First swimming lesson!

Yesterday, one of my flatmates, asked me if I would join her in the swimming pool. I don’t swim (not until yesterday) and my first response was, No! However, she was fairly convincing. After a while, I was like, why not? It’s a skill that I have always wanted to learn. It’s a lifesaving skill and a great form of exercise, something which I have been trying to do more of these days.

So, I dressed in a full body costume that my ex-roommate had left behind and went to the pool. Other than us, there were two boys – one of them was teaching the other how to swim.

I have been in water before. As a kid, we used to visit my maternal uncle’s place, which is by the side  of a river. We used to go bathing in the river every time we went there. Thrashing in the water, throwing water balls at each other was a favorite pastime. However, I would start screaming the moment my father dragged me deeper into the river, trying to teach me how to dip underwater. Not a favorite!

But thanks to him, I did get over that fear of water. I mean I am still scared of huge waves thrashing on the shores, but I am okay with a decent depth of water in the swimming pool.

So, my first lesson was learning to float. I have tried swimming as a kid in the river, but of course, I never got around to being able to float. I didn’t trust that the water could push my body up. I mean I am heavier than the water, right? Solving numericals using Archimedes’ principle is one thing, and to trust the water to help you float is something else altogether.

So, I was fairly surprised when I actually started floating, all about five to ten minutes in the water. All I had to do was let go of my body (my flatmate’s tips helped, thanks Shilpa!). In the beginning, I tried to keep my foot in the water, because, well, history. But then, as I started to let go, started to trust the water, I saw I was propelled up and soon I was floating horizontally in the water! Yay!

The second surprise came when, just by being still in the water, I felt that I was moving forward. Water currents, huh?! Amazing! So why not try a bit of propelling my hands to see if I could voluntarily swim? And voila, there I was, swimming half-way through the pool!

One trick that I was yet to learn in the pool yesterday as how to breathe while swimming. Shilpa couldn’t help either, because she is yet to learn it herself. So, I swam half-way through the pool, multiple times, coming back up to breathe midway.

I think the fact that I have been exercising helped me so quickly pick up the basics of swimming. Shilpa mentioned multiple times that she hadn’t seen a faster learner and that I did great for the first day.

After I came back, I watched multiple videos on swimming and I am dying to try out the tricks I learnt next weekend – or better yet, day after tomorrow! We have a holiday on Wednesday on account of Kannada Rajyotsava. Whoo-hoo!

Let me know in the Comments below if you swim, and what are your best tips to get better at it.

Until later, live healthy, eat healthy! ❤