I am 34 years old and I am really desperate to learn to swim. When I took a class last year I stopped going because the instructor wanted to move to deeper water (8 feet) and I was afraid because I can only stand up in 6 feet of water. I feel comfortable swimming with a noodle to hold my upper body up and an instruction/therapy bar to hold on while I move through the pool, but letting go has been very difficult for me because I keep thinking that I will not stay afloat. Can someone please give me some tips or something that will help me just let go. It took a lot for me to just get to the point of actually trusting the flotation devices. I am starting more lessons on 3/16 and I hired a private instructor for inbetween class times. I just really have a desire to swim for the rest of my life. Please help me out. I'm really desperate here in Virginia.
Parents
Former Member
Don't forget, two "elements" need to be mastered: air and water.
Neither can be taken for granted. You'll want to practice just blowing bubbles. as a beginner. Inhale through your mouth. Then, submerge your face and exhale only under water. through both mouth and nose. Blow bubbles, that is.
Master blowing bubbles while you are in water that is not deep enough to be a threat. And hang on to the pool gutter for assurance.
Also don't ignore your intake of pool water. It's gonna happen accidentaly, so be prepared to NOT drink it when it does. Just bend your knees until your mouth is at water level. Pretend you're a little kid and let the water flow in. Hold it briefly then spit it out slowly and easily as if it were the most natural thing to be doing.
Do both of these elementals for a few minutes when you enter the water until they become part of your being. Probably the fact that you didn't do these thing as a youngster is what has kept you away from the water until now.
Don't forget, two "elements" need to be mastered: air and water.
Neither can be taken for granted. You'll want to practice just blowing bubbles. as a beginner. Inhale through your mouth. Then, submerge your face and exhale only under water. through both mouth and nose. Blow bubbles, that is.
Master blowing bubbles while you are in water that is not deep enough to be a threat. And hang on to the pool gutter for assurance.
Also don't ignore your intake of pool water. It's gonna happen accidentaly, so be prepared to NOT drink it when it does. Just bend your knees until your mouth is at water level. Pretend you're a little kid and let the water flow in. Hold it briefly then spit it out slowly and easily as if it were the most natural thing to be doing.
Do both of these elementals for a few minutes when you enter the water until they become part of your being. Probably the fact that you didn't do these thing as a youngster is what has kept you away from the water until now.
