Swimming - too old to lern?

Never too old to learn.
Swimming is marvellous for you, so have some lessons.
I swim well in all kind of strokes, crawl is best and fastest.

I hadn't noticed that, Stephanie. Hopefully Patty is swimming like a fish these days.
Well done for learning to swim in your 40's. That's brilliant.

My daughter swam as a child and has started local leisure centre "improve your swimming" lessons (she's in her mid 30s) because she was only swimming breast stroke. She is loving it and when I took her with me for a swim last week I was amazed how much better she was. Stronger, faster, and swimming crawl too!

Go for it!

henetha

Go for it, Patty, it will be great.
I grew up by the sea so learned to swim at an early age, in the sea. I'm not a particularly strong swimmer but can do 3 or 4 lengths of a pool.
The thing is, having not swum now since 2013, am I fit enough to take it up again, I wonder. I'm nearly 85, bad back and artificial knees. Will I sink rather than swim?

This was originally posted in 2020! I wonder if Patty did learn to swim?

I was pushed in a pool when young and became terrified of water, but I eventually learned to swim in my 40s.

Most people can, but…

My Dad was one of the rare people who was heavier than water and sank like a stone. After weeks of swimming lessons, his coach explained to him that he was expending all his effort on merely staying afloat. Apparently, higher than average bone density and muscular body with little fat can cause this. In such a case, swimming is very much more difficult.

Go for it, Patty, it will be great.
I grew up by the sea so learned to swim at an early age, in the sea. I'm not a particularly strong swimmer but can do 3 or 4 lengths of a pool.
The thing is, having not swum now since 2013, am I fit enough to take it up again, I wonder. I'm nearly 85, bad back and artificial knees. Will I sink rather than swim?

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Learn to swim then ? its so fun )))))))))))))))))))))

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. I have downloaded “happy laps” from total immersion swimming and it’s great for beginners.
My husband is keen to help me learning once the pools are back open ?

Never too old to learn something new. Go for it girl!

I learnt in my 30’s at group lessons and although I was quite confident at that point I didn’t keep it up.
Now I swim breaststroke with my head up, only within my depth.
I’d bet if you could get in the water every day PeppermintPatty you will become a better swimmer. A “swimming holiday” sounds a brilliant idea once we are able to do such things again. I don’t think age should be a barrier as other’s stories show.
Well done Minerva by the way.

Go to a private swim school. They will have them in your area. That is how I learned. Both my sisters learned to swim at 8 years old and I felt so inadequate next to them, and I must confess I did not learn till I was 30, but I am glad I did.

I took years as a child to have the confidence and swim, then found the formula by chance: splashing around in water deep enough to swim, but shallow enough to touch the bottom with an outstretched hand, I finally took off, knowing I could just stand up or even touch the bottom with my hand! Bingo! ...and good luck - enjoy!

I too could only do breast stroke and did a free course offered by the local council to over 50s a few years ago as part of improving exercise participation healthy lifestyle for over 50s. It was a 12 week course in the local.pool, with very good coaching provided to learn front crawl, and ended with entry into the Great East Swim, a 1 mile open water event, which I achieved albeit not very fast. The key to front crawl is some decent coaching, learning the breathing technique and rythym, and getting some decent swimming goggle, around £20.00. I used to swim about once a week after the free course ended.

Unfortunately I haven't been swimming in a pool at all in 2020, but did have a nice swim in the sea in August.

Go for it, front crawl does give a much better exercise work out, if you learn the correct way.

Yes. When the pool is ope you can go at any age to swimming lessons to learn to swim better. My husband is.

If your OH really is a channel swimmer maybe he could help you? I have taken up open water swimming this year, and although my local swimming lake is closed the last swim I had was in 10 degrees of cold water and was amazing. Have booked a slot for Xmas day - here’s hoping.

Do have a look at the Art of Swimming website. Steven Shaw is inspirational for non-swimmers and right through levels. It’s all about alignment and breathing in water.

Learn to swim in my 50s terrified of water. By the time I gave up, due to allergic reaction to chloride, I was swimming 1 mile (48 lengths) three days a week. Loved it all. Now live near the sea but too cold on the North East Coast to swim at 82.

you can learn at any age, the trainers say, just a little more difficult or longer than for children, for example, believe in yourself!

Never too old to learn, go for it :-)

Ladyjus you gave me a laugh, with all your mishaps. I did judo for 8 years, ending up teaching it, and never had anything worse than a bruise.
My only water-connected injury was when we took our Guides on a canal barge for a few days. I jumped onto the towpath, my foot went down a hole which was hidden in the grass, and I tore my calf ligaments. It was about a year before I fully recovered.
As for swimming, my common sense says, “Do this, this and this, and you will swim perfectly well.” All my instincts, though, scream,”You’re going to drown!” I was pushed into the diving pool, as a child, and it really broke my nerve. I have had three courses of lessons, and several one-to-one sessions, and have finally decided, at the age of 81, that I will never make a swimmer. Such a shame, as my Aussie kids all have pools, and I feel such a lemon, sitting out, but heigh-ho, it’s not the end of the world!

@biba70 you can hurt yourself swimming, I'm testament to it!

1 - when swimming with my 2 nieces I managed to snap my hamstring leaving me invalid for 4 weeks.
2 - swimming with GC I exerted too much pressure on my spine and ended up wrenching my back muscles out and being an invalid for 3 weeks.
3 - slipped over whilst carrying a toddler through the 'rapids' - toddler ended up sitting on me underwater so I couldn't get up - I got fished out by the lifeguard...
4 - Had a child accidently land on my stomach whilst playing with its parent, winded me as I was underwater at the time. Again, fished out by the lifeguard...
5 - Got a black eye from a disorientated breast stroker who strayed too close.

I took up judo instead, far fewer injuries!

Just waiting for our pool to re-open. Used to swim 3 three times a week and I certainly think it kept the weight off me. Miss going terribly.

I would love to be able to swim, but terrified of putting my face in water, and panic if both legs come off the bottom. I also hate cold water, it would have to be about 30 degrees before I could even get in. I had 10 years of swimming lessons at school, and never managed it, so I don't think there is any hope for me now. I did pay for DH to have swimming lessons when he was in his 60s, he went for a week's intensive residential course, but at the end of that he could only swim the width of a small pool whilst holding his breath. I don't think there is any hope for us!

I too taught myself to swim when I was about 11. However I always found it an effort to make any progress and hated getting my face wet, so I joined an adult ‘learn to swim’ class at my local leisure centre. There were about 10 of us in the class and we were separated into two groups- those who couldn’t swim at all and improvers.
There were 10 lessons and by lesson 6 I could swim under water, and could do the crawl. The feeling of gliding through the water and not getting out of breath was glorious!
I’d certainly recommend the classes to anyone whatever age.