Learning to Swim: Relax

I was one of the lucky ones. My grandparents had a cottage on a lake with a pier going out to the water. The first summer that I could walk, I began running down the pier and jumping into my mother’s arms. I never acquired a fear of water.

But I understand the fear. I see it in some of the beginning swimmers I work with. Our first goal in learning to swim is learning to relax. It is the biggest obstacle to overcome. Just the feeling of water in your face can be uncomfortable. Wearing well-fitting swim goggles is useful, but not necessary. After a lesson or two, you’ll get used to getting some water in your face. Part of swimming is learning to keep your face in the water. We go slow. We go at a pace you’re comfortable with.

Next is breathing. Of course, you cannot inhale when your face is in the water. You’ll learn to exhale with your face in the water. Experienced swimmers exhale with their face in the water, and inhale when they turn their head out of the water in a rhythmic pattern. To begin, learn to gently exhale through your nose–that keeps water out and avoids an uncomfortable feeling. Eventually you can pull your whole head underwater as you blow bubbles. Welcome to a new world!

Learning to breathe properly takes time and practice, but it starts at your first lesson. Next is learning that your body generally floats. Around 60% of your body is water. Your lungs are full of air, like a beach ball. Floating should come naturally. Even if your legs tend to sink, your upper body will remain at the surface of the water. After a few lessons, you’ll discover that when you float on your back, your body wants to stay up at the surface. And from there we can start to learn to move through the water. And start to relax.

“Be one with the water,” I say. Your face is out of the water, your breathing becomes natural and easy. Move your hands around a little, and you can discover that you can paddle around the water, floating. Take your time. Relax. You’re learning to swim!

All swimmers learn at their own special pace. Sometimes, the fear of water is strong and takes a lot of work to overcome. But don’t worry, it will come. Learning to become one with water is the first step to a life of being a swimmer. Relax. It’s just water.