Have you ever used 'swimmingly' in a sentence? Maybe something like "Exams? Ha! They went swimmingly!". It's no coincidence that we use 'swimmingly' to describe something easy to do.
Swimming isn't easy, at least not at first. That's why so many pools around the UK offer swimming lessons. But then, once you master aquatic skills, gliding through the water is more satisfying than walking. A lot less damaging, too.
Every time you take a step, whether walking or running, your joints and spine absorb the impact. Over time, that can have damaging effects. By contrast, swimming doesn't jar your bones with every movement. That's why it's considered a low-impact sport.
If you are looking for a fitness initiative to tone your muscles and heart, swimming should be at the top of your list. Not only does swimming help you build strength and endurance, but it's a great stress buster, too. Being a competent swimmer helps boost your mood and self-confidence.
It's no wonder that we consider swimming a life skill, on par with money management and critical thinking. That's one reason why primary schools in England give their pupils swimming lessons. It's also why Superprof wants to help you find the swimming lessons you need. We floated around London to find:
- swimming lessons for kids
- swimming lessons for grownups
- adult and baby swimming lessons
- private swimming lessons
After all, what could be better than a good swim on a hot day? Or a warm dip on a cold day? Once you have aquatic skills, you'll want to use them at every turn. The trick, then, is to find the right swimming lessons for you.
Learn to Swim London
Swimming is one of the most popular recreational activities but it has its serious side, too. Competitive swimming is exciting to watch (and even more exciting to take part in!), and swimming competitively can be quite lucrative. One might use their water skills for work as a professional diver, underwater welder or a lifeguard.
For all of our fine facilities and modern aquatic equipment, swimming is an ancient sport. The earliest record of humans swimming goes back more than seven thousand years. We read references to swimming in ancient texts such as The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf - some of humanity's earliest literary efforts.
None of this lessens the fear of drowning, a fear that keeps far too many people out of the water. No need for fear; even babies a few weeks old instinctively hold their breath and try to swim. If that isn't yet enough to entice you into the water, maybe knowing that the human body tends to float in water will convince you.
Exhaustion and panic are the two most dangerous states to be in an aquatic environment. That's why swimming classes from Glasgow to... Well, to London first impart water safety techniques. Once your swimming instructor is certain you're water-confident, your swimming lessons will begin.
Adult Swimming Lessons London
London is lousy with swimming lessons for grownups. It doesn't matter if you've got a bad case of aquaphobia or you want to improve your stroke technique. Before we cover select swimming classes, let's shout out to the various Councils that offer free swimming lessons.
Southwark is a fine example of such. If you are older than 16 and don't know how to swim, you may take free swimming lessons at the leisure centre closest to you. You must first register for these lessons; when you do, you should furnish proof of address to make sure you qualify. Southwark and other Councils across London offer 12-week courses so you may have to wait for the next scheduled course date.
If you'd rather not wait, you might join a swimming class at your local YMCA. The YMCA in Central London offers four levels of aquatic training. If you're an absolute beginner, your swim instructor will take you through water safety and help you build water confidence. From there, you will progress through two intermediate stages of progressively greater challenge before joining advanced swimming groups.
Not every YMCA in London offers swimming lessons so be sure to call ahead to find out if your local facility does. If they don't, you might check with Turner Swim. This commercial swimming school has seven pools scattered across East, West and Central London. Turner only offers one-to-one swimming lessons.
If you'd rather take group swimming lessons, check out Better's offerings. Better is a charitable enterprise active across England that works to improve people's health and wellness. To that end, Better offers a range of swimming lessons for adults and children, in groups or one-to-one. Better also offers women-only swimming lessons.
The Better swimming coach in Manchester that we talked to explained that the adult swimming programme is called Swim Doctor. Note that some programmes may not be available in all areas. We had to call ahead to find out what swimming lessons near me were available. You should do the same.
Baby Swimming Lessons London
If you or someone you know has a fussy baby, you/they should consider baby swimming lessons London. Water tends to have a calming effect on babies, they love the feel of it on their limbs and bodies. It helps that they feel their grownup partner's touch for the entire lesson, too.
Baby swimming lessons London don't involve swimming, exactly. It's more about getting comfortable being in the water and getting used to its pressure. Typically, baby swim sessions last 30 minutes. During that time, babies' limbs are manipulated to simulate kicks and strokes.
This helps the baby to build strength and muscle memory. It also lays the foundation for future swimming lessons, when the child is old enough to understand instructions. And nobody does baby swimming lessons better than Aqua Babies London. Aqua Babies places no restrictions on how young their swimmers are; as soon as you and your baby are ready, you may sign up.
Six of Aqua Babies' pools are hydrotherapy pools. They are kept extra warm so you and your baby will feel cocooned as you go through the class. That all sounds good but Aquatots goes one step further by offering mums-to-be AquaNatal classes. These courses are designed to reduce body fatigue and the aches and pains expectant mothers invariably feel.
Soon-to-be-mum swimming lessons seem challenging to find. We were pleasantly surprised to find a private swimming company in Birmingham offering such lessons. It seems that as vital and beneficial as such lessons are, that they would be far more popular than we found them to be.
Private Swimming Lessons London
Of all the swimming lessons London, private lessons seem to be the most ubiquitous. As we paddled from pool to pool, we found private lessons for swimmers of all stripes, from child to adult. Most were one-to-one lessons but some offered sessions for small groups. If you and your mates or your whole family wanted to learn how to swim together, such lessons would be for you.
The London Aquatics Centre has a swimming programme called Swim Doctor for adults to learn how to swim. They're recently added one-to-one swimming lessons to their course catalogue. If you're a Better member, you may take these lessons for free.
We found it a bit strange that the teaching takes place poolside, meaning the instructor stays dry. By contrast, Swimming Nature instructors are in the water with you. They first demonstrate stroke technique and then watch and correct as you practise. Swimming Nature offers lessons for babies, children and adults.
If you're not in North, Central or West London, Swimming Nature pools might be a bit far from you. If you're in Moorgate or Knightsbridge, you might give Strictly Swimming a call. Strictly's one-to-one lessons are for adults only, from absolute beginners to improvers and advanced swimmers. They also help triathletes and competitive swimmers train.
Some beginner swimmers might feel intimidated by those credentials. Maybe they'd be more in tune with 3S Swim School. This private swimming school has it all and does it all. Besides teaching swimmers of all ages water safety and stroke technique, they welcome special needs swimmers. If you or someone you know would benefit from swim therapy sessions, you may book your time at any of 3S's 15 venues.
Love to Swim offers yet another unique service. If you have a decent-sized pool at home, your Love to Swim instructor will come to yours for lessons. This represents the ultimate in private swimming lessons London. Love to Swim teaches children and grownups, and they host adult and baby sessions, too.
The swimming lessons mentioned in this article are by no means the sum total of swimming lessons London. Like swimming lessons in Leeds, offerings in London are far too numerous to write about each one. But we'll be happy to hear about where you go to get your swim on. You're welcome to tell us about your favourite pool and swimming instructor in the comments section.
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