Learning to Swim

PicasoFlake are you new on GN. I was surprised to see a post from me on this thread which I could not remember making - thought I'd gone gyte Then I realised the thread is over a year old!

Merry Christmas

Swimming is one of the best part of life as it provides healthy lifestyle .

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Message deleted by Gransnet.

I taught myself to swim as an adult. i still don't like putting my head under though and my GD is now far better than I am (she's 6)
The way I learned was 1. learn to float on my back. this is easier in salt water but ok in non-salt. Stick your chest up and relax... Maybe with a buddy just keeping a hand under your head until you start to believe.
Then you can start kicking your legs and moving along on your back.
Add backstroke arms and away you go.
Once you have convinced yourself you can then progress to swimming on your front.

My Dad taught me to swim when I was about 5 or 6 but I have never been very good at it. At school it was turned into a chore in that we had to do proper strokes and races at which I was always last. Since retirement I have re-discovered the joy of pottering about in WARM water, floating along on my back with just the odd arm movement to propel me or a very leisurely breast stroke - bliss.

I was taught visualisation technics during Counsellor training and spent many a happy half-hour before sleep imagining myself swimming serenely in a palm fringed lagoon or tranquil turquoise sea and I think that greatly increased my confidence in water. [I can also visualise myself floating along in the air to visit local beauty spots but have been unable [so far] to re-create this phenomenon in real life.]

Hello Marshgran. You are not alone. I am also trying to learn to swim. It is a slow process. My own local authority offers swimming lessons to over sixties with an instructor in the water for absolute beginners. You each take a turn and watch the others so all help each other. As in so many other skills, practice makes perfect. Knowing that your own fear is holding you back does not help. May I add to what others have said by offering a website address that might be of help to you.
www.enjoy-swimming.com/fear-of-water.html

When I passed my 11+ I felt like a fraud, convinced all the others at my new school, unlike me, would be clever at everything, including swimming. Utterly convinced I would be the only one unable to swim, I wittered on until Mum took us on holiday and taught me in the sea. It felt much easier in the sea at Bridlington with Mum beside me, and the little wavelets adding to the bouyancy. After a week I was swimming and never looked back.

In the sea, with a close friend or relative beside you - give it a try, at the very least you'll have fun in the water.

I find aqua aerobics a really good source of exercise. It helps to make all the muscles work and is fun at the same time.

Thanks Baggy, but I don't feel my phobia is as bad as that - I can get in the water and paddle along with a float - albeit in the shallow end! It's the letting go that's the problem! Appreciate your confidence, glammanana! I am determined to conquer it by next birthday!

magmar,have you tried aqua aerobics at you local pool most councils run these
and you can get your bearing and overcome you fear at the same time and give yourself the confidence that you need,but don't worry about it just go with the flow and you will get there however long it takesx

In your position, magmar, I would go to my GP and ask to be referred to a counsellor. You need to find a way to overcome your natural but deep-seated fear of water before you can progress. Worth a try.

Have just come back from another holiday in Spain where I had to watch my children and grandchildren having a great time in the pool without me, a non-swimmer age 63. I had an accident at the school swimming pool aged 11 and have been terrified of the water ever since, but I would love to be able to join in with the family. Has anyone any experience of Swim Inns? Am tempted to try a course there, but afraid of failing again - I too have tried lessons at the local pool and at a Health Club, but to no avail. I really do want to succeed before the next family holiday. My family have tried but given up attempting to get me to swim and can't understand fear of water.

Thanks for the encouragement lucid

I'm the same as GillieB, very buoyant, and learnt to swim before I was 5 - I struggled to get some of my badges because not matter how hard I tried I found it really difficult to swim to the bottom of the pool to pick up the brick!
My Mum is my opposite...she sinks to the bottom, but that did not stop her learning to swim when she was in her sixties. She joined the Beginners Class at her local pool and despite being surrounded by young children finally learnt to swim. Go for it gangy5 it is never too late to learn a new skill.

Thanks for more recent comments on here. I'm one of the non swimmers but have changed my username. I really think it a good idea to get some goggles as I'm not very keen to put my head under water. I'm so keen to get going as DH goes swimming every morning and I could go with him. The pool he goes to is not ideal for non swimmers.

My mum didn't learn to swim until after her five kids had all left home, in spite of the fact that my dad was a very good teacher and taught us all. However, mum persevered and succeeded. I think she was greatly helped by a lady with GillieB's floating qualities who tended to be at the swimming pool at the same time. She also said that overcoming the fear of putting her face underwater made a huge difference to her confidence. Swim goggles are a good idea in today's well-chlorinated pools and they mean you can keep your eyes open.

I agree with GillieB - have a friend with you, do you know someone who is a good swimmer? I was determined to learn to swim by the time I was 50 and did it with 6 weeks to spare! I have a friend who could swim before she could walk and and she came with me every week - didn't have "lessons" as such, she just helped generally.
I did have the advantage though of not being scared of the water - I just couldn't swim.
My husband is terrified of water - the only person I know to get in the shower and stay dry!! - and would love to learn to swim but can't even sit on the side at the pool.

Yes, thanks for the encouragement. I am still trying and am managing to come away from the bar now and be more in the middle of the pool but still have my armbands (designed for ages 2 to 12, so definitely in my second childhood).

Thanks GillieB - all that you say is right. My reason for learning was so that I could enjoy swimming with my grandchildren. I shall keep persevering!!

I am sorry you are both having problems with learning how to swim. I learnt when I was about seven (now 63) and can't imagine what it must be like to be frightened of the water. I am not sure that the instructor getting into the water with you will help - I think that you probably need to go along with someone you know and trust - and go along as frequently as you can. With a friend or partner beside you, just walk, duck your shoulders under the water, as calmly as you can. And relax!

I am not boasting, but I am so buoyant that I can just lie back in the water and my legs automatically float to the surface. I am sure part of this is that I have no fear and am very relaxed.

None of this probably helps you; I am sorry, but keep at it. Imagine what fun you will have with your grandchildren if you can join them in the swimming pool.

It is good to hear of someone with the same problem. I had 20 lessons and am still swimless. Been waiting for a decent summer to get going in the sea as it's just down the road from me!! Will keep my fingers crossed that this summer is better.