Put your fears aside . Many people despair of learning to swim because they are afraid of drowning. While drownings are a reality, most could be prevented with simple safety measures. Follow the following recommendations every time you swim, and the risk of drowning will decrease dramatically.
Never swim alone. Go with at least one experienced swimmer, if not several people. lifeguard training.
Do not start in white water. If you are learning to swim in the ocean or in a river, you will need to be even more attentive to the movements of the water. If you must learn to swim this way, make sure you’re with someone who knows what they’re doing, and read the steps on how to get out of a rip current or rough river ( see below).
Stay where you are. When you’re just starting to learn to swim, don’t venture into places where you don’t touch bottom. That way, if something goes wrong, lifeguard training you just have to stand up to breathe.
Never swim in bad weather. Swimming in a light rain can be pleasant, but if you see or hear a thunderstorm approaching, get out of the water immediately. This rule must be observed without exception, even by the best swimmers.
Do not swim in too cold water. Moving your limbs to swim can suddenly become difficult in cold water.Get used to doing the plank . When in the water, stand at the edge of the pool or dock, and let your legs float behind you – they should come up easily if you let them. Practice doing this on your stomach and back, lifeguard training until you’re comfortable floating half of your body.
Try doing a back or stomach plank as soon as you’re ready. Stay in shallow water so you can just stand up if that doesn’t work. Getting water in your ears while your nose and mouth are dry can be a strange feeling, but you will get used to it. For better stability, place your arms at a right angle to make a “T” with your body.
Don’t panic . Always rememberthat you have a recourse if you find yourself in deep water or simply if you are unable to move your limbs to swim: do the plank (on your back). Don’t start thrashing or breathing quickly if you can’t swim, just lie on your back, and let the water carry you until you’ve calmed down.Practice exhaling underwater . Still in shallow water, take a deep breath and put your face in the water. Exhale slowly through your nose until you are out of breath, then straighten up.
If you are not comfortable exhaling through your nose, you can pinch it with your fingers or wear a nose clip, and exhale through your mouth.
Wear swimming goggles (optional). Wearing goggles will help you feel comfortable opening your eyes underwater, and will allow you to see more clearly. Find a pair that has foam around the eyes and dunk it in water so it fits your face perfectly. Tighten the elastic behind your head to adjust it as comfortably as possible.
Practice kicking your legs. Whether you’re doing the plank or still standing by the pool, you can practice propelling yourself with your legs. To see how far each stroke propels you, use a kickboard. This lets you focus on technique without worrying about keeping your head above water.
The kicking of the legs. Point like a ballerina, straighten your legs, and alternate left and right with small beats. You should feel the pressure on the water at your ankles.
Breaststroke movements. Stick your legs together from the hips to the knees, and from the knees to the ankles. Bend your knees to get an angle of about 90 degrees, then briskly spread your legs in a circular motion. That is, draw a semicircle with each foot, right side with your right leg, left side with your left leg. Bring your legs together at the point of contact of the two semi-circles, and bend them again to start the movements again.
Backpedaling. This movement is mainly used to swim on the spot , and maintain an upright position with the head and shoulders out of the water. Bend your knees and spread your legs slightly more than the width of your pelvis. Then begin circling each leg like you would on a bicycle, except they should point outward in opposite directions. Again, you must alternate the leg movements: when one leg extends outward, the other must be on the return to the vertical axis of your body lifeguard training. This technique takes practice, but it’s handy for resting when your feet aren’t touching the bottom.
