How Long Does It Take To Learn Swim?

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Learning to swim is a job that requires a lot of passion and consistency. The persistent you are the better it will be. The time each swimmer takes to learn swimming is different from the other one. It depends on the body’s physiological conditions, practice, age, fitness, flexibility, coordination and most importantly the Hydrophobia (the fear of water) (the fear of drowning in water).

Depending On Age And Consistency:

Every person is different with different. As with other skills, learning swimming is never perfect. You always learn to know more and more as you are in the water.

It is said that the earlier it is the better it is. However, it does not mean that late age enrolment can lead to the inability to learn quickly.

It all depend s on your perseverance, dedication, and consistency.

The more you invest the more you get.

How Long Children Take To Learn To Swim:

How Long Does It Take To Learn Swim?

For children it is almost impossible to measure exactly how fast or how long will he take to learn swim. As you never ask how long my child will take to learn writing properly. It is the same as with swimming and other sports like football, volleyball, cycling, basketball etc.

However, we can provide you with a rough estimate that most of the children follow:

Age Skill
0-24 Moths Breathe Control,
Self-Rescue,
Back Float
2-3 Years Independent Swimming,
Well Organised Movements
3 Years And Up Better Swimming Strokes,
Well OrganiSed And Well-Structured Learning. Fast Swimming

Again, not all of the children follow this pattern. Some are likely to gain proficiency earlier in life. Some learn it slowly.

However, make one thing very clear. Once your child is into it, he will learn to swim eventually.

The fact is the more the child is comfortable with water the faster he will learn to swim. So, let every child take his proper time. Do not impose the things he cannot handle properly. Otherwise, you will get nothing but destroying the whole thing.

Best Age To Start Learning Swimming:

It is a common question that when should I get my child to learn to swim. Does an older child do better than a younger one of 6 months old?

We receive many same questions daily.

Case-Specific:

It all depends on the child’s natural skills and abilities. However, from 6-18 months a child usually do not have a fear of water. Therefore, it can be a plus point. You may say he can learn things easily at this age. Alternatively, even if he does not learn independent swimming, he can learn to rescue himself and some basic moves.

You can make your 2-year-old child an expert with continuous and frequent lessons. He can gain as much expertise as 5 years old.

Enroll When Young:

We advise you to make your children get into swimming as early as he can. This will make the whole learning process more natural and comfortable.

Therefore, you cannot say that the later enrolment will make your child faster. Moreover, if your child has some degree of hydrophobia it can be a challenge. Along with that, if he is facing difficulty in coordinating his motions of arm and leg, it can cause the whole process even slower.

So, our bet remains the same. Enroll your child in swimming class as early as you can.

Always Make Your Child Learn To Swim:

There is a famous quote, which points out the importance of making your child learn to swim,

“No matter whether you’re an Olympic swimmer or you’re someone who doesn’t like to swim, your kids should learn this life skill. You can’t be next to them every second, so they must be able to relax in the water and get themselves to safety.”

How Long The Adult Take To Learn To Swim:

For adults, the same rule follows. Moreover, if you have learned some basic moves in your childhood you can learn swimming much faster. It also depends on how long you can hold your breath in water.

Acceptance Matters:

You should accept that even if you see a 5-year child swimming like a pro it is not easy. You should know that not all the bodies are naturally designed for swimming and not everyone is swimming literate.

Extra Effort:

You may need to take some extra classes, do extra drills, and have swimming lessons thrice a week.

Repeat Exercise:

You may see your trainer asking to repeat the same exercise every day. You may be quite impatient to learn new exercise and strokes. However, wait, do you know

It takes 21-30 days to make and exercise a habit. This is how it gets into your bones. Your body then takes it as a daily activity necessary for survival. In this way, it will show the least resistance to it.

So, repeating the same exercise every day and swimming 3 to 4 times a week can make you a strong proficient swimmer in the long run. Moreover, it is a crucial step in learning the skill, swimming, faster.

Frequency Of Classes:

The frequency of the classes you take in the week affect your progression. The most probable frequency list is given as:

Frequency of Class Proficiency Achieved
One Session A Week Maintenance Sessions For Swimming, A Slower Process
Two Or Three Classes A Week The Beginner, An Individual Will Learn Swimming In 3-6 Months
Once A Day For Six Days A Week Quicker, A Person Will Become Master Of Swimming And Diving
Twice A Day Six Days A Week Proficient And Professional Swimmer

Holiday Programs:

Holiday programs aim to teach a lot in a small duration. You need to take a holiday program made for fast learning. These programs practical hasten the learning process, provide some cool tips, and give a chance of much more practice.

5 Stages Of Learning Swimming:

Swimming is always taught stepwise and gradually. Candidates usually get training in five stages. These are as under:

B-Body Position and Posture

L-Legs Movement and Exercise

A-Arms Movement and Exercise

B-Do Breathing practice. Hold the breath for maximum possible time

T-Manage timings, improve skill and ensure proficiency.

