Feeling disheartened learning to swim as an adult.

I’ve been learning at my local leisure centre and today I realised I’ve been learning since Jan.

I had to take the entirety of March off and my lessons have not been consistent so realistically I’ve probably taken 28 lessons or less since then.

I started from 0 knowing nothing and with a lot of anxiety in the water.

I’ve progressed from beginner to intermediate swim lessons in recent weeks.

I can float on my front and back and recover and log roll, I can push and glide. I can freestyle for 15m (it’s badge week this week LOL).

I can backstroke but not controlled.

I’m learning breaststroke (I find breathing hard).

I watch a lot of tiktoks on swimming I can hardly wait for swim lessons and getting back in the pool but I’m very short (5ft) and don’t feel confident in the deep end. I only feel comfortable to go when the leisure centre offers a family swim which isn’t often enough (outside of lessons).

I am trying to learn how to tread water but finding it super scary.

I realised today how long I’ve been learning for and I feel like other people learn so much quicker than I do.

Idk what to do but I’m ready to accelerate my learning now, but that last peice of the jigsaw puzzle to help me catapult myself into it is conquering treading water which I just don’t feel able to learn rn.

Why is it taking me so long when others fly through it.

I am having a test next week where swimming 1,5km rewards 5 points and 3km, 10 points. I am aiming towards the 3km goal, but unsure of how realistic that is due of my smoking habit.

Edit: I swim in a 25 meter pool.

I (26M) have never been a good swimmer, but last year I decided to sign up for an Ironman 70.3.

I learned to swim freestyle (or at least what I believed to be freestyle) in 2024 (self taught, but I did get one lesson once).

So I kept going to the pool and swimming, doing random drills. In the pool I managed to get my swim time down to 2:30/100m.

The IM 70.3 just passed last Sunday and I swam the distance in 53 minutes (so a pace of 2:50). Not bad considering it was an open water swim and I train in a pool and there was also some start panic and confusion involved.

After getting home, I've started reading the Total Immersion book by Terry Laughlin (never too late I guess?). Love it or hate it, it's got some interesting stuff.

But it did get me thinking - I generally don't get tired or out of breath while swimming my 2:30 pace, however I've never really done any speed work. I was fine after the IM 70.3 swim. So is my technique good and am I just lazy and not putting in enough effort?

I know there is no way of knowing this without video evidence, but I know for a fact I could put more power into my arms.

Anybody else ever felt like this?

I used to tire myself so much swimming front crawl (which surprised me because I can swim breaststroke pretty fast and for long distances) and only today realised that I've been over-kicking. Timed it to a 2-kick/stroke rhythm and swam so much more easily. Didn't realise I'd been tiring myself out and wasting energy. Keeping to the rhythm and being disciplined with that is helping a lot. Thank you to everyone who has talked about kicking here -- ended up passively absorbing a very helpful tip!

hello,

I feel ridiculous for posting this because everyone seems to be able to do it fine but whenever I swim more than a few strokes, the pressure in my nose gets too high and when I inhale through my mouth out of the water the water inside my nose comes into my mouth and I feel like I’m drowning. it gets worse as I keep swimming longer. I can’t breathe/hum all the pressure out my nose in time before I have to come to breathe up again. it makes freestyle and breaststrke very hard but butterfly literally impossible.

ive tried closing some muscle in the back of my throat right before breathing in. but it takes me a solid second to do so and I mess it up sometimes and water comes flooding in. It does keep water out though if I do it properly

this also causes me to not be able to get enough air in before everything starts to turn black (I think?)

thanks

Specifically I tend to fall into a catch-up drill or arms at 180° because of a lack of upper body stability.

My arm flails around as I start the catch​, unless I rush through it. I have a high-elbow catch but have trouble generating power during the pull.

I usually go ~20-25 strokes per 25m, with ~7m underwaters and a 2-beat kick.

I also have trouble engaging the lats. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Back when I was last swimming regularly I did, and I was around 16 strokes/25m, but since I'm so wobbly I can't quite slow my pull down enough to focus on engaging the back.

My fly pulls seem much more efficient. ~6 strokes per 25m, 5-10m underwaters.

Any tips? Would paddle drills help or just increase injury risk?

I’ve started adult beginner swimming lessons , never swam before and was scared of even getting face in the water.

