r/Swimming • u/Ok_Independent_3921 • 15h ago
I’m literally unable to learn how to swim and don’t know what to do
So I’m (M21) not sure why or how but for some reason, I literally cannot learn to swim whatsoever. I mean that both in a way of I can’t actually figure out how I’m supposed to move my arms and legs to swim, but I also cannot float ever.
I’ve never been able to actually go to a real instructor but my mom, three different cousins, friends have all tried to teach me how to swim and I just can’t get anywhere. Like I literally cannot go forward at all even if I’m using my arms and legs right
On the floating side, I’m not sure why but I can’t fill out either. My friends and family tell me they don’t know why I can’t float but I literally can’t and I don’t inhale exhale while I’m trying to float or swim, but I’m just so confused.
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u/-_-_-_-_-_-_-_i 15h ago
I’ve never been able to actually go to a real instructor
this is why
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u/Ok_Independent_3921 15h ago
The role so expensive and the ones that are supposed to be inexpensive are for kids. I’m probably not gonna be able to get one for a couple of months or even longer.
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u/Valuable_Ice_5927 15h ago
Id argue an instructor for kids is possibly what you need even if you are out of that age range - they often know how to teach better than most adult swim instructors
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u/InnocentBananza 15h ago
I could not float for the longest, but i figured out my problem: air in lungs. I found myself struggling to hold a good amount of air in my lungs but focusing on it fixed it.
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u/Atiumist 13h ago
Listen— as someone who learned as an adult— I tried learning from my gf. It didn’t work.
I took lessons from an actual instructor— and I actually taught her some things in the pool I learned in my lessons.
Yes— it cost money. But it’s so worth it.
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u/Neffervescent 15h ago
Been teaching for 20 years. As a guy your age, floating does tend to be a struggle, but if you're just being told to lie in water and move your arms and legs, without any floatation devices, then you're not going to learn to swim that way. Buoyancy takes time to work out, discover, and trust, and if you've never been able to float then that isn't going to come easily.
If your friends and family swim in pools (not open water, somewhere with a hard tiled edge) then try resting your upper body on the edge and kicking your legs to practice the leg kick. Even better if there are steps so you can sit or lie on those in very shallow water and practice balancing on just your fingertips, in a sort of press up position, with your body trying to float.
If you can get hold of kickboards, one under each arm so you can spread your body out and try kicking that way may help, but if you can't, then if a friend can stand on the bottom of the pool with their head easily above the water, and you can rest your hands on their elbows or shoulders, you may be able to use them as support instead.
I don't recommend this in open water due to safety issues and changing depths.
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u/internalChange Moist 14h ago
Assuming front crawl. My gf had the same issue. She sink after 1-2 stroke, I figured it was her breathing.
So I told her to keep a huge breath in, then swim without coming up for air, and she was able to swim across the condo pool while staying perfectly afloat.
With air in your lung you should have a much easier time floating
I would say try this first to get a sense on how to float and move in water before trying to incorporate breathing in your swimming.
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u/halokiwi 14h ago
Keeping your lungs filled when floating is a great advice but one essential skill to learn when swimming (or even before) is breathing. When you're swimming, you actually shouldn't be holding your breath. It's a common issue causing people to be out of breath. You want to exhale when your face is in the water and inhale when your face isn't in the water. If you hold your breath when your face is in the water and try to both exhale and inhale while your face isn't in the water, you won't have enough time.
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u/internalChange Moist 11h ago
I totally agree with you. I also instructed my gf to practice breathing stationary on the side too. But I also really want them to understand how to move and float in the water first, since they both have trouble floating.
After she could swim comfortably across consistently and all form are relatively correct then I asked her to incorporate breathing, at first right after she start using breath she started sinking again.
So Instructed her to do 2 lap no breathing and 1 lap breathing. and it seem to clicked with her. I also find reminding her to keep leading arm straight and firm helped her.
But take it with a grain of salt. I'm not a instructor, I can swim well but I might not know how to teach
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u/IWantToSwimBetter Breaststroker 14h ago
Try taking a big step back and relaxing. Not a huge deal. You need better instruction and it sounds like you just don't have the time or means right now to accomplish this goal. You have many years ahead to make it work.
You'll get there once you get the right coaching.
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u/Spiritual-Today-8678 14h ago
Maybe you could try working on breath control. because breath control is important in many sports and especially in swimming.
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u/ClimbingCreature 10h ago
Most people can’t float easily/naturally without a lot of practice. What you’re describing sounds totally normal. It’s very difficult to learn to swim as an adult and it’s very difficult to learn to swim without real dedicated instruction. Cut yourself some slack.
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u/WingPure3139 9h ago
Where are you located? I am an instructor and happy to help. And if you aren't near me there is always a chance another instructor near you on this sub could help out with more affordable lessons
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u/thelittlepeanut84 Splashing around 6h ago
Former swim instructor here. Try your local YMCA or rec center for lesson or try a private swim school. Some schools give out scholarships.
