Swimming is a vital skill that ensures your safety and allows you to have fun in the water. Not only can swimming benefit a child’s development, but basic swimming skills are also valuable when it comes to preventing drowning. As such, it is no wonder that swimming programmes for toddlers, kids, and adults are in-demand in Singapore and beyond. However, although swimming is a learnable skill, some people refuse to swim or shy away from trying to learn it.

 

For some, the fear of water is the primary reason they can’t swim. For others, they may simply not have the time to learn to swim. If you have yet to master basic swimming skills, fret not! In this article, we discuss some possible reasons that might be holding you back from becoming a confident swimmer.

 

1. Fear of water

Fear of water is one of the most common barriers to learning how to swim. This fear is typically a consequence of a traumatic event in the past, such as a near-drowning situation. If you are afraid to swim due to a traumatic experience in the water, seeking professional guidance to address your fear is necessary. Specifically, a qualified therapist may help you understand the root cause of your anxiety and give you strategies for overcoming it.

 

On the other hand, there are also people who are reluctant to swim in the water simply because they fear the unknown. For instance, they are afraid that they might not be able to breathe or that something terrible will happen when immersed in water. To overcome this fear, finding a qualified Singapore swim coach to teach you how to swim in a comfortable and safe environment is highly advised.

 

2. Lack of buoyancy 

Naturally, the human body floats in the water because it is less dense compared to water. Nonetheless, buoyancy varies from person to person. Some people are less buoyant than others and, therefore, find it more challenging to stay afloat in the water. This lack of adequate buoyancy may be caused by a variety of reasons.

 

For one, lack of buoyancy may be due to the composition of your body, such as having a high muscle mass or low body fat percentage. In some instances, it can also be caused by a physical disability that impacts an individual’s ability to move around in the water. If you think you are less buoyant, you should first try swimming in shallow areas, where you can relax and work on your breathing while learning to float.

 

3. Poor swimming techniques or instructors

Sometimes, a person’s reluctance to swim may be simply due to the fact that they have not learned how to swim correctly, either because they have never bothered to try or the swimming programmes they’ve attempted did not meet their needs. To be able to swim successfully, you need to do more than just kick your feet while holding onto a kickboard. In Particular, you need to learn how to control your breathing, float, coordinate your body movements, and execute strokes.

 

To learn all of these essential swimming skills, you need the guidance of a swimming instructor with certification in Singapore. A certified swimming instructor should be able to teach you the fundamentals of swimming while ensuring that you feel safe and are having fun along the way. When selecting a swimming instructor, be sure to choose someone with impressive training, experience, specialisation, and people skills. 

 

Conclusion

Although swimming is a fun and effective exercise, not everyone enjoys it. There are various reasons why some people cannot swim, and it is crucial to understand their reasons instead of questioning them for being unable to swim. Ultimately, the best way to learn how to swim is to do so under the guidance of a qualified and certified swimming teacher.

For the most reliable, comprehensive, and fun swimming programmes, Swimwerks is the aquatics school you should go to! We offer a range of swimming lessons in Singapore, including kids swimming lessons, private swimming lessons, and female swimming lessons.

All our lessons are conducted in an engaging and interactive way, so you will surely have loads of fun while learning. Sign up today to get started!