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.
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.
If fear is stopping you from learning, check out our guide on Afraid to Swim as an Adult in Singapore? Here Is What Private Lessons Change to learn how private lessons can help you build confidence in the water.
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.
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.
We really believe in this. From our experience teaching adult beginners all over Singapore, it is not usually the water that holds them back. More often, it is a bad first experience, an unsuitable instructor, or the feeling that they’ve missed their chance to learn. Every week, our coaches show that this isn’t true. Adults in their 40s, 50s, and older learn to swim with us from scratch, often picking it up faster than kids after overcoming their fears.
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.
At Swimwerks, we believe fear and slow progress are never a reason to give up on swimming. 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!
Absolutely not! It’s never too late to pick up swimming. At Swimwerks, we see many adults in their 40s, 50s, and even older starting from square one. In fact, adults often grasp techniques faster than kids because they listen closely to instructions. The biggest challenge usually isn’t about skills; it’s about building confidence.
A great way to tackle this is by beginning in shallow water with a caring, certified instructor. Go at your own pace and take small steps, like starting with getting your face wet, then working on breath control, floating, and gliding. If your fear comes from a past experience, like a near-drowning, it might help to combine swimming lessons with support from a therapist. Private lessons are also a smart choice since they let you set the pace without the added pressure of a group.
Floating can be tricky, and it largely depends on body composition. People with more muscle mass and less body fat often have a harder time staying afloat. However, with the right technique, you can float almost effortlessly. Important skills like breath control (keeping your lungs full helps) and maintaining the right body position will make a difference. A good instructor can show you how to work with your body type.
On average, most adults can gain basic confidence and learn to float between 5 to 10 lessons. If you’re aiming to swim freestyle, it could take about 3 to 6 months with weekly lessons. If you have a fear of water, you might need a bit more time, and that’s completely okay.
Learn more about the timeline in our guide: How Long Does It Take to Learn to Swim as an Adult
Definitely! Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise because it’s gentle on the joints and can be adapted to different mobility needs. If you have specific requirements, please let us know when you inquire, and we’ll match you with an instructor and pool that best fit your needs.
San Htar is the SEO Specialist at Swimwerks Singapore, where she manages SEO and content strategy. With several years of experience in digital marketing across Southeast Asia, she has worked across SEO, paid media, and content for businesses in multiple industries. At Swimwerks, she focuses on creating content that helps people in Singapore can actually find the information they need when looking for swimming lessons for their kids and adults. Swimwerks is one of Singapore’s trusted swimming schools, with over 6 years of experience, more than 1,000 students coached, and a presence across 30 locations island-wide, from ActiveSG pools to condominiums across Singapore.
