Swimming lessons are an important and enjoyable experience in life that help increase safety and awareness while in water. Although swimming lessons are more common during childhood, lessons can be taken by people of all ages. When learning how to swim, there are certain skills that must be taught in order to swim successfully and safely.
Pool Rules
Before even getting into the pool, the first things that should be taught before learning to swim are the safety rules of the pool. Common rules such as not running on the pool deck, horse-playing near the water, or diving into shallow areas of the pool should be explained before lessons begin to avoid potentially serious injury. Other rules may vary depending on the rules of the pool facility.
Holding Your Breath
To prevent water from filling the nose and into the airways, one of the first skills taught during swimming is how to hold your breath under water. For many this is as simple as taking a deep breath before placing your head underwater and holding it until you reach the surface again. Another way to teach how to hold your breath underwater is to have the students stick their face in the water and practice blowing bubbles out their nose, as water can't get into the airways while you are blowing out.
Back Float
One of the next skills learned once in the water is how to comfortably perform a back float. During a back float, the body is held motionless while on your back in the water, allowing the natural buoyancy to hold you above the water. This requires the ability to stay still and not panic while in the water.
Treading Water
Treading water is another important skill taught during swimming lessons. Treading water involves systematically kicking your feet such as a flutter kick or eggbeater kick and using your arms to keep your body vertical and your head above the surface of the water. Treading water is an important skill to prevent drowning if there is ever a need to stay above the water in an emergency situation.
Swimming Strokes
One of the final aspects of swimming lessons involves learning the different swimming strokes. Some of the most common strokes include the backstroke, butterfly stroke, breaststroke, side stroke and crawl stroke. Most swim instructors use practice drills to improve the stroke skills, as well as increase stamina in the water in order to swim faster and longer distances.
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