
Swimming is a great form of exercise that provides a full-body workout and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Not only does it promote physical fitness, but learning to swim can also be a vital lifesaving skill. However, for beginner swimmers, getting started can be challenging. To become more comfortable in the water, it is crucial to start by building a strong foundation in basic swimming techniques. That’s why we’ve reached out to the best swim schools to gather expert tips for beginner swimmers. These tips will guide you through the process of learning to swim, teaching you proper techniques to prevent injury and maximize your workout. With these tips, you’ll soon become a confident and skilled swimmer.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Felix Swim Schools
Learning to breathe properly is one of the most important fundamentals when learning to swim. To breathe properly, inhale deeply, place your face in the water, and exhale for five seconds. Holding your breath will make you feel winded and slow you down.
Safety should always come first! Therefore, it’s important to never swim alone, especially as a beginner. Always swim with a partner until you can float and swim on your own.
Finally, the flutter kick is a simple yet effective kick used in both front and back swimming. Keep both legs fairly straight with toes pointed and kick from the hips. The top of the pointed foot pushes the water as both legs flutter up and down, propelling you forward.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Water Babies
When “they’re ready, we’re ready” is one of our mottos at Water Babies. For all beginners, the water is a new environment and that means that sometimes there is an adjustment period in getting comfortable in the water. The most important thing to remember is to do everything step by step, progress slowly and never push children beyond their limits. Working on skills they are not ready for might have the opposite effect and cause them to not enjoy the water.
One of the most important things for parents to remember is that everyone is different. Your child is on their own path, don’t compare them to others. We all learn differently, and while some understand by listening, others might need to see the skill in practice. Our tip is to celebrate your child’s strengths and always look to progress bit by bit where development is needed! Celebrate every achievement and every attempt to improve (even if they weren’t successful).
Make it fun! Who said you can’t get creative with swimming? Water Babies uses games and songs to combine learning and playing, and you can too! It helps make learning easier for our swimmers. Suddenly, the skill that looked boring, complex or scary became a super fun game.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Baby Otter Swim School
When swimming in the pool make sure your eyes are open so you can see the wall and steps for safety and exit purposes. Make sure you kick your feet to propel you to the exit quickly. Also, make sure you take a deep breath before going under the water so you do not swallow the water.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by British Swim School
Here at British Swim School, our mantra is “Survival of the Littlest” and our swim program focuses first on water acclimation and survival techniques, before moving into true stroke development. One of our expert tips for beginner swimmers is if you’re ever in a situation where you’re struggling in the water, be sure to rest your muscles by floating on your back. Floating on your back is one of the safest ways you can rest and call for help!
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Pedalheads
When teaching our beginner swimmers, Pedalheads focuses on three core competencies: safety, fun and then skills.
We use toys and equipment to enhance the swimmer’s learning experience, for example submerging to pick up the ring is a great way to encourage the swimmer to put their face in the water. Then using dumbbells (floaties), kickboards and pool noodles are a great way to encourage floating and kicking.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Russell Aquatics
Avoid using goggles during the early stages of lessons. It’s important to know how to swim with or without them and using them in the beginning can lead to a reliance. In the event that you find yourself in the water unexpectedly, knowing how to swim without goggles is essential.
Be positive! Swimming can be scary at first which is why it’s so important to ensure that you’re using positive language about the lesson and experience. Little ones especially will feed off parents’ energy so if you’re nervous, they will be too!
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Swim Plan
Swim with a plan! Swimming without a plan is like going to the gym without a workout. With a personalized swim plan you will swim further, you will improve your technique, swim more efficiently, and enjoy your time in the pool far more by focusing on your workout. Soon you will be showing off to your friends how much you have improved!
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Champion Swimming
Kick speed is crucial for determining swim speed, so beginner swimmers should prioritize working on their kicks. Once the kick becomes strong enough, swimming becomes significantly easier.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Davina’s Swim House
The best way to become confident in the water is by starting your journey with experienced instructors in a controlled environment. Swim lessons are a great way to learn new skills in a safe area and learn about how to be safe in an aquatic environment. Remember, there is no shortcut to swimming, be patient, be safe and enjoy the adventure!
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Imagine Swimming
At Imagine Swimming, we believe that building and maintaining relationships with our students is a crucial prerequisite to working on technical swimming skills. This approach helps to ease any anxiety and creates a positive, comfortable environment for learning. When students feel safe and supported, they are more likely to trust their instructor and to develop the confidence needed to progress in their swimming skills.
- Expert tips for beginner swimmers by Brave Waves Swim School
A top tip from Brave Waves is to spend lots of quality time in the water – explore! The most important thing your swimmer can do is to learn how to be as safe and strong as possible with their swim skills. Personal experience is key! Whether learning with their swim instructor or being supervised by a capable adult – just being in the water and learning how to breathe, move, and be empowered on either side of the water barrier takes time! We encourage all young fishies to use their skills, get under the surface, and explore safely!
Another top tip from Brave Waves is to learn your streamlined position – the “rocket ship”! It takes time to learn this horizontal position but it is the foundation for every directional movement in the water! Having a balanced and strong streamline lets swimmers work with the water, instead of against it, ultimately empowering them for advanced skill and truly being justifiably comfortable in the water.