN reports that Wilson swam three days this week, leading up to his team’s battle with the division leading Arizona Cardinals.
“I swim laps when I can,” Wilson said. “I swim pretty good. I’m not a phenomenal swimmer or anything like that. I’m not Michael Phelps out there. But for me, I definitely swim laps. I’ll swim probably 30 if I can, if I have the opportunity to swim in a big enough pool.”
But SwimSwam readers hoping to “accidentally” bump into Wilson during a morning swim won’t have an easy go of it. The Herald of Everett, Washington says Wilson wouldn’t reveal where he does his laps.
