Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1535304
SPRING / SUMMER 2025 23 living fit swim tips Instructor Insights With WAC Aquatics Instructor Guila Muir Aquatics Instructor Guila Muir learned to swim as an adult—a skill that changed her life forever! Since then, she's helped hundreds of adults reach their aquatic goals, from conquering water fears to shaving precious seconds off their times. Guila holds a Level 3 coach certification from U.S. Masters Swimming and is an American Swimming Coaches Asso- ciation Level 2 coach. She is an avid open-water swimmer, has completed the 11-mile Portland Bridge Swim, and swims wetsuit-free in Lake Washington and Puget Sound year-round. Guila offers stroke development and teaches Swim Blitz at 10 am on Fridays. Guila's tips for better swim technique Swim deliberately Don't do the same workout day after day. Shake things up and you'll gain speed. Tune into your movements, challenge yourself with new sets, and don't go mindless in the water. Do drills Make a point of doing drills thoughtfully. Focus on their effect on differ- ent parts of your stroke. Integrate this awareness into your swimming, and you will see improvement! Technique over power Swimming is surprisingly technical. The harder you force speed, the further away it gets. Improve your technique with stroke-development exercises, and speed will follow. —See a snippet of Guila's freestyle drill instructional video at wac.net/guila. SWIM BLITZ! 10 am on Fridays Swim Blitz is unlike any class you've ever taken. Guila's unique approach starts with dividing the pool into creative patterns, like pizza-slice sections, so swimmers can use the space in an innovative way, veering away from the monotony of swimming laps. She incorporates drills, Tabata, and other aquatic exercises while ensuring participants swim at least 700 yards in an hour. The class offers a fun and challenging approach to improving strength, conditioning, and speed in the water. You don't have to be a high-level swimmer to participate. Just come ready to huff, puff, and smile! Sign up on the WAC app: Classes > Friday > Swim Blitz E M I L I O H U E R TA S