Swimming is a fun, low-impact form of exercise that offers several health benefits. It helps to build lean muscle, burn calories and improve your overall cardiovascular health. In addition, it is a low-impact way to increase flexibility and strengthen joints and muscles. It is also an excellent cross-training activity for athletes who participate in other sports, such as tennis, basketball and football. Swimming can help to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as boost mood. It is easy to find a swimming pool near you and it can be a great way to get in shape, regardless of your age or fitness level.
If you are not sure where to start with swimming, consider taking some in-person swim lessons from a certified swim instructor. This will help you to learn the basic strokes and develop your water confidence. The frequency of your swimming lessons will have an impact on how quickly you progress – the more consistency, the better.
Once you have mastered the basic strokes, try adding in some drills to your sessions. This will prevent boredom and make the sessions more enjoyable. Adding variety to your session will also improve your technique and speed of swimming.
The best way to stay safe in the water is to wear a one-piece or two-piece swimsuit that will cover your entire body, and a goggles to protect your eyes. You should also avoid running around the pool or jostling other swimmers who are not in your lane. This is for your own safety as well as that of those who are not in the water and could be knocked over by you.
When you are ready to swim, begin in the shallow end of the pool. Practice floating on your back, then getting comfortable standing in the water and moving about. When you are comfortable in the water, move to a deeper section of the pool and try splashing your friends. It is a good idea to wear a life vest in case you should fall off the side of the pool.
You can also participate in a recreational swim team, either competitively or non-competitively. If you are competitive, this may be a way to earn a college scholarship. If you are non-competitive, it is a great way to work on your strokes in a supportive environment.
If you are a beginner to swimming, you will likely need to spend most of your time practicing the front crawl stroke. This stroke requires the most time to master as it involves learning how to balance your body and link your leg and arm motions together. Once you are able to swim front crawl comfortably, you can move on to the breaststroke or butterfly.
The breaststroke is swum with the body facing down, and is characterised by the arms making synchronised semi-circular movements underwater in the pull phase and then moving forward in a straight line during the recovery phase. The legs perform flutter kicks, and are brought toward the buttocks during the propulsive phase of the stroke.