How I learned to swim

HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM

Our dep ed Amanda Khouv goes back to basics

Despite being a fitness fanatic, our deputy editor Amanda Khouv had never mastered the art of swimming. She explains how she went back to basics…

Until a month ago, I couldn’t swim. And I don’t mean that the way most people mean it – that they can’t swim well but they can still make it from one side of a pool to the other without drowning. I really couldn’t swim one tiny bit. Not one length, not one width, not even one metre.

I’m in my late twenties, so a lot of people find this hard to believe. Yes, I learned when I was a kid. Yes, you can forget how to do it. And in recent years, I’ve been under pressure to take up lessons: it’s a life skill, I’d love to do a triathlon, I want to see the Great Barrier Reef and so on – there are so many reasons why it’s a good idea. And not even being scared of the water, I really had no excuse.

‘Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises,’ says Swimming Nature instructor Katerina Karagianni. ‘It also improves the immune and neuromuscular systems, creating a strong body without injuring joints and bones.’

But despite this, why do so many adults – myself included – find it difficult to dedicate time to learning? Having taken lessons with Swimming Nature at Fitness First, the most important thing I’ve learned so far is patience. It’s frustrating not being able to do what you’ve set out to do from the get-go, but swimming is way more technically involved than people think. Generating movement from the correct muscle groups and strengthening your body in all the right places is far more important than speed. The sooner I realised this, the better I got.

‘The best way to improve your technique is to isolate movements and use plenty of swimming drills,’ Katerina adds. Being in the water can feel unnatural to some people (it did to me), so another top tip is to allow yourself to breathe naturally. I found myself holding my breath for periods without realising. ‘You should inhale when your face is out of the water and exhale, blowing bubbles, when your face is in the water,’ Katerina says.

Remembering tips like this in bitesize chunks is the way forward. Rather than aiming for the Ironman or a swim across the English Channel, set small and achievable goals, and tick them off as you go. The best part? You’ll be getting fit along the way, whether that was one of your reasons to learn or not.

So get your swimsuit, cap and goggles on (all crucial), get your form nailed and hit the pool. I did!

‘The best way to improve your technique is to isolate movements and use plenty of swimming drills’