Learning to Swim – the Right Way

For many people, not knowing how to swim doesn’t only rob them of some potentially enjoyable experiences, but it causes a lot of public humiliation and embarrassment. Learning how to swim is one of those life skills that can be solved relatively easily, but we often postpone it due to fear, embarrassment, or both. If you want to learn how to swim, it’s time to stop wondering how to do it and procrastinating. It’s time to really learn.

The first thing you’ll want to do is some investigating. What are some pools and centers in your local area that cater to first-time swimmers? If you’re an adult, see if there are classes specifically for adults who are first-time swimmers? At the least, try to make sure that you’re in an age-appropriate class. One of the intimidating things about learning how to swim is seeing people who are much younger than you glide through the water without a care. If you can find like-minded people who are learning with you, it will ease a lot of your anxiety and you can concentrate on the swimming.

Second, sign up for classes as soon as possible. Even if it puts a little dent in your wallet, you knew that eventually you were going to have to fork over the dough anyway. So get it over with. You’ll be glad you did once you’ve gone through your swimming exercises.

It won’t hurt to take a trip to a swimming pool, simply to get used to the idea of being near water in public again. You can do this before your classes start at a local swimming pool or fitness center; you don’t even have to go in the pool. You can simply dip your legs over the side or use the whirlpool. If you want to get some more experience with water, you can walk around the shallow section. Don’t feel any need to challenge yourself at this point; you don’t want to take any risks until you’re under supervision.

Once you begin taking your class, try to greet it with an intrepid spirit. If the teacher asks for volunteers, put your best foot forward. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to blurt them out. Ultimately, you’re paying customer and if you want to learn to swim effectively, you’ve got to work through your individual hangups and challenges. If you’re not sure how something is done, don’t be afraid to look a little silly.

Stick with it, follow your instructor, and you’ll be learning how to swim in no time. Once you get the hang of it, you won’t have to fear public pools or lakes again – in fact, you might find yourself visiting them a little more often.

Photo Credits: HAMACHI!

Originally posted 2009-07-31 05:29:19.

This post involves:

adult, adults, anxiety, best foot, embarrassment, enjoyable experiences, exercises, fitness center, intrepid spirit, legs, local area, pools, public humiliation, supervision, swimmers, swimming pool, volunteers, wallet, whirlpool

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Swimming

Posted by Bike Swim Run on April 30, 2012 in Swimming. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.