is it a bad thing that i don't know how to swim?
360856
i advise u go jump in a river
300100
I recommend you start learning while wearing fins.  It's a lot easier to get your timing correct if you have a powerful kick.  \n\nI always start teaching the body undulation.  Butterfly is not flat, your body . . . ripples from fingers to toes as you swim.\n\n1.  With fins, do 12x25m dolphin kick just under the surface of the water.  Hands out in front and time it as follows:\nKick once and press your chest down and forward in the water.  This will cause your torso to go down and your hips to come up.  Now kick again and arch your back, pointing your hands and face up at the surface of the water.  This will make your torso go up and your hips go down.  This "kick your body down, kick your body up" is one cycle of butterfly stroke.  At this point, you should look for the path of least resistance in the water.  It should all be easy and smooth and once cycle should take 3-4 seconds, not too fast.\n\nNow the pull.  With your hands out in front, shoulder width apart, press your hands down toward your waist (it's alright if they widen a little as they go down).  When your hands pass your shoulders on their way down, start bringing them in towards each other.  By the time your hands pass your belly button, the inside edges of your index fingers should touch.  Then, as your hands go toward your waist, push them out HARD so that by the time your arms are fully extended, your hands are brushing the outside of your hips.  That is butterfly pull (sounds complicated, but it's not so bad).\n\n2.  Still with fins, push of the wall, hands in front.  Start your pull as you KICK your head down.  Pull all the way down past your hips and glide as long as you can (you should be slightly underwater).  DON'T recover your arms.  Just do this one pull off the wall 20 times.  You want to get the feeling of combining a strong pull and a strong KICK to drive your head/torso slightly down and a lot FORWARD.  This drill should make you feel very strong.  \n\n2a.  When you have mastered (2), do this:  As you start your pull, pull your head out of the water and take a breath.  Your head should be out of the water as your hands are passing your shoulders.  Take your breath quickly, then turn your face to the bottom of the pool and drive your head/torso down and FORWARD.  Finish the pull and glide like in (2).  Do this 20 times.\n\n3.  Now we add the arm recovery and second kick.  Push off the wall and do the drill described above.  As your hands pass your belly button, KICK and point your face toward the surface.   Your body will rise as your hands push out to your hips (this is the time to breathe if you need it).  Now point your face towards the bottom of the pool and drive down and FORWARD.  The instant that you drive your body down  is when you bring your hands over the water back out in front of you and start the cycle over again.\n\nThe difficult thing about butterfly is timing.  Your kicks happen at about the beginning and 2/3 point of your pull, so you have to think about them both at the same time.  If you wait until your pull is done before you do your 2nd kick, butterfly will be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard.  \n\nThe other thing is to remember the 2 B4's: your head goes in the water BEFORE your hands, and comes out of the water BEFORE your hands.  \n\nGood luck, and remember to KICK.
1125870
I used to play Water polo so I can tread water for long amounts of time. I personally don't find it to be very hard but I have had a lot of practice. I had to tread water for 10 minutes when I got my Lifeguard certification but its really not that bad. Just remember you can use your arms if your legs get tired. Also don't try to kick the way you would if you were free style swimming try to egg beater if you know what that is or the breast stroke kick. Also practice before you have to do it. Good luck and don't worry its not so bad!
475024
When doing backstroke make sure your arm touces your ear as it goes past it also has to touch your leg. Keep your head strait and looking back. Keep your arms strait, and your legs straight when you kick, and kick consantly. I see lot of people kicking from their knees, this is rally bad, kick from your hips. Practice kicking hugging a kickboard. Also when you are doing it see if you can find a straigh line that goes all the way down the pool andfollow that.\nI hope this helps!
1130799
what is incredible about swimming is that it is horizontal exercise,and like flying in mid-air! For some people it might be the only horizontal exercise they ever get.. Because you are in the water you are able to move more weight with less resistance,and exercise your cardio-vascular system ( if you progress into laps,especially) A great body workout!!
245989
You're never too old to learn how to do something. You can go to your local YMCA or check with park districts or city colleges in your area. A lot of these places offer swimming lessons at little or no cost.
586920
This is a tough question to answer through this medium without being able to see you swim, but here are the most important tips on freestyle\n\n- good rotation\n- steady kick\n- high elbow pull \n\nif you can do those you will be better
69599
One of the hardest parts about improving your swim stroke is you are not able to see what your body is doing. Most sports you can look in the mirror and get an idea of what you look like. Go to your neighborhood recreation center and get lessons. Even if you know how to swim there should be classes on improving stroke technique. Read. Swimming magazines usually have excellent sections on drills and tips to improve your stroke.
139694
the best thing you can do is train...important things in a five hundred are endurance(lol)...being an efficient swimmer which means good flip turns...streamline...and stroke mechanics...start out the race faster than you think you can...some people sprint the end, but that isn't the best way, and i am not saying sprint the beggining just go faster than you think you can
932739
Don't worry, if it's your first swimming practice ever then they're gonna teach you all that stuff there. You don't have to worry about being overwhelmed or anything. \nThe flipping under water to change directions you do it later on not at the beginning, at first it's ok to just push off the wall again.
250308
Try it - and be sure to have an open mind and be brave - make sure your Dad helps you find a patient instructor, and most importantly, is not one of your parents.  It is truly amazing how well people do in swimming with instructors who do not have a close relationship with them.  If you can afford it, try a couple private lessons.  Swimming, or just being comforatble in the water, is truly enjoyable, and it could save your life.
381726
Simply put, you've gotten into a situation you can't handle.  It's a reference to swimming: when you get in over your head (i.e. the water level rises above your head), you can't breathe, and if you aren't a good swimmer, you will prbably drown if someone doesn't rescue you.
571975
No way all you need to know is how to swim it and then it is a brezze. All you have to do is swim the first 50 with the pack, then swim the middle hundred fast, and bring whatever you have left home on the last 50.
419131
Whenever your job has to do with flying whether your an officer or not, you need to be experienced in swimming.  I think part of the training is called "Aircrew Survival Training."  Start learning how to swim now because a majority of the training will be held underwater.
366253
I would suggest that you stop running and investing more time into your swim training. Although swimming involves your cardiovascular system, there is a whole lot more involved in swimming than breathing. If you are not comfortable in the water, your body will tense up. This anxiety often results in having difficulty breathing. \nWork on improving your swim strokes. You could be exerting so much unnecessary energy that you exhaust yourself. Being as hydrodynamic as possible helps. Be streamlined. Your strokes and kicks should be efficient. There is a lot more to swimming than just getting from one point to another in the water.\nYour comparison is like saying that Tiger Woods can hit the golf ball so he should be good in baseball.
1004016
It's never too late to learn.  If you have a fear of water, start out slow by playing in a wading pool or somewhere there is no pressure.  Once you get comfortable, then you can learn how to swim.
1183220
Be patient with yourself.  I think it's great that you're learning how to swim and you should give yourself some slack about mastering it quickly.\n\nHave you tried having someone teach you or coach you as you try to learn?  Most places have some sort of recreation department class for adults learning how to swim.  If your area doesn't, take a look around the place where you swim.  If there's a lifeguard, ask the guard about a few lessons or ask the place  operating the pool or beach.  If that's not possible, maybe a member of your local high school's swim team could help you out.\n\nSwimmng is excellent exercise and you can eat more if you find you're losing weight because of it.  The benefits to your fitness go beyond the weight control that others may use swimming for.  It's good for your heart and for toning your muscles all over your body.\n\nAnyway, as I said, just practice, maybe with some coaching, and be patient.  You'll get it, I'm sure.