After exploring the numerous benefits of swimming, it is no wonder that you've taken a keen interest in swimming lessons. Perhaps it is not even the benefits of swimming that caught your attention, but the fact that by taking swimming lessons, you can push aside your fear of drowning when you are in the water. Staying afloat in water is the easy part. The difficulties of learning how to swim start from the moment you try to perfect the different swimming strokes, kicks, poses, and tricks. You will also need to learn how to swim a full lap without being out of breath.

The good news about swimming is that anyone and everyone can learn how to swim from any age. Another plus of taking up swimming lessons is that you can learn how to swim at any age, and your body will naturally remember how to do the act of swimming even if you are getting into a pool many years thereafter. Swimming is thus a life skill that once you learn will stay with you forever.

There is no exact age that people should start taking swimming lessons, but it is clear that no matter when you learn to swim, you can succeed.

Did you know that swimming can be beneficial for weight loss.

Learning to swim is like learning how to ride a bicycle
You can learn how to swim at any age. Once you learn how to swim, the skill will stick with you throughout your life. Source: Unsplash
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1st lesson free!
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Gugu
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1st lesson free!
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5 (2 review/s)
Dory
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How Long Does it Take to Learn to Swim if You Start at an Early Age?

Many swim instructors are adamant that the younger you are when you start taking swimming lessons, the better it is for you. They advocate the importance of young children getting in the pool and getting wet as swimming instructors realise how much children love being in a pool. Their love for being in a pool is what makes swimming lessons easier for them.

Did you know that babies are born with natural reflexes that enables them to float? If a baby is thrown into a pool, their natural reflexes kick in. If you start your baby in swimming lessons, the swimming instructor will merely help the baby to stay afloat. Babies can only be expected to learn how to float and enjoy the water. Toddlers, however, have a better chance of reaping much more benefit from taking swimming lessons.

Since each individual is different, there is no set in stone time as to how long it will take all children to learn how to swim. Even when children start getting into a pool from as young as 2 or 3 years old, each child progresses differently. Some children will learn how to swim faster while others will take a while to develop their confidence in the pool. The amount of time that it takes children to learn how to swim is mainly dependent on confidence. Children who are confident in water from the onset and have no fear of drowning, push themselves to excel faster and their confidence surely does reflect in their movements in the water.

Children who are scared of the water and lack confidence when in water tend to be too scared to try all the different strokes, movements and techniques in the water without being instructed on how to do these movements.

Check out how you can find good swimming lessons in Johannesburg here.

Swimming lessons for children
Confidence plays a big role in how fast or how slow a child will learn how to swim. Source: Unsplash

Some children become competitive swimmers by taking swimming classes for about 2 years. Some children only start finding their feet the water after 2 years of swimming lessons.

There is no way to ascertain exactly how many swimming classes a child should take before he or she can stop taking swimming lessons completely. In fact, children who have free time after school hours may love to fill that time up with swimming lessons. It is okay to keep your child in swimming classes for a good few years to enable a swimming instructor to guide their every move in the pool. Again, the longer you keep your child in swimming lessons, the more confident he or she will become. If your child is very confident in the water, you can encourage him or her to take up competitive swimming as well.

While it is assumed that children will learn how to swim faster than adults, this is not entirely the case. There is no reason why you cannot start swimming lessons when you are older. In fact, some swimming instructors assert that in just ten swimming lessons adults will be able to stay afloat, swim a lap, and even do the basic strokes in the water.

Again, adults can also take the plunge and learn how to swim, however, it is unclear as to how many classes adult swimmers will need to take until they feel a sense of confidence in the pool.

Taking Swimming Lessons at Swim School

If you are a parent deciding when to put your child in swimming classes, we can advise you that the earlier you start your child off with swimming lessons, the better it will be for your child. Swimming from a young age will help develop parts of your child's body as well as improve your child's coordination too. Knowing how to swim will boost the confidence of your child and in doing so it will make your child far more confident in all spheres of life. Taking swimming classes at a swim school will also enable children to socialise with other children and start discussions with children who are also keen about swimming.

Swimming school is great to get children to mix with other children.
At swim school, children meet with other children who are just as eager swimmer. Source: Unsplash

One option that you have available in terms of allowing your child to take swimming lessons is to enroll your child at a swim school. A swim school is where children or adults of the similar ages get grouped together and have to attend swimming lessons at the times prescribed by the swimming school.

Usually, a larger swimming school has about 3 or 4 instructors all offering swimming lessons and working together to curate swimming programs for each class.

Swimming schools recognise confidence, dedication, and the efforts of all swimming learners by awarding learners with certificates and getting students involved in competitive swimming events.

There is also an option for adults to take up lessons at swimming schools too. However, many adults prefer to take swimming lessons with private swimming coaches.

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Swimming Lessons for Adults

The best option for busy adults who would like to devote some free time to learning how to swim is to take swimming lessons with a private swimming instructor. By relying on the services of a private instructor, you can ask the swim coach to offer these lessons when you are available.

By choosing to take swimming lessons with a private tutor, you can select the swimming instructor that you would like to take lessons with. You can even request that the swimming instructor gives you swimming lessons at your home pool.  For adults who feel that they won't be too confident in the pool or for those who fear being in water, working with a private tutor is excellent to help you overcome your fears and to enable you to overcome your fear at your own pace.

Have we convinced you why you should take swimming lessons?

Swimming classes with a private instructor
Even adults can choose to get into the pool and learn how to swim. Source: Unsplash

Swimming Lessons for Kids

Children also need to know how to swim like fish, so parents who have pools can be less worried about their children drowning in the pool if they are left unattended. For children, it may be a great idea to enrol them in a swim school and it may be a cost-effective option too. However, if you want your child to take swimming lessons at their own times, you are better off finding a private tutor as well. With private tutors, the added bonus is that your child will learn at his or her own pace without being forced into performing strokes that they are not ready to try just because everyone else is performing the stroke.

For parents who are keen about having their children participate in competitive swimming endeavors as well as swimming galas, they can also reach out to a swimming instructor who will aid in getting the child ready to compete.

The best way to find the right tutor in South Africa for your child is to take a look at the Superprof site. On the Superprof site, you can scroll through the various swimming coaches' profiles, narrowing down your search to find tutors who are specifically tutoring in your area. The great part of using the Superprof site is the fact that you can read reviews left by previous clients and know exactly how experienced a swimming instructor is.

Don't be hesitant to get your child started with swimming lessons as it will be highly beneficial to them throughout their life. A few swimming lessons is all it takes to get your child comfortable in the water and in no time he or she will be able to reap the numerous benefits that constantly swimming has to offer.

As per the saying in the famous movie, "Finding Nemo," "Just keep swimming."

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Laila Abramjee

Laila is an enthusiastic English educator and a fun-filled freelance writer. She has accomplished her dream of getting her first book published and has managed to write over 1 000 000 words since beginning her freelance career. In her free time, she is a travel blogger who explores all South Africa has to offer.