Here is my story:
I am a 63-year old male who is looking to started swimming instruction. I was very afraid of the water growing up and avoided swimming lessons througout childhood and adolescence, although my two younger siblings learned without trouble. I was the typical shy, glasses-wearing nerd-type, tall and thin, with mostly intellectual interests. I did try several sports when young but didn't do well at any of them. I gave those up by tenth grade and have only walked for exercise since. I had zero water experience exxcept for some summertime wading in lakes.
I didn't learn to swim in high school, since none of the local high schools then required it. I often wonder what I would have done if they had.
After watching the 1972 Olympics, I finally decided to face my fear and, at age 27, enroll in an adult swimming class. Despite a humiliating experience in the first session ("OK, let's everyone swim down to the end of the pool and back.") I persevered and kept coming. That first session I submerged for the first time, simple but very scary. We worked on very basic skills. It took some courage just to open my eyes underwater.
I worked on the basic stuff, but never enjoyed it. There was minimal emphasis on building confidence and relaxation before moving on to stroke mechanics. We were introduced to deep-water adjustment skills, which I was not really ready for. They included descending the ladder to the bottom in the deep end, deep-water entry, and jumping off the diving board. The last two were terrifying. All I could think of was to get back and grab the side as soon as I could.
I never got totally comfortable with my face in the water. Every time I was in a prone in the water I thought of what it was like to drown.
Being in the prone position in the deep was especially scary. I just couldn't do it.
I took swimming classes off and on for about ten years with only modest success. I did learn the elementary back stroke and back crawl, but couldn't do any storkes on the front. I was given a kick board to practice the flutter kick but, despite much trying, couldn't move an inch. Strangely enough, I could kick across the pool, slowly, without using a board.
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Thanks for the replies. During my second lesson, July 9, I again practiced the back float in the shallow end and moving around the pool hanging onto the gutter. I later practiced moving along the wall while holding onto a lifeguard buoy, accompanied by the instructor, who had me move progressively into deeper water, a few feet at time. At times she encouraged me to move a few inches away from the wall while doing this, but barely within reach of the edge.
I started practicing breathing out with my face in the water in the shallow end while holding onto the edge. I wore goggles, but had trouble with them since they leaked water.
I do NOT like the sensation of my face being in the water, especially water going in my nose. I continuously breathed out both nose and mouth while doing this, but still seemed to be getting water in my nose.
I tried breathing out as slowly as possible, remaining as relaxed as I could, but still felt uncomfortable--breathing out more slowly just allowed more water to get into my nose. If I inhaled more air before breathing out underwater, I quickly became breathless and nervous. I have to breathe out so forcefully to get my air out underwater. How can I breathe out below the surface while feeling both comfortable and relaxed? I see it's going to take a long time to learn this.
I spent two hours practicing since the last lesson. I tried doing some things the instructor hasn't taught me yet, but quickly ran into trouble and started to panic. I'm finding I am having trouble doing the same things I had trouble with years ago. I did swim a length in a shallow pool using the elementary backstroke, but even that was hard because I was out of shape. I carefully tried floating on my back in deep water--it wasn't as hard as I thought. I am trying to be as totally relaxed as I can whenever I'm in deep water.
Next lesson, my instructor assures me, I will spend most of the time in the deep end, and the final lesson I will be doing certain special things she hasn't described.
I can't float on my back with my toes out of the water--my legs tend to sink and I have to extend my arms straight to get them back up. I try to relax as much as possible, to keep my butt up, and to lengthen my float time as much as possible while remaining relaxed.
Problem: the whip kick I used doing the elementary backstroke has caused lateral knee pain--the return of ilio-tibial band inflammation I had once before. An ordinary crawl kick wouldn't cause this problem. I may have to have physical therapy to alleviate the pain.
Big problem: I now have swimmer's ear again in the left ear, the return of a problem which caused me to stop swimming years ago, despite the fact I was using a molded ear plug while in the water and was using a solution of alcohol and vinegar in the ears post swimming. To prevent this, the ear must be kept perfectly dry while in the water--putting a solution in the ear does not work. If an answer for this problem isn't found, I'll have no choice but to quit swimming. What can I do about this?
Re: Enrolling in a Miracle Swimming class with Melon Dash. I have read her book and find it terrific, but I want to try going local first to avoid the expense of the class and the necessity of having to travel--which I really don't want to do--but I still have it in the back of my mind as a final alternative.
Thanks for the replies. During my second lesson, July 9, I again practiced the back float in the shallow end and moving around the pool hanging onto the gutter. I later practiced moving along the wall while holding onto a lifeguard buoy, accompanied by the instructor, who had me move progressively into deeper water, a few feet at time. At times she encouraged me to move a few inches away from the wall while doing this, but barely within reach of the edge.
I started practicing breathing out with my face in the water in the shallow end while holding onto the edge. I wore goggles, but had trouble with them since they leaked water.
I do NOT like the sensation of my face being in the water, especially water going in my nose. I continuously breathed out both nose and mouth while doing this, but still seemed to be getting water in my nose.
I tried breathing out as slowly as possible, remaining as relaxed as I could, but still felt uncomfortable--breathing out more slowly just allowed more water to get into my nose. If I inhaled more air before breathing out underwater, I quickly became breathless and nervous. I have to breathe out so forcefully to get my air out underwater. How can I breathe out below the surface while feeling both comfortable and relaxed? I see it's going to take a long time to learn this.
I spent two hours practicing since the last lesson. I tried doing some things the instructor hasn't taught me yet, but quickly ran into trouble and started to panic. I'm finding I am having trouble doing the same things I had trouble with years ago. I did swim a length in a shallow pool using the elementary backstroke, but even that was hard because I was out of shape. I carefully tried floating on my back in deep water--it wasn't as hard as I thought. I am trying to be as totally relaxed as I can whenever I'm in deep water.
Next lesson, my instructor assures me, I will spend most of the time in the deep end, and the final lesson I will be doing certain special things she hasn't described.
I can't float on my back with my toes out of the water--my legs tend to sink and I have to extend my arms straight to get them back up. I try to relax as much as possible, to keep my butt up, and to lengthen my float time as much as possible while remaining relaxed.
Problem: the whip kick I used doing the elementary backstroke has caused lateral knee pain--the return of ilio-tibial band inflammation I had once before. An ordinary crawl kick wouldn't cause this problem. I may have to have physical therapy to alleviate the pain.
Big problem: I now have swimmer's ear again in the left ear, the return of a problem which caused me to stop swimming years ago, despite the fact I was using a molded ear plug while in the water and was using a solution of alcohol and vinegar in the ears post swimming. To prevent this, the ear must be kept perfectly dry while in the water--putting a solution in the ear does not work. If an answer for this problem isn't found, I'll have no choice but to quit swimming. What can I do about this?
Re: Enrolling in a Miracle Swimming class with Melon Dash. I have read her book and find it terrific, but I want to try going local first to avoid the expense of the class and the necessity of having to travel--which I really don't want to do--but I still have it in the back of my mind as a final alternative.
