However, often this fear is excessively strong - it prevents not only swimming, but sometimes even entering the water. Such excessive fear no longer brings any benefit.
You can overcome it not with psychological suggestions, but by completing a series of tasks step by step . They are not anything complicated or scary; on the contrary, everything is quite simple.
Below we present a program, the implementation of which, we hope, will overcome this problem.
Exercises to get used to water
From our point of view, as a first step, the most optimal program for this is the program of action recommended by swimming coach Denis Tarakanov.
The point of this program is to get used to the water and learn to relax in it.
It is best to start in a very shallow, warm pool - one that is very shallow enough to allow you to sit in the water. If you have an extremely strong fear of water, your task is to simply sit in warm water and learn to relax in it.
You don't need to start swimming or do anything else - just get used to being in the water .
Take your time - take as much time as you need. In extreme cases, if necessary, you can even spend several months simply relaxing in shallow warm water.
The sequence of actions is clearly shown in this video:
You should develop a feeling of comfort and relaxation from being in the water, then this feeling should “get bored” and you should have a desire to take the next step.
If it is not possible to do this exercise in a shallow pool, then you can do it on the shore of a lake or sea, but with the following reservations:
- shallow near the shore , the water should be warm and pleasant.
- There should be no waves , staying in the water should be extremely comfortable.
If there is neither a shallow pool nor the necessary body of water nearby, or if the fear of them is very high, then as a “zero” step you can teach the body not to be afraid of water at home in the shower :
- at first the water should pour only on the back;
- then we put our heads under water and breathe only through our mouths - we get used to breathing in water.
Head Dive
The next step is to train your face to submerge in water..
The fact is that very often the fear of water is associated with the fear of choking, which is enhanced by the discomfort of water getting into the nose. Many people dislike the very act of immersing oneself in water.
Therefore, we move on to the next task, which can be done even at home - in the bathroom, or with a basin of water, or in the pool or open water.
You can close your eyes, but it is much better to wear swimming goggles.
Procedure:
- We lower our face into the water for just a couple of seconds. We don’t plug our nose with our hands, but we don’t breathe either.
- Then we lift it and at the moment of lifting we exhale sharply through our nose in order to completely clear the nose if anything gets into it.
- Take your time - repeat this task as many times as required. You can gradually increase the duration of immersion in the water.
Your task is to ensure that you lower your face into the water, including your nose, without experiencing any discomfort.
If you don't feel comfortable putting your head in the water, you can also try gradual squats into the water in a pool, as shown in this video:
Horizontal body position
The next stage is to take a completely horizontal position in the water, with your face lowered into the water.
Like the previous ones, this task is done entirely in shallow water , where the depth is maximum up to your knees.
Grasp the bottom of the pool (or body of water) with both hands, inhale and extend your legs so that your body is lying in the water, your head is lowered into the water .
Relax your neck, relax completely.
Do as many repetitions as necessary to get used to keeping your body and head in the water.
Freestyle and breaststroke
The two most famous styles are crawl and breaststroke. They are often used in competitions, but mastering them is very different. The crawl is much simpler than the breaststroke, so it’s better to start with it.
Learning the style is quite easy: you need to lie on your stomach in the water and swing your legs and stroke with your arms. The breathing rhythm consists of inhaling for every second stroke.
Swimming breaststroke requires synchronized action of all limbs. This is more difficult than the rabbit, but not much. The movements are similar to the swimming of a frog.
First movements
Follow all the previous steps until being in shallow water and having your nose in the water does not cause you discomfort. This may take from several days to several months, we repeat: take your time.
Then the next step is to learn to lie on the water with your face down in shallow water.
As in the previous exercise, inhale and lie down, holding the bottom with both hands. Then we release one hand. After several such attempts, we release both hands. Finally, we stretch both arms forward and lie face down in the water .
Having learned to lie in the water, we make the first movements with our legs.
The whole sequence of actions, thanks to which an adult who is afraid of water can quickly learn to swim, is very well shown in this video:
In addition to this video, the next step after the steps shown in this video is to also learn how to exhale through your nose or mouth into the water .
This can be done near the shore or at the edge of the pool - inhale through your mouth, lower your face and exhale into the water. Try to get used to exhaling through your nose (exhaling through your mouth is required during intense sports swimming). Read more about inhalation, exhalation and proper breathing in swimming in this article.
How to learn to swim crawl and breaststroke?
The easiest to learn for a beginner swimmer is the crawl. This technique is not very difficult to master. They lie face down on the water and begin to move their legs alternately, lowering and raising them. At the same time they wave their arms. First, one of the hands is brought forward, lowered into the water, and the palm folded into a bucket is stroked towards the thigh. Make the same movement with the other hand.
When swimming crawl, air is taken into the lungs every second stroke. To inhale, the head is first taken out of the water and then turned towards the moving hand. You should try to take in air with your lungs as much as possible. Without sufficient oxygen levels it is impossible to swim for a long time.
