Watching young children swim their way effortlessly around the pool usually is a welcome sight. But for adults who have never learned to swim, it also can bring feelings of regret that they never learned to swim. As a swim instructor, remember that not all your students are going to be small children. You need to be able to teach adults to swim as well. Take into consideration their anxiety at not having learned earlier in life when you gently guide them through sessions. Focus on the essentials of floating, kicking and arm movements to create competent adult swimmers.
Step 1
Introduce your adult pupils to shallow water about 3 to 3 1/2 feet deep. According to Swim Smooth, water is an alien space for people, so they must spend time in it to feel natural and comfortable. Allow them time to adjust to being in the pool. Encourage them to move around to test their footing. Keep an eye on anyone who stumbles or loses balance so you can right them if necessary.
Step 2
Position the individuals along the pool wall. Tell them to grip the wall with both hands. Teach the adults to flutter kick while they hold onto the wall. Instruct them to keep their feet together, knees relaxed but not bent and to kick shallow, short, fast kicks. Help them extend their legs out behind them.
Step 3
Take adults one at a time to teach them to float on their stomachs. Instruct the person you are working with to take a deep breath, bend his upper body forward and place his hands on his knees. Tell him to allow his body to float up behind him. Position your arms under his stomach. Gradually release your hold and let the person practice staying afloat. It may take much practice before the person is able to float on his own.
Step 4
Demonstrate the arm motions of the freestyle stroke. According to The Telegraph, the motion of each arm should be long and slow with your elbow up high and your thumb entering the water first. Ask your students to imitate your movements. Have them bend at the waist as they perform the arms portion of the stroke. Tell them they will put this arm movement together with the flutter kick to begin swimming.
Step 5
Allow each student to practice swimming freestyle under your supervision. Follow them along in the pool, helping them to stay up if necessary by placing an arm under them and lifting up. Encourage them to keep kicking consistently. Tell them it is OK to stand when they need to get their bearings, but encourage them to stay prone in the water as much as possible.
Step 6
Continue working on the basics of kicking, floating and beginning swimming with each adult. Some will catch on more quickly than others, but do not give up on anyone. When a person is able to stay afloat for a few yards, you can begin teaching them to swim face down and to breath to the side. Let them develop the rhythm of leaning their bodies slightly from side to side as they move down the length of the pool. Don't teach other strokes until they are competent in swimming freestyle.
Tips and Warnings
- Work one on one with adults who are fearful of going underwater. Teach them to take deep breaths before submerging and blow air out of their noses when underwater. Swimming lessons will be unsuccessful until the adult gets over this particular fear so she can move on.
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