How to: Swimming. A complete guide for adult beginner swimmers.

In this blog post, I'll give beginner tips to everyone who doesn't know how to swim.

You'll learn:

1. Where to start your swimming journey ?
   
   
2. Does age matter?
   
   
3. Do you need to take swimming lessons?
   
   
4. And more.
   

Let's dive in!

There is a widespread stereotype that adults who didn't learn how to swim at an early age will never learn to swim. But our experience of working with adults of all ages and abilities shows you can learn to swim at any age.

In fact, the latest research confirms that there is no difference in learning new motor skills at 18, 24, or 40.

So, all the doubts and fears aside, you can do it.

Let's focus on the things that can help you learn to swim faster.

Before starting your journey, it's important to understand where your end goal is.

Do you want to swim for fitness?

Are you going on vacation and want to enjoy floating in the ocean?

Are you tired of being afraid of water?

So on and so forth.

All of those questions are important to ask yourself before you start. That way, you'll know what needs to be done and how to measure where you are in the process of acquiring swim skills.

If your experience in swimming equals 0, it's best to start with the easy and safe steps. Thus, start your journey by exposing yourself to the swimming pool.

Find a local swimming pool or use your community/private pool and spend some time getting used to it. Start at the most shallow end, where you can easily stand up and take a break. It'll eliminate any possible fear of water and help you get more comfortable before learning any skills.

It's important to note that if you're practicing alone, have somebody on a pool deck to supervise you. Ideally, it should be a well-trained lifeguard who knows how to act in the case of an emergency.

Before learning different swimming strokes, focus on mastering breathing and getting used to the sensation of the water around you.

Your first step should be getting used to putting your face in the water. I recommend the following sequence:

1. Take a breath and submerge your face underwater.
   
   
2. Blow bubbles at a calm and relaxed pace. Focus on not panicking underwater.
   
   
3. Get your face out of the water and take a breath.

Do these steps until putting your face in the water becomes completely comfortable.

In order to learn proper stroke technique, we need to understand the basics of buoyancy. To do that, you have to master front and back floating.

We have detailed guides on how to do both front and back floating. I recommend check them out before learning strokes:

1. Front float guide
   
   
2. Back float guide
   

Flutter kick is one of the simplest techniques of kicking in swimming, and it's an essential element of both back and front crawl. Thus, learning how to flutter kick will allow you to learn 2 strokes and differentiate your swimming workouts.

We have a detailed step-by-step guide on how to learn flutter kick. Check it out here:

Step-by-step kick guide

In order to make your workout more exciting and work different muscles, we recommend getting a few pieces of equipment. Those are inexpensive tools, but they can definitely bring more excitement to your swim sessions.

1. Kickboard.

.Kickboards make it easier to practice kicking while staying afloat. It's also a great way to work your leg muscles while resting your upper body.

2. Snorkel.

In order to learn how to swim with the proper stroke technique, we recommend getting a snorkel. Snorkel will have you focus on all the aspects of swim strokes without thinking about breathing. It's a good tool to use for both beginners and advanced swimmers.

3. Fins.

Fins are an incredible piece of equipment that serves multiple purposes. First, it engages your leg muscles more, allowing you to get a better workout for your lower body. Second, fins add more propulsion to your kicks, allowing you to maintain sufficient speed and balance while learning to swim.

Mastering the art of swimming can be daunting and, at times, even a terrifying task. Getting professional help is always a good way to boost your skill level and become more proficient in the water.

A good swim instructor will be able to assess your current level, and with simple instructions, you'll be able to learn to swim at a much quicker pace.

We recommend exploring your local options online and/or asking your family and friends for recommendations. Don't forget to check your future instructor's certifications and experience in teaching people of your age and skill level.

We offer swim lessons In NYC for adults and kids. If you live or visiting NYC area, consider asking for help from our professional instructors at Danswim.

It's easy to get caught up in negative talk, but it's important to remember how far you've come. Learning to swim is not easy, and there's no definite timeline for how long it should take you.

So, take credit for every skill you acquired. Enjoy the process, and soon enough, you'll be swimming laps like a fish.

At DanSwim, we understand how hard and unachievable the process of learning to swim can be. For over a decade, we've taught adults and kids of all ages to become comfortable and confident in the pool. Now, we want to help you.

We offer a free video analysis of your stroke technique or any other skills swimming skills you need help with. To get our help, click here, and we will get back to you ASAP.

Now, we want to hear from you.

If you haven't learned to swim yet, what has been stopping you?

Are there other important advices for beginners that we forgot?