5 steps to start learning to swim alone

How to swim, step by step

It’s never too late to learn to swim. If you’re learning to swim solo, it’s best to start with crawl or freestyle. This is the most efficient stroke and provides a good foundation of skills that can then be applied to other fins if you choose to learn them.

1. Start with the shallow end

“When you first learn to swim, it’s important to develop a certain level of comfort in the water,” says Oliphant. “Start in the shallow end of a pool where you can easily stand. It’s a perfect way to get used to the water without being in danger.”

From there, Oliphant suggests practicing exhaling underwater. To do this, she recommends standing comfortably in the shallow end and inhaling. Then gently sink yourself or just put your face in the water, exhaling while blowing bubbles. Once you have exhaled, remove your face from the water.

Once you are comfortable exhaling underwater, you can develop this skill by beginning to incorporate sideways breathing.

To do this, inhale deeply above the water, place your face in the water so that the front of your face is covered but your ears remain above the water level. Exhale and turn your head to the side to inhale again. Once you inhale, turn your head toward the bottom of the pool, submerging your face again. Then exhale and repeat until you feel sideways breathing.

2. Float in the water

All swimming is based on the concept of floating. If you don’t know how to master this essential swimming skill, you may struggle to swim in water safely and effectively.

“Once you are confident in your ability to exchange air above and below the water, you should learn to float forward,” says Oliphant. “The front float is also best learned in the shallow end, and you can even use a pool noodle to help you get started.”

To practice floating on your front, start by standing a few feet from a pool wall in the shallow end of the pool. Standing at the edge of the pool, extend your body backward with your hands facing forward to the side of the pool so you can lift your hips and legs toward the surface and lie on your stomach, keeping your body in a straight line.

Release excess tension in your muscles and use sideways breathing to maintain your flotation. You can place a pool noodle under your pelvic area, your ankles, or both to help you understand how to master this basic swimming stroke.

If you don’t feel comfortable floating on your front, you can also start with a back float, which is even safer. Hold the edge of the pool and gently let your body float to a horizontal position. Then gradually transition to floating on your stomach as you gain confidence.

If you have trouble incorporating sideways breathing when learning to float, you can also breathe forward. It can also help you become more comfortable with the kicking motions needed to keep your lower body floating.

3. Start kicking

When many people think of swimming, they think of it as an upper body exercise. That’s true, but your legs play an important role in propelling you forward and keeping you afloat.

To practice swimming kicks, start in the forward float position described above, holding the edge of the pool. Keeping your knees soft, kick up and down, alternating your feet and generating power from your glutes and hips.

Keep your legs and feet just below the surface and kick with a fast, comfortable cadence. You don’t want to kick too wide like you’re walking. Instead, keep the movement small and quick.

Exhale underwater, turn your head and inhale again. Continue kicking and breathing until you are comfortable breathing during kicks.

4. Add arm movements

The next key step in learning to swim on your own is to incorporate the arm movements used in the front crawl.

Stand in the shallow end. Hold your arms in front of you, palms down, fingers together. Take a deep breath and bend your waist, placing your face in the water.

From this starting position, with your arms extended to the surface, pull one arm straight out in front of you, reaching your hand past your hip. Your palm should act like a paddle, pushing the water.

As your hand moves through the water, turn your head in the same direction and breathe. When your arm passes your leg after pulling, lift your hand and arm out of the water, starting at your elbow. Reach forward and return your arm to the starting position.

Repeat this pattern with both arms, breathing from each side until you find which side breathing feels most comfortable.

Finally, you’ll want to try this move by floating with the front of your body, face down in the water.

5. Keep practicing

Once you feel comfortable with all these elements, you can try putting them together. Walk away from the pool wall, extend your arms out in front of you, crouch down and step back against the wall to propel yourself forward into the pool.

Immediately start kicking and performing arm movements. To the rhythm of the movement, begin lateral breathing. Both your arms should be straight and your legs should be kicking constantly. As one of your arms pulls and returns above the water, your other arm follows suit.

Continue this series of movements until you are able to swim the entire width of the pool without having to stop. Avoid very deep areas of the pool until you are confident in your swimming abilities.

This video from the University of Georgia provides helpful instructions on breathing and arm movements during this stroke.