March 10, 2020
How much time do you need to learn to swim?

Certainly, more than once, when looking for a swimming course for yourself or your child, one question kept coming: “How long does it take to learn to swim?”. Today, we explain what the effectiveness of swimming lessons depends on and why not everyone can master swimming techniques in the same amount of time.

Although some feel in the water “like a fish”, no one is born with the ability to swim. The body movements of professional swimmers only seem natural and easy to repeat. In fact, they are very precise and made according to a strictly defined style. Observing the success achieved in swimming by the participants of our classes, we have decided to present today the factors which affect the effectiveness of learning. Become acquainted with the most important of them to find out what determines the time needed to learn how to swim.

What determines the duration of swimming lessons?

The effectiveness of learning to swim depends on a combination of various factors. Among them, we find psychological and physical factors, as well as those related to the teaching method and competence of the instructor. Let us start from the beginning.



Familiarisation with the aquatic environment


Regardless of whether you are a child or an adult, every person begins by getting familiar with the new environment, that is water. And this is one of the psychological factors affecting how long it takes to become a swimmer. For some, the fear of water will be quite a challenge and it will take many hours of training to overcome it. For others, in turn, it will not be a problem. And it is perfectly natural that each of us becomes acquainted with the water environment at their own pace. After all, we all have individual experiences and predispositions.

Commitment and motivation

The next psychological factor which affects the amount of time spent when learning to swim is the degree of motivation. The fastest way to learn to swim is when the motivation for starting it is very strong. Thanks to strong motivation, it is much easier to overcome difficulties when learning a new sport. It is worth remembering that the role of the swimming instructor also is to contribute to motivating and encouraging learners to do exercises. Regardless of whether the training is for adults or for children, the support from the instructor may prove to be crucial for the effectiveness of learning.

Ensuring good motor coordination

We cannot forget that the time spent learning to swim depends on our physical characteristics. Amongst these, motor coordination plays a decisive role in swimming. Thanks to good coordination, you can master the swimming technique extremely quickly. Such physical features like strength, speed, and endurance are of secondary importance for the issue of how long it takes to learn to swim.



Swimming lessons with an instructor


It is said that “practice makes perfect” and this saying also works with regard to swimming. Psychological and physical factors are important, but the effects of swimming lessons, according to our experience, depend to a greater extent on the frequency and intensity of the activities. In our opinion, the minimum required in the process of learning to swim is the attendance of classes at least once a week. And whenever the lifestyle allows us, it is worth signing up for an intensive swimming course during which classes are held every day. An important factor for the duration of learning to swim is also the fact whether the classes are individual or taught in small groups (thanks to this the instructor will devote a lot more attention to us). The group limit for adults is best when it consists of 8 people and for children 6-8 pupils.


How long does it take children to learn swimming and how long does it take adults to do it?


Will a child learn to swim faster than an adult? Not always. Despite the fact that children can master movement exercises faster than adults, it happens that they lack the perseverance to master the swimming technique. It is assumed that adults in a good shape can feel confident in the water already after approx. 20 hours of classes and learn to swim crawl on the chest after additional 40 hours of classes. In the case of children, estimating the time required to learn to swim is practically impossible. This is not made easier by the fact that children develop at a different pace, which affects their physical fitness and enthusiasm.



How much time do you need to learn to swim? Conclusion


It turns out that to the question of “How much time does it take to learn to swim?” there is no unambiguous answer. The learning pace for each and every person in the field of swimming is different. The best way to determine the time needed to become able to swim is to analyze the factors we have indicated. We hope that learning and understanding them will help you not only to properly determine the time needed for learning but also accelerate the acquisition of this skill.

Are you considering taking up a swimming course? Write, call or drop by – we will talk and together we will select the best swimming course for you or your child.

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