Swimming poses problem for 1 out of 4 adults!
According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, 25% of adults in this country can’t swim. Furthermore, another 20–25% are fearful and/or unsafe in deep water, even in pools. That’s almost half the adult population! So why is it that most adult non-swimmers feel like they are the only ones. Mostly because they have no idea how many millions of adults share their “little secret.” The embarrassment they feel coupled with fearful and/or frustrating experiences they have had with water and inadequate training methods have left them convinced that they will never learn to swim.
Meanwhile, many of these same people see their children and grandchildren in swim lessons, swimming like fish. Meanwhile, they avoid joining them, not only for fear of the water itself, but also for fear of being “found out” and publically embarrassed by their lack of ability. So they stand by watching what seems like the rest of the world having a great time, sometimes in the very pools they own themselves. They miss out on the fun, the camaraderie and what is arguably one of the best exercises around.
All this is completely unnecessary with proper teaching methods and conditions. Though there are many great swim programs out there that DO teach some people to swim, they often lack the understanding of the barriers that adults face that most children do not. Though there is much focus on the physical issues and “learning strokes,” the real barriers tend to be psychological, especially those that are unique to adults who have had many years of negative experiences with traditional swim lessons, etc. For example:
- Spectators, hotel guests & children distract adults & make them feel watched or laughed at.
- Outdoor pools don’t offer any privacy.
- Water temperatures below 92 degrees prevent muscles, already tightened by fear, to relax.
- Instructors lacking compassion/patience/experience & overemphasizing the importance of strokes, often cause adults to give up.
- Weeks between lessons slow the process of water familiarization & delay progress.
So, stop sitting on the sidelines and choose a school that has a proven track record of training adults to swim and soon you’ll be saying, “Come on in, the water’s fine!”
For more information on the subject, visit https://www.gq.com/story/adult-swam
