Swimming provides excellent cardiovascular conditioning, burning between 500 and 750 calories in an hour, according to MayoClinic.com. Swimming is also a useful activity -- one that could save your life in the right situation. Before you can swim, you may need swimming lessons. Activities for swimming lessons provide you with the training you need to get your bearings in the water.
Basic Skills
There are some very basic skills you need to learn before you can swim. Very young children often have to learn how to be in the water. Blowing bubbles underwater acclimates you to breathing underwater. Floating is another basic skill necessary for navigating in the water. You also must be able to submerge yourself underwater without breathing up the nose. Most adults can perform these activities easily, though small children may need special instruction.
Advanced Basic Skills
The next set of skills you have to learn is how to kick the right way and breathe while moving. One way to learn proper kicking is to keep your hands on the side of the pool while kicking your body in the water. Rhythmic breathing is important for you to be able to swim long distances. You can practice these two skills together by doing laps in the water.
Intermediate Skills
Intermediate swim classes will teach additional swimming techniques. These include backstrokes and breaststrokes. The Tempe Parks and Recreation Department considers being able to do a 25-yard front crawl a prerequisite for learning such skills. Children should be able to do their front crawl without the assistance of an adult or any flotation device. Some places also offer classes for intermediate swimmers to spend time perfecting the finer points of their stroke.
Advanced Activities
Advanced activities are practiced by people that have learned most swimming skills. These people can now participate in just about any water activity. This includes long periods spent doing laps as well as games like water polo. Some places, such as the Tempe Parks and Recreation Department offer courses in water aerobics. You can also take safety courses through the American Red Cross, up to and including life guard training.
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