Change in just one week! A 'just walk' practice method to get comfortable in the water
Hello☀️
I'm Nakahara from 'Raku-Ei Swimming,' where we believe in 'making Fukuoka vibrant through swimming!' and 'swimming lessons for beginners.' I have 30 years of experience in swimming instruction, and the name 'Raku-Ei' means 'swimming happily.'
This time, I will share the first step for swimming beginners: 'getting comfortable in the water.'
If you're thinking, 'I want to learn to swim, but I'm a little scared of the water...', 'I'm nervous about putting my face in,' or 'I don't really understand how it feels to move in the water,' then this is for you.
▶️ A water-acclimation method using 'underwater walking'!
Before you try to float, first get 'familiar' with the water.
And actually, this practice is highly effective not just for children, but especially for adult beginnerstoo.
With 10 minutes of walking a day, you won't be afraid of the water anymore... wouldn't you like to try that kind of practice?😁
💬 'Is swimming breathing different from normal breathing?'
Many people actually feel that way😊
In swimming, unlike on land, 'exhaling' is more important than inhaling.
We breathe unconsciously on land, but in the water, swimming beginners cannot breathe well unless they are conscious of the timing of 'exhaling' and 'inhaling'.
Especially in the water, the flow of 'exhaling through the nose' and 'inhaling through the mouth when you come out of the water' is important.
To master this breathing rhythm, underwater walking and bobbing are very effective✨
[By STEP] Practice methods to get used to the water through underwater walking
💡 By the way, 'water depth' is also very important for walking safely in the water.
For adults, a pool depth of 1.1 to 1.2 meters is often fine, but for children, this depth can sometimes feel 'scary'.
To create an environment where you can walk with peace of mind,
▶︎ choosing a pool with a shallow depth (there are pools with a depth of 50cm)
▶︎ using a 'floor platform' in the pool to make the water shallower
are effective measures.
At Raku-Ei Swimming, we also value this kind of environmental support😊
① Walk normally (chest-deep)
✅ Let's get used to moving your body in the water.
✅ Please try walking slowly while feeling the resistance of the water.
💡 Tip: Swinging your arms will also help train your balance!
② Walk while fully submerged up to your shoulders
✅ Buoyancy and resistance will increase.
✅ Let's get used to the "instability" in the water little by little.
💡 Since buoyancy also increases, walking while maintaining balance will also strengthen your core.
③ Walking while submerging your mouth, nose, and face
✅ Try submerging parts of your face in the order of mouth, nose, eyes, and forehead, starting with what you can do.
✅ Instead of being forced by someone else, try submerging when you feel like "I'll give it a try" yourself.
💡 There is no need to force it. Repeating it over and over until you get used to it is fine!
④ Bobbing (underwater jumping)
✅ Exhale through your nose while submerging in the water.
✅ Come out of the water and inhale through your mouth.
✅ This rhythm becomes the foundation for breathing when swimming.
💡 It's fun to set a number of repetitions, like 5 or 10 times!
⑤ Walking with your hands stretched forward and your face submerged
✅ Tuck your chin and put your face in the water.
✅ Walk in a posture where your back naturally floats.
✅ Use the same breathing rhythm as bobbing!
💡 This posture is actually the "swimming preparation posture" itself!
⑥ Trying to lift your feet while walking
✅ Experience the feeling of floating just a little bit in the water.
✅ At first, 1 second is fine, and if you can do 2 seconds, that's great too!
💬 Actually, lifting your feet off the bottom of the pool takes a lot of courage.
People often think, "Isn't floating natural?", but for those who are anxious in the water, having their feet leave the ground is a very scary experience.
But I want to truly understand that fear and be there for you.
That is why at Raku-Ei Swimming, we value practice that makes you think "I want to try it" or "Maybe I'll challenge myself", rather than practice where you are "forced" by someone else.
By building up little by little from what you can do, like underwater walking, the feeling of "maybe I'll try a little more next time" will naturally emerge.
That feeling is the very first step to swimming. 😊
🌟 This is amazing! Why underwater walking is excellent
Actually, this kind of step-by-step walking practice aimed at getting used to the water is not taught very carefully in general swimming schools.
However, at Raku-Ei Swimming, we prioritize 'learning to love the water' above all else, which is why we incorporate this kind of unique approach.
Get used to the water before you swim.
And that familiarity becomes confidence.
👦 Introducing the actual transformation of one of our students
A child who had previously failed tests many times at another swimming school and had come to dislike the pool came to Raku-Ei Swimming.
At first, they couldn't even float and their expression was stiff, but through this 'practice starting with walking,' they took on challenges little by little, starting with what they could do.
Entering up to the shoulders. Putting the mouth, nose, and face in. All at the child's own pace.
'I can do it myself,' 'I did it!' The accumulation of those small sense of achievements led to a positive challenge of 'let's try again' and 'let's move on to the next step.'
Even practice that looks simple is a big step for a child who is afraid of water. That is why it is important to proceed little by little with content that can be repeated many times.
As a result, that child became able to put their face in the water and began to grasp the sensation of floating while controlling their breathing.
By the time the 8th lesson ended, they were able to enjoy diving, floating, and moving their own body.
We also received feedback from the parents, saying, 'I'm happy to see them attending with a smile I didn't see at the previous school,' and 'I never thought they would change this much in such a short period.'
Instead of forcing them to try hard, repeat 'what they can do'.
That leads to 'I want to try' and 'maybe I can do it'.
This is the water acclimation practice at Raku-Ei Swimming using underwater walking😊
🕒 Fear of water eases in a short period!
By doing this practice for 10 minutes at a time, 2 to 3 times a week, the feeling changes from 'water is scary' to 'maybe this is a little fun'.
There are many people who become able to put their face in the water with this practice method😊
If you have the feeling of 'I want to be able to swim by this summer,' why not start now?
🏊 'Water acclimation that suits you' with personal lessons!
At Raku-Ei Swimming, we offer personal lessons.
・It's my first time swimming and I don't know what to do
・I'm nervous about learning in a group...
・I want to go to the beach or pool with my family this summer!
For you, we propose a "customized water acclimation plan just for you".
🌐 Click here for details → https://www.team-rakuei.jp/168178.html
Inviting you into the fun world of swimming🤗