Swimming is a great way to keep fit, build strength and improve your cardio and endurance. It’s also a fun and relaxing activity. Plus, it’s low-impact and is easy to do at home or in your community.
To start, you’ll want to practice breathing and coordinating your strokes. You can practice these skills on your own or with a friend.
A common mistake beginners make is holding their breath while they swim. This can cause them to slow down and feel winded.
Breathe regularly while you swim and exhale whenever your head is underwater. This will allow you to go faster and will help you stay afloat.
Do swimming drills on your own or with a coach to perfect your strokes. These drills can include front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
The most important thing to remember when learning to swim is to have a partner or group of people to practice with. It’s also a good idea to practice at a pool that has a lifeguard on duty.
It’s important to practice at a comfortable pace and with long enough rest periods between each repetition, so you can build up your stamina. Set your own goal and then start with a few repeats of 10 meters, adjusting the distance as you get stronger.
Once you’re ready to try a longer swim, adjust your repetitions and rest periods so you can swim a mile or more without stopping. This is a highly customizable approach and will take patience as you develop your stamina.
Mistake #4: You point your toes during your freestylestroke
When you’re learning how to swim, it’s a good idea to use fins. These will give you the extra push you need for your arms and legs to stay afloat during each stroke, so they’re not dragging behind.
But be sure to use fins sparingly and only during the beginning stages of your swimming practice. Otherwise, they’ll become a bad habit and will hurt your progress.
Another common mistake beginners make is letting their hips sink during the frontstroke, backstroke and breaststroke. It’s important to relax your feet and ankles so they are almost floppy.
This will ensure that your torso remains above water for all three strokes and that your knees are moving through the water as you kick.
The next step is to learn how to turn around, a key skill in all the swimming strokes. A child who can turn around safely and efficiently from the side of a pool will be more confident in their ability to move with an instructor.
It’s best to teach your child in a safe environment, so you can be there to guide them through the process. You can do this by introducing them to a shallow area of the pool, with toys or even a ledge.
A child who is a beginner might need help getting into the water and moving, so you can also practice this in a separate area of the pool. This will be a safe space where you can support them and help them if they fall over or slip off the edge of the pool.