I’m on lesson 4, I’ve gotten decent at front float (with or without aid) , back float with noodle, treading with noodle and surprisingly no issue with submerging face in water. I thought I was doing good until…

My last 2 lessons which have involved using a single arm for the pull with a board and side breathing while on front with board. Breathing I thought I nearly got it but when I come for breath my propulsion forward seems to stop and other times I panic breath and swallow water

I’m struggling with these things, mainly the breathing which is fine when I’m doing practice drills (face in, exhale , face out inhale) but as soon as I start front swimming I lose all my ability to breathe or coordinate. Any tips or practice drills people can recommend that I can do outside my lessons? Or even any advice at all

I have been swimming for fitness for a couple of years, and recently decided to try adding fins to my workout. I like them when I’m under water like in streamline, but in freestyle they feel like boat anchors and make it feel very awkward. Normally in freestyle I don’t move my feet that much (in fact I find that I’m fastest when using a pull) but when I have fins on, I feel like I need to kick a lot to get a benefit from the fins, which leads to me kicking up over the surface of the water. What should I be doing differently?

ETA: I’m using the TYR Stryker fins.

I'm an adult learning how to swim and I'm falling very far behind the rest of the class because I can't seem to get out of back float.

The problem seems to be that in trying to get out of back float my legs are maybe too buoyant and won't come down under me. I bring my knees towards my chest, tuck my chin and do the scooping thing with my arms but legs just won’t come under me. I've tried every cue my instructor has given me and he seemed to not know how to fix it.

I would love any help and insights anyone can offer. I feel so disheartened and ashamed to go back tbh.

I read posts about butterfly and lane-sharing in the past, but they're all about ettiquette. My question is a bit different. I went to my first US master swim yesterday after 15 years away from the pool. I jammed my fingers into the lane divider 3 times towards the end of the 100y sprint because (1) I was nearing the wall where my lane mate was pushing off, (2) I was so tired and couldn't control my arm recovery well, and (3) the lane dividers are massive in girth so they sit high on top of the water.

The impacts were so bad that I cannot ball up my fist this morning without significant pain. Can you share some strategies to avoid this in the future? Do people just swim more towards the middle and then do one-arm fly when passing others?

Why do I get cramp in my feet or calves at the end of a swim training session ? I almost never get it anywhere else, only in my feet and/or calves.
How can I stop it happening ?

For me a typical session is half an hour reasonably hard work swimming full stroke (but de-emphasised kick distance style freestyle), then 15 min kick, then 15 min sprinting reps with a big (for me....) kick. The cramp often comes on during the kick or sprinting sets

Today's lesson I wanted to have a go at doing flip turns. After about 5/6 goes pushing off onto my back from Front Crawl. I couldn't mentally work out how to turn onto my stomach. Kept swerving into the lane divider. And getting tangled up and dizzy.

Doesn't help when only in 1.2 mtr water!

Hey, wonderful people! 🏊

I’m curious about your experiences with having a swimming buddy.

I got back into swimming last year after not having swum properly since school. I’ve reached the point where I no longer feel like a drowning sack of potatoes, can comfortably swim around 2k freestyle per session, and genuinely enjoy it. Now I’m starting to think about what’s next and how to improve.

Joining a Masters team probably isn’t the right fit for me at the moment. The local ones are either quite demanding, have busy sessions, or train at times that don’t work for my schedule.

So I’m wondering: what’s it like to have a swimming buddy, say, once a week? Can you actually help each other improve, stay motivated, work on technique, or is it mostly about having some company in the pool?

I’d love to hear your experiences, stories, or tips from people who’ve tried it. What worked well, and what didn’t?

I’m based in London and usually swim at the London Aquatics Centre, in case anyone is in a similar position.

I used to swim in open water 10/12 years ago , but recently started to going to the pool as in developing a new hobby.
Here’s a little update on how it went on the third day.
Thoughts?
How am i doing?

A very recent video suggested that using a front-quadrant catch-up stroke is optimal. In other words, not just as a drill technique.
What are the pros and cons of this for normal usage? Note: not if this is great for competitive swimming.

Edit: I didn't know if I could post the video I was referring to in the Reddit post.
This is the one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyugpIxNTg8

The indoor pool at the gym where I swim is currently a lovely, crisp temp for lap swimming and I loooove it. Has anyone had luck getting places to lower the temp in the pool at their clubs? I don't know what ours is usually set at or what it's running now (no accessible display of the temp is available) but I'd even be happy if they split the difference. They've cancelled all aquarobics until it's fixed which I don't understand because as long as you get in and are moving, it's totally fine. I run really warm and so it's been so nice the past week. Just looking for any successful arguments people have used to lower the overall temp (though I know its probably a long shot)

I am a junior in high school who has had a very unorthodox sports affiliation. I have been a rower for the last two years and am trying To join the swimming team this winter to attempt to try the sport and also get some cross training in. (My school does not cut). I am also potentially looking to switch sports depending on how my season goes next year. i am pulled by swimming having more of an option for individual work as opposed to always relying on other people in rowing. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what events to branch out to.