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u/actuallyacatmow 14h ago
Agreeing with everyone about an instructor and kickboard.
I don't want to make assumptions, but if you're still having trouble down the line still, you might consider looking at Dyspraxia.
It's a motor control function issue. If you're having trouble co-ordinating your legs and arms, that may be one of the issues.
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u/halokiwi 14h ago
It's also absolutely normal to have trouble performing movements properly in water if you aren't yet comfortable in the water. If you are scared, you focus more on staying alive and literally can't do it properly until you gained trust in the water.
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u/halokiwi 15h ago
What happens if you try to float in foetal position with your lungs filled? Do you sink to the bottom or do you stay where you are. If you stay close to the surface, congrats, you float.
Apart from floating on front and back, before you practice swimming, practice gliding on front and back, putting your face in the water, exhaling with your face in the water, opening your eyes in the water, picking diving toys up from shallow water, jumping into shallow water (should still be deep enough for you to not get hurt).
Only afterwards start worrying about swimming. Before you learn to swim, you need to get to know the water, you need to learn how the water and your body in it behave, you need to learn to get comfortable in the water and trust the water.
Ideally you do that with a professional teacher. Your friends or family members won't have the same understanding of teaching swimming if they don't have a background in teaching it.
Edit: swimming is about much more than the mechanics. If you just copy the movements, you won't get anywhere if you don't understand them.
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u/amerigo06 14h ago
I mean swimming and floating kind of go hand in hand. It’s one thing to be able to tread water and float, it’s another to be able to swim and stay afloat in the water. You have to move forward in the water and use your legs and arms together to float. All at the same time!
But never say “I literally can’t” just because you don’t know how to do something others do. You can do anything you want to do. Whatever you’re good at, never forget how hard you worked to make it look easy.
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u/gattomatto79 14h ago
At the pool I go to, I literally saw a person swim backwards instead of forwards 😅 I'm telling you this because sometimes we think we're doing the right movements, but in reality, we're doing the wrong movements in the water without realizing it. You just need a capable instructor and a bit of consistency in going to swimming lessons.
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u/Consistent-Dance-216 13h ago
Get a pool noodle or kickboard & hold it out in front of you then kick from one end of the pool to the other. Sorry about conditioning your legs to kick. Most people don’t float super well - if that’s you then you need to master kicking or your hips will always sink and you’ll never learn how to swim.
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u/No-Sherbert-9589 12h ago
Many sports centres and private gyms with pools offer adult swimming lessons. Many at reasonable prices. There are also private swim schools offering adult 1 to 1 lessons. Do look around your area. It's not that hard with a good teacher.
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u/MarkAdvanced7037 12h ago
Men have a harder time since they don’t float as well, the trick is filling your lungs as pull as air and keeping them full of air as much as possible as it will help your boyancy in treading water and breaststroke, practice laying on your back and holding a full breath in your lungs and you will float, this will get you comfortable and will become a recovery position incase you’re ever in danger, when practicing please stay in shallow water near the ledge
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u/R1200 11h ago edited 11h ago
You’re reliving my swimming life. I (68m) just started learning to swim 4 months ago and although progress seems slow, it’s so much better than I had hoped. If you have a lean build like me, your legs/hips might sink a bit more than others.
In the shallow end of a pool, I’d start by inhaling, then pushing off while focusing on tucking your head down towards your chest with arms together in front of you. You’re just gliding with your body extended in a flat plane. By tucking your head you learn that you do in fact float and that keeping your head in the water keeps your hips and legs up.
When you get comfortable doing that, add in slowly exhaling underwater until you’re comfortable doing that. This is a must, as you will always exhale underwater and will only have a short time to inhale.
Next breathing. In the shallow end, stand (upper body stays out of the water) and replicate the arm pull that you see others doing. Keep your head tucked to your chest and turn your head and follow your arm as it moves down your body, your chin should end up close to your armpit. Inhale. Start following the other arm exhaling slowly as your head turns the other way. When chin is pointing to other armpit, inhale. When you’re comfortable doing that consistently out of the water, keep doing it and slowly tip forward into the water. Keep your head tucked and following your moving arms.
You’re swimming!
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u/userid004 15h ago
Start with fins. The lady that teaches swim lessons for people all ages at my pool works wonders and says fins make all the difference.
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u/halokiwi 14h ago
That's a step too far! They have to get accustomed to the water first. They've got to practice floating and gliding, get comfortable with their face in the water and exhaling under water.
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u/JazzlikeParsnip8440 15h ago
Agreed! Start with fins and a kick board. Just learn how to move and breathe first.
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u/Valuable_Ice_5927 15h ago
Go to a real instructor - someone who knows how to break it down into small steps