how long did it take u to learn how to swim??

Question

im taking swimming at school starting tomarrow and i dont know how to swim i wonder how long it will take to learn so i wanna know how long it took you


i dont wanna go to swimming classes or anything like that

Answer 1

Relax and don't worry. We all learn at a different pace. Have fun and don't make it a competition.

IF you want to make it a competition, get the Red Cross book in Beginner Swimmer and read it so that you'll understand what the instructor is saying and you will better understand why the instructor says certain things. Once you can understand the language or jargon used, you will be able to understand and process the information and "know" the information given.

It's all about getting used to a new environment. Animals walk and run and swim in the same position and when they're in water, their longer necks helps them breathe... but WE have to adapt to a new position where our faces are pretty much in the water; we walk upright but we swim prone. It takes a little getting used to. We don't really swim on top of the water or under the water (unless we're holding our breath and going under the surface for short distances and brief periods, or as long as we can hold our breath...) but rather we swim THROUGH the water.

I can give you a few suggestions to help you. If you're in the shower and you put your face in the water flow of the shower head, you can pretty much still breathe if you inhale through your mouth (where the water that goes in can be swallowed or spit out) and exhale through your nostrils; breathe in through your mouth and exhale through your nostrils... Do the same when you're in the water. As you're picking up your face, breathe out through your nostrils and water won't go in. Or, as you're learning to swim, breathe out through your nose as you're bringing your face out of the water.

Get used to having your eyes in the water. Even when you're in your shower, let the water go in your eyes and instead of rubbing with your hands, shake it off as you move away from the water flow. It's all a matter of getting used to. The more you practice, the easier it gets; I promise.

When you put your face in the water to swim on your stomach, just put your face in up to the hairline, looking FORWARD, not down toward the bottom of the pool. This helps streamline your body so you cut through the water easier (try it with your hand and see how it's easier to cut through the water with your hand if you do it with the thumb and index side of the hand as compared with the flat palm side of the hand).

On your back, make sure that you keep your ears in the water and also keep your chin off your chest and try to make your pelvis area come near the surface of the water (to keep your back straight and DO NOT pyke it, DO NOT bend like a sit-up position or you will drop under).

In fact, your instructor will show you that to stand back up from a back float it's like pulling a chair underneath you as you bend at the stomach (pyke) and you stick your chin in your chest and make believe you're putting your face in the water in front of you, as you plant your feet on the floor of the pool slowly (do not rush this).

Learn about correct body position and your learning experience will be faster and more enjoyable. When you start to learn the crawl strokes, someone is bound to ask, "Do I keep my arms straight?" or "How much do I bend my elbows?" and the answer is to bend but you will know automatically because of the comfort level that depends on your own body buoyancy. Those that are less buoyant will bend less to cause their bodies to stay up while those that are more buoyant will bend more to propel more than to keep their body near the surface more. It's a natural and you don't need to measure the amount of bending or the angle or... never mind, just know that it's natural. How does you hand go into the water to "pull" during the crawl? You stick your index and thumb in as though you were reaching over a barrel, with your elbow high, and you recover with your elbow break surface first. You'll understand later, I promise.

Now you have some clues and some suggestions to help you. Get the Red Cross book if you do not get a textbook for the class. Read it while you're on the john, just browse through it or read up on the skills the instructor is going to talk about in class for the swim next session.

By the way, swimming classes are fun. In an organized classroom situation, you will learn SO MUCH MORE than just learning to head-shake like many people do... ugh! But, you learn much quicker with a partner and someone to explain what you're doing wrong and you will not learn bad habits that impede your progress and your swim skills. You also learn elementary methods of life saving that can save your life or the life of someone dear to you or even a stranger without endangering your own. Honestly. Really. No kidding. It's FUN, if you let it be.

Why would you not want to take swim classes, ashamed of your body? Do a few push-ups and some sit-ups in the morning and evening in the privacy of your bedroom, and in a few months and stay away from candy and sodas, you won't have to feel ashamed of your body. Instead of hiding, do something to correct the situation so that you won't be ashamed. That's the real answer. Really. (It's like a avoiding an exam, when the easiest thing to do is to start studying early and you don't have to cram because you're already familiar with the material) Do a few sit-ups and a few shallow (not all the way down) knee bends and toe rises every day for a few months, and do these regardless how tired you are! Force yourself to them every single day and night and you'll see the change in your body in a matter of one semester of classes, and even your friends and the girls will notice!

Enjoy the experience. Forget your fears... everyone else will have the same fears and apprehensions as you, really. Relax and go in there with the mindset of learning a skill that will be fun and will enable you to have more fun in different areas! Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 2

I'm 37 and I'm yet to learn. Some people take right to it that has good natural buoyancy and others like myself are the sinkers. Your own body can really be the only one that can answer how long and how hard learning to swim will be. As for myself I tried for 20 summers or more I just accepted I'm not physically able to swim....

Answer 3

I learned how to swim in a couple of hrs. There is a small island about 30 ft out, at the n. shore lake siskiyou in mt. shasta ca. my father swam next to me for several hrs back and forth, practicing with a life jacket on, when i got the motions down we swam to the island and he asked me if i felt comfortable. I replied yes, and so we removed the life jacket and we swam back and forth to that island without the jacket. it took about another half an hr.with my father swimming next to me until he felt that i had it down and while we were swimming i was concentrating on swimming my father just back a ways and i swam it alone, and that is how i learned how to swim. Just concentrate and do as your instructor tells you, pay attention. I would say that you will be swimming 1st day the rest of the class days will be practice and fun. Good luck.

Answer 4

I don't remember, I was 4 years old when I learned how to swim and it obviously didn't take me to long or else I would have drowned, you should really learn how to swim

Answer 5

depends on the teacher...most teachers teach you the basics where as others skip the basics teach you the technique and give it to you all at once..those are the best...so usually to learn a stroke so that it is raceable is like 3 months if you have lessons everyday and you practice for like 3-4 hours then yeah i would say 3 months..Good Luck...
need help reach me at [e-mail]

Answer 6

my dad did the old throw you in and say swim or drown 2min and 100 helps

Answer 7

'bout a month, 2 to perfect it