According to the WHO, drownings account for 7% of all injury-related deaths, making it the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death globally. Therefore, swimming is more than just a way to keep fit or for enjoyment, it is an essential skill. But is swimming hard to learn?
Swimming is an easier skill to learn for people with exposure to water, making it more difficult for people without aquatic exposure to master. A fear of water is one of the main reasons many people don’t learn how to swim, but it is not a difficult skill to learn. Moreover, children can learn to swim from a very young age.
Best way to learn to swim
The best way to learn to swim properly is to join a beginner’s swimming class or to take private swimming lessons. Besides your swimming lessons, it is also a good idea to get lots of practice, allowing you to perfect your strokes and breathing techniques. When learning to swim, you need a sense of calm and to avoid fighting with the water. Remember, it is important to have someone there to assist you if necessary when you are learning how to swim. Do not swim alone.
With children, the best time for them to start learning is around the age of 1. They are taught the basic survival skill of floating first, and then how to build their confidence around the water. Thereafter, they start learning other swimming elements. Children are fast learners.
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How long will it take to learn to swim?
Usually, for kids, learning to execute a good swimming style and completing laps requires 15 to 30 hours of swimming instruction. For adults, reaching the same level can take anything between 20 to 40 hours. Of course, these times may vary, depending on any previous experience and the type of instruction you are receiving.
The more you practice, and the faster you overcome your fear of the water, the quicker it is to master swimming.
Why is swimming more difficult for some people to master?
The popularity of swimming is undeniable, and we all envy the swimmers we watch at events like the Olympics. It is more than just a pleasurable sport to watch, but has plenty of health benefits.
It can feel like quite a feat to learn how to swim if you fear the water or haven’t mastered the art of staying afloat. One of the greatest forms of anxiety that could hold you back from learning is the fear of drowning.
Challenges beginners need to overcome when learning to swim
There are several challenges you will need to overcome as a beginner:
Anxiety
If you are tense and anxious, then it becomes very difficult to learn to swim. Anxiety leads to harsh movements that don’t allow the body to glide through the water, leading to it being dragged down. Practice your movements and keep them streamlined to help you glide through the water.
Breathing
Learning to breathe properly is the most challenging swimming technique. You need to practice syncing your breath with your strike and exhaling through your nose underwater. This takes practice, but it’s not impossible to learn.
Coordination
Pulling and kicking are techniques that work in combination to create the perfect stroke when you swim but as a beginner, these are often difficult to coordinate. Practice by breaking down the stroke, and learning it over shorter distances until you get the timing and execution right.
Overthinking the technical elements
The combination of elements that give you propulsion requires smooth execution so your body can glide in the water. If you are overthinking all these techniques, you will fall into an unnatural rhythm that can look mechanical. Practice all the technical elements until they become second nature.
Swimming Lessons for All Ages!
Where to learn to swim?
If you live in Ontario, our swim school at Coast2Coast is a great place to learn how to swim regardless of age or skill level. We offer a wonderful Mobile Swimming program for those who have their own pool. Mobile Swimming makes it easy for students to learn basic or advanced swimming. Simply choose a date and time and we will send one of our experienced instructors to your home.
You may choose a private, semi-private or group swimming lesson. This makes it easy for you or a small group to learn how to swim. Registration is simple and may be achieved by calling our toll-free number: 866-291-9121.
Final Word
Learning to swim is one of the most important survival skills. Swimming is a low-impact and aerobic sport, allowing you to practice it at all ages. If you have always wanted to swim, it is never too late to learn!
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