Swimming is a fantastic skill that not only helps you stay fit but also ensures safety in water. Whether you’re a complete beginner or just looking to improve your technique, learning to swim can be both fun and rewarding.
Getting Comfortable in Water
- Never swim alone. Always go with someone who is a strong swimmer.
- Until you have experience in water, swim safely.
- Only go in water as deep as you are comfortable.
- Never go into very cold water. If you go into cold water, you will not be able to swim.
Basic Techniques
- Floating is a fundamental skill that helps to gain confidence.
- Lie on your back, keep your body flat, and gently kick your legs. Use your arms for balance if needed. Keep your head back and look up at the sky. Relax and let the water support you.
- Lean forward, extend your arms in front of you, and kick your legs gently. Keep your head in line with your body and try to stay as relaxed as possible
Basic Stroke Techniques
- While you’re still in a shallow depth, take a deep breath and put your face underwater. Slowly exhale out your nose until you’re out of breath, then come back up. Bubbles should come out. If you’re uncomfortable exhaling through your nose, you can hold it closed or wear a nose plug and exhale through your mouth.
- Wear a Glass of Water to Open your eyes to Water
Beginning Strokes and Treading water
- Whether you’re floating on your back or still holding on to the side of the pool, you can practice kicking.
- Crawls are great strokes to learn as a beginner, and they’ll move you pretty quickly.
- Treading water can help you catch your breath and keep your head up without actually swimming.
- Move one arm in a clockwise circle, and the other arm in a counterclockwise circle
- If you’re below water and would like to come up, use your arms to propel yourself. Put them straight up above your head, and quickly bring them down to your sides. This should push you up a few feet.
Advanced Techniques
- Energy If you’re comfortable in the water, start learning new techniques that will use less energy and more quickly, such as the dolphin stroke, butterfly stroke, and three swimming laps.
- Dives can be a fun way to get into the water and start a stroke. Start with a basic dive, and move on to a more complicated swan dive, back dive, and rolling dive.