Lifetime Fitness Swim Instructor Certification Practice Exam

The correct technique for performing the backstroke involves using a flutter kick while alternating arm movements and keeping the head in a neutral position, facing upward. This technique allows swimmers to maintain their buoyancy and stability in the water. The flutter kick provides propulsion and helps to keep the body balanced as the swimmer moves through the water. Alternating arm movements are important for effective timing and maintaining momentum. Keeping the head backward, or rather, looking straight up towards the sky, prevents the body from rotating excessively and helps in maintaining a streamlined position.

The other techniques described do not accurately represent the backstroke. For example, a breaststroke involves a different type of kick and arm movement that is not appropriate for the backstroke. The dog paddle focuses more on a survival technique and lacks the streamlined mechanics needed in competitive swimming, and combining a freestyle stroke with a wide kick does not apply directly to the proper mechanics of backstroke technique. Each of these alternatives either alters the body position or uses strokes and movements not characteristic of backstroke, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the specific technique for optimal performance in this swimming style.