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As someone with a similar story (an older kid thought they'd teach me how to swim without my consent and dropped me in the deep end of a pool -- I don't remembe

by jcater 11y ago

As someone with a similar story (an older kid thought they'd teach me how to swim without my consent and dropped me in the deep end of a pool -- I don't remember being brought up), does anyone know of adult-focused swimming programs to get around those fears? I've taken lessons as an adult, either at the YMCA or as part of a college Continuing Education program, but they never seem to click. I feel like I've conquered anything else life has thrown at me, but I'll be damned if I've learned to do something as simple as swim.

pakled_engineer 11y ago
There's how to swim guides on youtube https://youtu.be/WreddX9aeGw https://youtu.be/WreddX9aeGw
debacle 11y ago
What are you trying to learn? To swim casually? To swim laps? Those two things are miles apart.
- jcater 11y ago
  At a minimum, not die in the water. But I'd love to get to the point of doing laps.
  - debacle 11y ago
    The YMCA should be able to help a ton with that, then. When you take their beginner courses, do you just feel like you're in over your head (no pun intended), or are you not getting the attention you need?
  - SiVal 11y ago
    Swimming, by which I mean being able to be in the water without touching the bottom or holding onto anything and moving around comfortably, is not much of a skill. You can do it, dogs can do it, it's no big deal, BUT ONLY if you feel safe and secure. The most important part is to get yourself to the point where you feel mostly at ease in the water. You can train yourself by spending a lot of time in the pool. Start in the shallow end, sit on the stairs or just squat down, stick your face in the water, and blow some bubbles. Pull your head out, take a breath, and go back in. Do that for a while, then pull your head out when you start to need air but stick your face back in the water immediately without taking a breath. You can stand up anytime you like, so take a moment to notice that your need for air wasn't as urgent as it seemed. You can stay under a few more seconds before lifting your head out again, and when you come out, take a relaxed deep breath instead of gasping as if you were dying. Show yourself that you are in control and doing just fine. Keep playing games like these. Get a little deeper, go farther under water, do little flips under water, and so on. When your face is pointing up, the air sometimes comes out of your nose and cold water rushes in and hits your sinuses--nobody likes the feeling, but after a few times, it won't be anything more than an annoyance, so just spend a lot of time getting used to all of these feelings. That's what kids do. Kids get their heads pushed under water by bigger kids, and before long they realize that it never kills them. Take as long as you need to play around in the water (weeks?, months?, no rush) and get used to all the new feelings. And then take another swimming class and learn the skills without all the anxiety. (And assume you'll have to keep going back for your own underwater therapy refresher courses occasionally for the rest of your life to maintain your comfort level.) Hope this helps.
HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
I can't suggest classes, but the single most important factor for me in learning to swim (in a required survival swimming class where I was one of only 2 people who didn't already know how) was learning to relax. Lie on your back or front and float, holding onto the side of the pool if you have to. Get used to water in your face, up your nose, etc., deeply understand that it won't kill you and relax. I realize (trust me!) that it sounds much simpler than it is, but being tense actually makes it harder to stay afloat, so relaxing accomplishes much more than keeping you calm.
amalcon 11y ago
If you've tried to learn to swim at pools and been unsuccessful, try a lake. They won't take you far from shore or anything like that, and some people are just more comfortable in lakes. Pools are harder in some ways: chlorine, walls both as crutches past where you need them and as a hazard, and a more artificial environment. They are also easier in some ways, and some people learn better in a pool, but it makes sense to try both if you've stuck with only one so far.

by jcater 11y ago

pakled_engineer 11y ago

There's how to swim guides on youtube https://youtu.be/WreddX9aeGw https://youtu.be/WreddX9aeGw

debacle 11y ago

What are you trying to learn? To swim casually? To swim laps? Those two things are miles apart.

jcater 11y ago
At a minimum, not die in the water. But I'd love to get to the point of doing laps.
- debacle 11y ago
  The YMCA should be able to help a ton with that, then. When you take their beginner courses, do you just feel like you're in over your head (no pun intended), or are you not getting the attention you need?
- SiVal 11y ago
  Swimming, by which I mean being able to be in the water without touching the bottom or holding onto anything and moving around comfortably, is not much of a skill. You can do it, dogs can do it, it's no big deal, BUT ONLY if you feel safe and secure. The most important part is to get yourself to the point where you feel mostly at ease in the water. You can train yourself by spending a lot of time in the pool. Start in the shallow end, sit on the stairs or just squat down, stick your face in the water, and blow some bubbles. Pull your head out, take a breath, and go back in. Do that for a while, then pull your head out when you start to need air but stick your face back in the water immediately without taking a breath. You can stand up anytime you like, so take a moment to notice that your need for air wasn't as urgent as it seemed. You can stay under a few more seconds before lifting your head out again, and when you come out, take a relaxed deep breath instead of gasping as if you were dying. Show yourself that you are in control and doing just fine. Keep playing games like these. Get a little deeper, go farther under water, do little flips under water, and so on. When your face is pointing up, the air sometimes comes out of your nose and cold water rushes in and hits your sinuses--nobody likes the feeling, but after a few times, it won't be anything more than an annoyance, so just spend a lot of time getting used to all of these feelings. That's what kids do. Kids get their heads pushed under water by bigger kids, and before long they realize that it never kills them. Take as long as you need to play around in the water (weeks?, months?, no rush) and get used to all the new feelings. And then take another swimming class and learn the skills without all the anxiety. (And assume you'll have to keep going back for your own underwater therapy refresher courses occasionally for the rest of your life to maintain your comfort level.) Hope this helps.

HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago

I can't suggest classes, but the single most important factor for me in learning to swim (in a required survival swimming class where I was one of only 2 people who didn't already know how) was learning to relax. Lie on your back or front and float, holding onto the side of the pool if you have to. Get used to water in your face, up your nose, etc., deeply understand that it won't kill you and relax. I realize (trust me!) that it sounds much simpler than it is, but being tense actually makes it harder to stay afloat, so relaxing accomplishes much more than keeping you calm.

amalcon 11y ago

If you've tried to learn to swim at pools and been unsuccessful, try a lake. They won't take you far from shore or anything like that, and some people are just more comfortable in lakes. Pools are harder in some ways: chlorine, walls both as crutches past where you need them and as a hazard, and a more artificial environment. They are also easier in some ways, and some people learn better in a pool, but it makes sense to try both if you've stuck with only one so far.