Starting any sport is a great idea, and swimming is one of the best ones that you could possibly decide on! Apart from being an extremely useful skill in life, swimming has tremendous health benefits and, of course, it's a whole lot of fun! Now, you've decided to start swimming, but you don't really know how to do it; what do you do? Read this article, of course! Today, we'll walk you through everything you need to get started with swimming.
It may seem daunting at the start, especially if you’ve had bad experiences in public pools in the past (I know I’ve had my fair share of scares). However, you’ll find that by following some helpful tips and an instructor’s advice, you’ll be an ace swimmer in no time!
Practice consistently
The first and most important factor is consistent practice. This means for the first 3-4 weeks, you'll be in and out of the swimming pool like an all-you-can-eat buffet that has a free weekend going on. Seriously, we're talking about swimming every day about 5-10 times and repeating this for at least 20 days to let your border get familiar with the water and the motions that swimming requires. You'll be happy to note that progress comes fast, and your body will start adapting really quickly!
Get the right equipment and resources
By resources, we mean things like a subscription to a training program that ideally has a coach with years of experience and provides all the tools you'll need as a beginner swimmer. By tools, we mean things like kickboards, pull buoys, and swimming snorkels, among others. These help you get familiar with the ropes when it comes to swimming while ensuring some of the heavy lifting is being handled by them. Kickboards, for instance, will make sure you can practice your strokes and limb motions without having to worry about what your body as a whole is doing. Consult with your instructor to get a personalized plan for you.
Form is important
Think of your body as an aerodynamic car. If you put a large board vertically on the car's roof, it will create a lot of drag and slow you down for no good reason. Who would do that? Exactly. The same thing happens in swimming; if you let your leg hang too low from your body or don't keep your frame in a straight line, you'll suffer from unnecessary drag. Accordingly, it's crucial to ensure your form is good and minimize the effort you must put in to keep swimming.
Be consistent, seriously
We said it earlier, but we have to say it again; consistency is everything here. Follow the guides mentioned in the very first tip and add periods of rest and warmups into that plan. Though the general plan should work fine for you, consider asking your instructor or coach for advice in case they have any suggestions that might improve your results further.