More than 3,400 people died from accidental drownings in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both adults and children died, with one in five of the victims being children between the ages of 1 and 14. In addition to death, water accidents can cause brain damage, loss of the ability to perform life's functions and permanent learning disabilities. Learning to swim can help you and your family stay safe around water.
Significance
According to a 2009 pool by the American Red Cross, 33 percent of the persons polled described their swimming ability as fair, poor or unable to swim at all. Taking swimming lessons can help you improve your swimming competencies, learn to swim or prepare you for more advanced courses such as lifeguard or S.C.U.B.A. diving classes. The ability to swim can save your life, or the life of someone you love. In addition, feeling comfortable and confident in and around the water can help you participate in water sports such as boating, water skiing, operating a jet ski or joining a competitive swim team.
Topics Covered
Beginning swimming lessons, rather for a child or an adult, often begin with helping you feel comfortable in the water. You may start with learning to enter and exit the water safely, followed by instruction on putting your face in the water and blowing bubbles underwater. The instructor will teach you to float on your front and back, how to move your arms and legs in the water, and support your body in the water as you practice. Once you can swim a bit, your swimming lessons will focus more on freestyle stroke development, proper breathing techniques and learning other strokes, such as the backstroke and breaststroke. You will learn to retrieve objects from the bottom of the pool and perform a shallow dive.
Private And Semi-Private Lessons
Private and semi-private lessons are beneficial if you or your family are unable to participate in group lesson times due to scheduling conflicts, if you feel uncomfortable learning in a group session or if you and a friend want to take lessons together. Look for a private instructor certified through the Red Cross or other reputable organization. You can have private or semi-private swim lessons in your community pool, gym pool or even in a home pool. The pace of the lessons may be quicker due to the individualized attention, thus helping you learn to improve your skills faster.
Group Swimming Lessons
Community centers or gyms offer swimming lessons to people of varying ages and skill levels, and are usually less expensive than private lessons. Led by one or two certified instructors, the class sizes are generally small to ensure safety and to give the instructor time to focus on each individual. Classes are divided by skill level and often by age. Many community centers offer separate classes for teens and adults. Very young children sit on the edge of the pool as the instructor works with one child at a time. At the completion of each class, the instructor informs the parent or child whether he is ready to move to the next level of class, or whether repeating the same level again would help reinforce his skills.
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