Have you always wanted to learn how to swim but it scares the hell out of you? Or maybe you simply have never had the opportunity to learn this important life skill. Well, while you can’t learn how to swim entirely from a blog post, this article is an important resource to supplement proper lessons.
The best way to learn how to swim fast is to enlist the services of an instructor. This could be someone you pay for swimming lessons or a friend who is willing to commit the time to teach you.
“People wish to learn to swim and at the same keep one foot on the ground.” — Marcel Proust
Swimming Instructions
Become Comfortable in Water
The first step to swimming is to learn to become comfortable in water. Fear is the greatest hindrance to learning. But, while you should be wary of any large body of water, you cannot learn how to swim by keeping your feet on the ground. Get in the pool at the shallow end, hold onto the rails and relax. Hold your breathe several times and immerse your head in the water for 30 seconds. Open your eyes while under the water to see how it looks. It is much easier see underwater if you are wearing goggles so you may want to invest in a pair. The idea is to get used to the feel of being in water. Do this for two days.
Learn How to Float
The next step is to learn how to float. At the shallow end, hold the rail with both hands, take a deep breath, stretch your legs and submerge your head in the water. Relax your entire body. Imagine you have fainted and have no control over your limbs. When you are fully relaxed, you will notice that your torso rises and floats in the water. Next, try floating without your hands on the rail. Also, try floating on your back. Stretch your arms and legs wide like a starfish. Remember, you have to be fully relaxed. You should be able to master floating within three days. See the video below, how to float in water for beginners.
Learn How to Kick
When swimming, it is your legs that provide most of the force to propel you forward. To learn how to kick, hold onto the rail and float as instructed above. There are several types of kicks used when swimming but the flutter kick is the most basic and easiest to learn. Watch the video below, how to kick when swimming. You should be able to master this in three days.
Learn How to Crawl
Before you learn a swimming style, you have to learn how to crawl in water. You can crawl from the front or on your back. To do a front crawl, use the flutter kick and apply a forward motion with your arms. You should find yourself slowly inching forward. Practice this several times. By the end of the second week, you should be able to crawl from the front and on your back.
Learn How to Swim Freestyle
Once you have mastered crawling, you are ready to learn your first style. There are four main swimming styles, namely; freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. The freestyle is easiest to learn and makes use of the flutter kick. See the expert videos below, how to swim the freestyle.
Mastering the Freestyle Stroke
How to Breathe While Swimming Freestyle
Tips & Warnings
- Try searching OLX and other classified websites to find a swimming instructor. Most public pools such as YMCA have instructors who charge 200-300 shillings per session.
- Invest in swimming goggles, a kickboard floater and a swim cap for ladies.
- Swimming is one of the best ways to lose weight and exercise your whole body.
- Buy a swimming kit that you feel comfortable wearing.
- Don’t try to learn everything at once.
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