Around 14 million adults in the UK who are unable to swim and three in five amongst those who have never swum find the idea of getting started “intimidating”. The thought of wearing armbands as an adult is enough to make anyone feel embarrassed. Two in five adults also admit that they would be more likely to sign up to swimming lessons if there wasn’t such a stigma attached.
Aside from the social anxiety of being a fully-grown human who has to put their feet on the pool floor, a fear of water, what can happen when they get into it, or even what lurks beneath is a huge barrier to those trying to get back in the water. “A common issue with learning to swim in later life is a lack of confidence manifests as fear,” explains Prof Greg Whyte, a physical activity expert and sports scientist, but this isn’t the time to hang up your swimming cap and goggles as the pros certainly outweigh the cons. Here’s a practical guide to going beyond treading water and finally becoming amphibious.
Despite the Government’s blog, The Education Hub, claiming that “by the end of primary school, all children should be able to swim 25 metres unaided and use a range of strokes effectively”, many are left high and dry when school-curriculum swimming ends.
While it may feel like swimming upstream, taking the first step (or stroke) is the hardest part.
Adults who are water-competent and confident are more likely to create scenarios where their children can enjoy the water safely and will most likely actively promote opportunities and activities that involve the water. In comparison, adults who can’t swim are less likely to promote active participation in the water, including not actively encouraging their children to learn to swim or engage in water safety education. This creates a systemic generational challenge.
Certainly for some, swimming will be price prohibitive but the main concern is the number of pools which have closed across the UK in the last few years making swimming pools less accessible and less available for current and future generations.
The increasingly elitist nature of swimming also seems to continually resurface. “In the last two years the cost of running swimming pools and the cost of going swimming has risen due to escalating energy prices and the cost of living crisis,” explains Euan Lowe, the chief executive of Scottish Swimming.
Four steps to diving in
1. Build your water confidence
“You can do this by moving around in water that you can sit or stand in,” says Lowe. “Practise submerging your face in the water and blowing bubbles.”
2. Focus on your breathing
As you acclimatise to the sensations of being in and around the water, stay calm with deep breath. It will help further down the line when you develop your skills.
3. Identify practical obstacles
Before you launch into breaststroke, break down the arm movements and leg movements and practice in the shallow end or holding on to the side. Knowing the basics of water posture and orientation will help you create a solid foundation to build upon.
4. Skills training
“Important skills to master first are learning to float, standing up from a horizontal float,” Lowe adds. “Then you can start swimming small distances towards the wall using floatation aids, and swimming small distances away from the wall before standing in the pool.”