We follow this pattern in all the conditions and in all the style. You learn different strokes gradually by following the same pattern.

The sequence of learning different strokes is as

You learn how to master Front crawl first.

It is followed by teaching Backstroke.

It makes you ready to learn the most crucial and time taking breaststroke.

It will then lead to learning the professional butterfly stroke.

A Combination Swimmer:

If you consider learning one stroke can make you a better and faster swimmer, then you can be wrong. The best swimmer is the one who invests enough time to learn and master all strokes. He then can combine them to get maximum output. In this way, the professional swimmers gain competency, difficult to challenge.

Some Useful Tips When You Start To Learn To Swim:

Whenever you start learning to swim, either as a child or adult, you need to focus on timings and consistency. Give your body enough time to adopt different moves. Following techniques can help you have a great start:

  1. Have a trainer
  2. Start over in shallow pools
  3. Have your goggles
  4. Practice a lot
  5. Spend maximum time in the water
  6. Get Habitual
  7. Practice holding your breath
  8. Focus on every move of freestyle
  9. Use fins
  10. Private swim lessons.
  11. No Winter Breaks

Focusing on these steps will hasten the learning process. Ultimately, an expert will come out!

Have A Trainer:

Always have a swimming expert coach or trainer. A coach will guide you on how to take things properly. He will introduce you with some cool techniques, tips and tricks to make things easier for you. It will not only hasten your learning process but also keep you safe and secure.

A trainer will help you make your strokes better. Thus, enroll in the swimming lessons and take the class at least once a week.

Start Over In A Shallow Pool:

Always start over in a shallow pool. If you are afraid of water, never try to plunge directly in deep water. Make water a friend. Reach the depth you are comfortable. Always be slow and patient. Stand in water and assume the height you can easily handle.

Have Your Goggles:

Most of the time you dive into the water, your vision is blurred. Having the goggles will make it easy to see underwater. It will also protect your cornea. So, never forget to buy a good pair of goggles when you enter your swimming lessons.

Practice A Lot:

There is only a master key to learn swimming in weeks.

Do practice. Practice a lot.

There is a famous saying

Practice makes a man perfect.

The least you can do is have classes thrice in a month. The more you invest, the more you get.

Spend Maximum Time In The Water:

Spend the maximum time in the water. Wherever you get a chance, have a dive. Believe me; the water rewards each of his friends. Make your body more habitual with water. Once you start feeling it like your home, you will be an expert swimmer. Water is 90% of the body. Therefore, why do not you want your body submerged into its vital part?

Get Habitual:

Get habitual of swimming. Once you are comfortable with swimming four times a week, you should know you are a swimmer now. Love to get wet! Every time you learn a new move to practice a lot. Repeat, repeat, and repeat.

Practice Holding Your Breath:

Try to hold your breath as long as you can. It enhances your endurance in the water and makes you swim faster. The proficiency in swimming lies in the fact that how much organized is your strokes. Moreover, it also depends on how long you can stay in the water.

Never try to force you to stay inside for a longer time if you cannot handle it!

Once you are into it, your body will adapt things slowly.

Focus On Every Move Of Freestyle:

You may think freestyle is an easy thing to achieve. It is the most organized and well-managed swimming style. Focus on each move. It is the only way you can learn swimming faster.

Use Fins:

For a beginner to learn swimming faster, fins can be of great help. Look into using fins ho help you streamline your body with water waves. It will also provide you with your required speed.

Private Swimming Lessons:

It is clear from the statistics that the private swimming lessons show a better result than group swimming. It is because, in private swimming lessons, the whole attention of the instructor is on one individual than in the group swimming. He can recognize the shortcomings in a better way

So, if you are not getting comfortable in the group swimming lessons, opt for private lessons. You can also adjust the frequency and timing of classes according to your desire.

No Winter Breaks:

Quitting exercise and swimming in winters can be a terrible mistake. It can even turn back to day 1 level or make you a beginner from being proficient. The only way to catch up things faster is to learn them with consistency. If you are afraid of getting cold, then opt for a different club. Most of the swimming pool managers adjust indoor temperatures in winter. Moreover, they make the water temperature close to body temperature to provide a more comfortable swimming experience. This will omit the chance of getting ill due to cold and ensures a cozy and healthy environment.

Key TakeAways:

  1. You can enrol your child in swimming from 6 months of his age.
  2. The time every individual takes to learn to swim depends on physiological conditions, frequency of lessons, persistence, and hard work.
  3. Adults need some extra time to learn to swim and adjust their body with swimming moves.
  4. Following points can help you in learning swimming faster:
  • Have a trainer
  • Start over in shallow pools
  • Have your goggles
  • Practice a lot
  • Spend maximum time in the water
  • Get Habitual
  • Practice holding your breath
  • Focus on every move of freestyle
  • Use fins
  • Private swim lessons

The more consistent you are, the faster you will learn.