Some stats:

RHR: 47

Leg Press: 750 ibs

(honestly idk anything about swimming if there’s anything helpful I should add please tell em)

I am a complete chud and have no idea what I am doing. Quick research says 200 fly and 500m freestyle would be best for me but I have no actual advice yet.

I'm 30 years old and recently decided to learn how to swim. I attended group swimming classes for 10 days and then practised on my own for another 4 sessions.

I can float, hold my breath, and move around in the water without drowning as long as I don't need to breathe. But the moment I try to take a breath while swimming, everything falls apart. I start losing my balance and slowly sink.

I've watched several YouTube tutorials and practised breathing exercises, but I still can't get the hang of it. I can't even comfortably swim 10–20 metres without stopping.

I'm starting to wonder whether I'm doing something wrong or if I'm just a slow learner. I know 14 sessions isn't a lot, but seeing people learn to swim relatively quickly makes me feel a little discouraged.

For those who learned to swim as adults:

Is this normal? How long did it take you to swim comfortably without stopping?

Was breathing the biggest obstacle for you, too?

What finally helped you figure out how to breathe while swimming?

Should I continue practising on my own, or would it be better to get a few more lessons with an instructor who can correct my technique?

I genuinely want to learn how to swim, but I'm frustrated that I can manage everything except breathing.

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially from people who started learning in their late 20s or 30s or later. I could use some reassurance that I'm not hopeless at this!

Hi. Many, many moons ago, when I was in my teens and early twenties, I used to be a competitive swimmer. I didn't have the dedication to push myself enough to achieve anything relevant, but I still practiced with the ones that did. A regular wet practice was around 2h, and 6km to 8km, depending on the weekly plan.

During this time, it was frequent to have about 20 minutes of drills with hand plaques, and very sporadically some work with fins.

Now into my thirties, wanting to keep a minimum of mobility and physical ability, I've retired to the pool purely as a leisure swimmer. No time goals other than what's feeling fun I'm the moment and I feel like pushing. I purposefully want to stay away from the competitive side of things.

Imagine my surprise when I see people who perform at national and international level, doing practices of (only) 50min to 60min, but most of it (like 40 minutes of it) with some sort of gear on. It's either plaques, fins or respirators.

Why is this? Had there been a shift in the training theory and practices?

Thanks.

This is probably a silly question but asking anyway. I am training for a triathlon and I've been swimming for a long time, so I know the etiquette of asking to share lanes and such. How do you handle someone trying to chat to you and interrupting your workout? For context, I work in healthcare and have limited time I have to get in and out of the pool. I also listen to music and usually have ear plugs in bc it helps with the audio and I hate water getting in my ears.
Yesterday, in the middle of my sprinting drills, a middle-aged man started talking to me (36F), asking me a bunch of questions which required taking out my ear plugs and pausing my garmin. I didn't want to be rude, but I subsequently had to quit early bc of thunder/lightning and as a result I'm miffed I wasted time dealing with this stranger.
Any tips? Obviously don't want to be rude but my time in the pool is very limited and I need to use it to train, not socialize.
Thanks in advance

I’m learning to swim(day 10), and I’ve been having some trouble with my flutter kicks during freestyle.

My coach told me that my feet should come slightly above the water’s surface while kicking, with both feet moving up and down to roughly the same level.

The problem is that my right leg seems to be kicking perfectly, but my left leg doesn’t come up above the water like my right one. My coach pointed this out and said my right leg is doing it correctly, but my left leg isn’t.

Has anyone else faced this issue while learning freestyle? What could be causing it, and what drills or exercises can I do to fix it?

Any tips would be appreciated!

I took swimming classes for 6k rs for 21 days and also spending some 4k+ more on process and transport and attire everything. 

I learnt swimming. I can do freestyle easily. But my ever regret is that i can not back float or do backstroke. My classes were done and after that by myself how much ever i tried to do i couldnt, even though i look straight up.

Whatever the hell i try i couldnt my lower body doesnt come up at all when im trying backfloat waist to leg always inside water. And also sometimes i keep neck and head stiffen.

Also I still have a deep fear of depth. When im in freestyle pose I'll be all okay, but when try to do backfloat and when i want to stand back its really hard for me i get sudden panic

Please help me with suggestions or any day or two courses or workshop in banglore available.