Today is a good day to learn how to swim, no matter your age. According to the Red Cross, 37 percent of adult Americans cannot swim, which is not only risky but a missed opportunity for enjoyment and exercise.
"Swimming is important because swimming is survival," says Jane Katz, Olympic swimmer and swim teacher, professor and author. "People can't enjoy themselves fully around water … even on a cruise … unless they know how to swim," she adds.
People have their reasons for not learning how to swim. Some are afraid to put their faces in the water. Others have had a negative swimming experience in the past.
"I'd say 99 times out of 100, people are afraid because of a prior bad experience," says Katz. "Something happened. They saw something when they were 9 or experienced something themselves."
Pre-swim practice
To help the nervous get over a fear of the water, experts do several things to ease people into the pool.
"It starts with a conversation. I ask what happened. Either in pairs or small groups, I have people share their stories. People think their stories are unique, but they usually find they're pretty similar," says Katz.
Kris Arrington used to fear swimming and he agrees that talking comes first. He is a lifeguard, competitive swimmer, and motivational coach and founder of The Suck Free Zone consulting.
"The most effective way to help new adult swimmers overcome their fears of learning to swim is to gain their trust," says Arrington.
After the conversation, when the individual is ready, Katz has students sit on the edge of the pool, feet in water and practice breathing. "Some people say 'I can swim. I just can't breathe,'" says Katz. Practicing breathing really helps them regain control.
For students afraid to put their heads under water, Katz suggests filling a clear bowl with water, dip in your chin and practice blowing bubbles in the water while breathing.
Arrington says he feared swimming because he used to imagine the poster of the "Jaws" movie when in deep water. He reassured himself by reasoning that he was miles away from the nearest ocean.
In the pool
"I think it is best to have one-on-one instruction," says Arrington. "Groups can be a disaster if someone is very fearful and embarrassed to ask for help or express that fear because they are also worried about social rejection," Arrington says.
Mikey Flaherty, former world-ranked swimmer and founder/head coach of Swim with Heart in Santa Monica, California, says she can tell within a few minutes what learning style is appropriate. She runs an inclusive swimming program that helps adults and children with special needs. "The water is a healing place, and it really is a level playing field for all individuals."
Flaherty has some incredible swimming success stories: a 90-year-old woman who was terrified of the water; a 72-year-old man with polio now swimming 2 hours a day; a 10-year-old with autism and cerebral palsy who took 10 minutes to swim his first lap. They all persevered with the help of an understanding teacher.
Once comfortable in the water, swim teachers follow a variety of sequences, all with the goal of mastering a stroke, feeling a sense of accomplishment and then moving on to a new challenge. Here is a sample lesson progression:
1. Go underwater standing up in waist-high-level water.
2. Float on back and stomach.
3. Learn the breaststroke (head out of the water for the most part).
4. Learn the backstroke (face out of the water).
5. Learn freestyle (practice breathing on both sides).
6. Learn butterfly.
Becoming a swimmer
To really be a "swimmer," one needs to be able to do more than just conquer fears and learn some strokes.
"To me a person who is relaxed in the water and enjoying the movement that their body is capable of, with the most efficiency, equals a 'real swimmer'," Flaherty says.
"Their new self-confidence and shrieks of joy in conquering their fear are wonderful," says Katz. "I tell them: 'if you can do this, you can do anything.'"
Ready to swim
When ready, swimmers should don a pair of goggles and start swimming laps at a pace that is comfortable and enjoyable.
Kristen Groves, aquatics program coordinator at the Columbia Swim Center, suggests 20-30 minutes for a beginner, and the goal to be swimming as many lengths as possible with minimal rest in between lengths.
"The swimmer should be keeping track to see how many lengths they can complete in a given time, and aim to increase the number of lengths with every workout," says Groves.
— By Laura Strom, Tribune Brand Publishing