Breaststroke is a little more difficult than crawl, but you can master it quite quickly. The main thing to take into account is that the movements when swimming breaststroke should be synchronous and similar to those made by a swimming frog. It is more difficult to learn to swim butterfly. It is recommended to master this technique with an experienced trainer. The specialist will demonstrate the movements using his own example and check that they are performed correctly.
Competitive swimming requires special training. It is almost impossible to prepare an adult for a professional swimmer career. Appropriate training and loads should begin in childhood.
How to learn to swim from scratch in 30 minutes. Swimming lessons for beginners
How to get rid of the fear of great depths
If you have learned to lie in the water and at least somehow swim in shallow water (technique is not important now, you can even do it like a dog), then you should no longer have problems getting into the water and immersing yourself in it.
As a rule, in most cases this already removes the fear of water and the fear of choking.
If you still have a fear of depth, then within reasonable limits this is generally normal for any person; this is an instinct of self-preservation.
Do not start swimming at depth unless there is a qualified instructor nearby, a person who will supervise you and provide all the necessary assistance!
If there is an instructor nearby and objectively has every opportunity to help, but even with his support you are still afraid of the depth, then try one of the following exercises :
Swimming with a swim board . Hold onto the swimming board with your hands - this is a kind of analogue of a lifebuoy that prevents the body from drowning. Swim using your legs. You can train this kind of swimming in shallow water and then gradually move on to swimming in deep water (we repeat, under the control and with the safety of an instructor!).
- Psychology exercise: “drown in 30 seconds”.
This exercise is offered by the instructors of the Swim Rocket school, its meaning: being in fairly shallow water (where you can stand on your feet), take a horizontal position in the water, that is, lie down on the water, and with all your might try to completely submerge under the water - “drown”.You should have an instructor with you who will insure you and at the same time time you, giving you only 30 seconds for this task.
To the surprise of the swimmer, it turns out that if you take a horizontal position in the water, you cannot drown.
This gives an increase in psychological confidence for further activities.
The “drown in 30 seconds” technique is demonstrated in this video:
How to move your arms and legs correctly?
Full swimming is impossible without practicing movements with your arms and legs. Hands in the water move reflexively. It is much more difficult to master movements of the lower limbs. Without the help of your legs, you won’t be able to keep your body on the water and develop speed. The main thing, when starting to hone the movement of your legs, is to remember that your toes should always be extended.
When learning to swim crawl, the movements of the legs are sharp and fast. The more intense the impacts, the greater the speed developed. Breaststroke requires a different technique of movement, reminiscent of the movement of a frog in water. It’s easier to learn to move your legs by mastering the breaststroke, holding your hands either on the side of the pool, or using a special board that supports the swimmer on the water.
What to do if your child is afraid to swim in the pool
First, remember the main rule of children's swimming: a child of any age, even one who knows how to swim, should only be in the water under adult supervision!
Next, if your child is afraid to go into the water, we will give the following recommendations:
- the water should be warm and there should be no waves;
- If we are talking about a baby, then you should not force him into warm and comfortable water. Let him grow up a little and want to swim himself;
- do not scold him under any circumstances . Take this calmly and, if possible, turn the situation into a positive one. A child’s fear of getting water in his nose and your scolding can put a strong thought in his head: “this should never happen again,” and then that very fear of water begins, which this article is dedicated to getting rid of.
How to stay on the water?
To learn how to swim correctly in any of the styles, you first need to master how to stay on the water. The “star” exercise allows you to do this.
It is carried out in the following order:
- Inhale
More air is taken into the lungs;
- Dive
The face is lowered into the water, and the limbs are moved to the side so that the body forms something like a “star”;
- Holding
You need to remain in the same position for as long as possible. While in water, you cannot exhale. Otherwise, the dive will begin immediately.
“ Star ” is an exercise to overcome fear of water. It allows you to learn how to properly stay on the surface of the water by drawing air into your lungs, without resorting to making movements with your legs and arms. A person who has successfully mastered the “star” can safely move on to technical training of movements.
Causes of fear in adults
- If we are talking about a moderate fear of water, then its main reason is the instinct of self-preservation, combined with the inability to swim .
- If we are talking about extreme cases of non-acceptance of water, then their cause may be precisely an unsuccessful experience with water in childhood . For example, the situation described above, when water got into the child’s nose, he “drank too much water” and was afraid that he would choke, and against the background of this, his parents scolded him severely.
- Similarly, this phobia can develop from cases of forcibly immersing children in water.
For the last two cases, it is especially important to accustom your nose to being in water , learn to exhale into it, and let yourself understand that nothing bad will happen from immersing your nose in water.
What is this phobia called?
Officially, the fear of water is called “Hydrophobia” .
According to Wikipedia, celebrities also have this phobia, including Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer.
We hope that the tips in this article will allow you to successfully overcome any aversion to being in the water.
We also recommend that you read our general article about what proper swimming is, and other articles from the “How to learn to swim” section. We hope that with their help, your stay in the water will be pleasant and useful.
