Still Struggling
2 months ago
This is sooo difficult – I just can’t stop my legs from sinking – and have no way of correcting myself when it happens :/
How to learn to swim free-style
It made me
Fitter 
"Through determination, perserverence, reading, practise and training I finally managed to float, breath and move all at the same time."
How I did it: I approached this from a number of ways: 1. you tube research
2. reading swimming books
3. watching good swimmers
4. joining a swimming class
I found good advise and tips from all sources, but in the end I just had to try and try again until I found out how to breathe without sinking.
I have just managed to do 10 lengths - hardly professionally or quickly - but that was the success criteria that I adopted.
Lessons & tips: Keep trying, flutter kick until it improves, breathing until you can float as well (use floats too).
Joining a class of similarly skilled people helped too, as I didn't feel so inadequate!
Resources: you tube
total immersion (book)
local instructors
People doing this are also doing these things:
Entries
Progress
4 months ago
I got some success with this on Sunday. The hardest part of doing freestyle (for me) is to stay on top of the water (ie keep my bottom up). So I swam with a pull boy – which helps do just that. It is a float that I put between my thighs.
The other thing that helped, which I have never done before, was to use hand paddles. These seemed to make the stroke a lot easier for me, and I managed 10 lengths non-stop.
It is still work in progress – as I haven’t got the kick right, and I struggle without the assistance of floats etc, but it felt good all the same. I’m starting to feel I can get there – and that is a nice feeling :)
Practising
4 months ago
After adding this as a goal, I’ve been inpired set about trying to learn the stroke! My success criteria with regards the task is to swim 10 lengths.
One of my biggest issues is with the kick. To that end, I thought it would be good to get some fins to train with. Great, with the kick-board I’m up and down the pool in no time. Trouble is, when I take them off, I’m stationary with the kick board, and move very slowly without it.
Problems, problems – still I guess it wouldn’t be a challenge otherwise :)
It's not Olympic quality...
15 months ago
but it keeps my head above water and moves me across the pool, and that’s what counts. :)
kellbear is wheezing through allergy season
My swimming saga
18 months ago
I’m 33 years old, and I’m in week 5 of beginning adult swimming lessons. I could use a lot of practice, but I can actually get from one end of the small pool to the other. Next goal: from one end of the large pool to the other without stopping.
Starting
2 years ago
Ok so I have done my fair share of swimming in life, grew up on a lake! But ive gone to the pool for the past week and its ahrd to get the tech down for this. Im an avid cyclist up to 150 miles in one day, and a runner mini marathons and such but this just wears me out!! Any suggestions???
swim
2 years ago
So I finally learned how to swim/thread water in March. Now it’s just getting to do it without exhausting myself—staying relaxed, etc.
I have never been able to swim without getting completely exhausted. I know if I learn better form I can swim relaxed and for longer periods, but I need help.
Another month or so...
2 years ago
Just about to start this. Have another month to go before I can start. I think it would be a great cross-training exercise. Now to find a pool. I live 40 minutes from any town with a pool in it lol.
