Fear is an intimidating instinct. It almost has a life of its own. It talks to us; it makes our heart beat
faster and even at times it controls our choices. Fear is a vital reaction to danger. It helps us protect ourselves from legitimate
threats, it keeps us safe. But
sometimes, what we fear is far from life-or-death and hangs us up for no good
reason. And sometimes our fears can be
overcome.
Being afraid of water is a common fear I see frequently. Most people who come to the aquatic center with
fear of the water are nervous to the degree of not wanting to get their face
wet or not being able to stand on the bottom.
They are anxious about getting a
good breath of air when they want one and not being able to save themselves if
they needed to.
People who don’t know how to swim are often embarrassed,
even ashamed that they are afraid or nervous around the water and some are
reluctant to admit it. Learning to swim is
a life skill. Knowing a few basic
floating, breathing, and stroke techniques gives the swimmer confidence to
enjoy any and all aquatic settings.
The best way to go from a fearful non-swimmer to a confident
swimmer is to take lessons. Group swim
lessons are taught in a group setting of more than three people at a time with
a single instructor. They are frequently
skill specific or age based, beginning to advanced adults for example. Private swim lessons are taught one-on-one;
one instructor to one swimmer. The skill
level and the age of the participant is unimportant because the instructor
teaches from the students’ abilities regardless of age. Typically people advance very quickly in a
private lesson environment.
Beyond getting swim lessons, a few other techniques that
assist in overcoming fear or anxiety of swimming are: Allow yourself to begin slowly. Start where it is shallow and swim only where
you know you can touch. Learn to tread water. Treading water conserves energy and is a
safety skill that keeps your head up when the water is deep. Learn to back float. Floating on your back keeps your face out of
the water and can be relaxing. Finally,
reward yourself as you take steps to overcome your fear.
For more information about learning to swim or to sign up
for group or private swim lessons, contact Palm Desert Aquatic Center
760-565-7467.