Hi guys I never learned to swim as a child, and I’ve signed up for adult swim lessons soon. Something I think will help me prepare for the lessons is I don’t know the mechanics/physics behind the motion. So I’m asking
1.) how do people float in water and why is it crucial to swimming?
2.) how do people actually move from point a to b in water while swimming?
EDIT: thanks so much to all who have responded with answers, tips, advice, and encouragement! Trying to read through all your helpful answers ☺️
In: 715
Former varsity swimmer and lifeguard here. Like others said, your body is naturally buoyant. Others have said you are pushing water away from you – it’s more like the inverse – pulling yourself with your hands and propelling yourself with your feet through the water.
Imagine if your hands were the paddles on a row boat and your legs are a kind of motor on the back of the boat. You propel yourself through the water.
There are different swimming strokes – the easiest one in regards to basic swimming is breast stroke in my opinion. Your hands are always cupped because an open hand doesn’t generate much drag. Your arms and legs move in a circular motion which both propels you forward and keeps you afloat. This is also the best technique for swimming underwater.
It’s hard to explain the nuances through text, far easier to demonstrate in the water.
Like anything when you’re first starting out, it’s nerve wracking, but once you get an idea of how the human body interacts with water, it will become more intuitive and you will be able to become better on your own time.
Good luck and have fun!
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