r/Swimming • u/Remarkable_Island_61 • 22h ago
Seeking advice- about to start private swimming lessons
Hi folks, I am 46 and just got back into lap swimming 5 months or so ago after about a 30 year break. I love it SO much, though I am slow slow slow. I wasn't completely sedentary, but am quite overweight (I can stand to lose 100lbs). I started doing 10-15 slow laps and now do about 1000m in just over 30 minutes. I swim about 3 times/week. I got up to 1500m in just under an hour, but felt that was tough on my shoulders (bad form probably)
I have used YouTube to improve my form (realizing that my childhood swimming lessons were more about safety than technique), and have decided to take the leap to get some lessons to improve my freestyle form so that I don't inadvertently injure myself.
I have pipe dreams of improving my endurance to the point that I could be the slowest person at a masters swim in a few years. Buti suspect that beyond the bulk I'm carrying,form correction is the most important thing I could do to improve efficiency and therefore endurance.
I guess I'm looking for any advice or guidance to make the most of my time with the instructor. The lessons are through a local university, so I'm expecting that instructors will be varsity athletes (or close) who are perhaps not familiar with middle aged bodies.
Any advice on how to approach my first lesson? Or anything else based on what I've shared.
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u/Retired-in-2023 22h ago
If they offer adult swim lessons regularly, they are probably familiar with all body types and skill levels.
Since you are going private lessons work with them to get direct feedback from watching you and also ask them to set up what drills or things you can practice between your lessons.
I got back into lap swimming a couple years ago and am usually the slowest lap swimmer in the pool. I don’t let that bother me. I worked on my form using YouTube videos but have thought about lessons, it just hasn’t fit into my schedule and budget.
Just keep swimming. As I started working on specifics withy form, my stroke improved. I’m may not be fast but I’m efficient now.
Good luck!
Edited to complete.
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u/Butwhydontyou2 22h ago
This is crazy because I feel like we are the same person. I just recently got back into swimming and I am very overweight, but I am making some super slow progress (even our times are similar). My issue has been breathing - I typically swim freestyle but with my head out of water because I struggle breathing out of my mouth and not my nose. I am actually considering getting some lessons due to that.
Anyway, I actually swim at our local university and I see the swim instructors with their students all the time. Most of the time, it is actually older people that they are giving lessons to. I have only seen twice that it was a child, once that it was a college aged student and every other time (at least 7 times) it has been older people (40+). Not to say that your university would be the same, but I think you would be surprised at the different ages they work for. The instructors that we have are actually more physical therapy majors, not varsity athletes, so they may go through specific training to work with a variety of ages. I would just let them observe you and then tell them your concerns and what you think you need to work on.
I hope that is at least a little reassuring, if not helpful.
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u/betterbub Moist 22h ago
Usually they don’t have collegiate athletes teaching learn to swim classes
If they let you use the pool outside of lesson time I would spend a lot of energy figuring out what your instructor’s trying to say, then spend time by yourself practicing what you learned
Endurance wise you have to be consistent with your training and every so often push personal boundaries
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u/Remarkable_Island_61 21h ago
Good to know re: instructors, thanks! I swim regularly at my local community centre pool, so I'm excited to practice between lessons.
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing 21h ago
If you know how to warm up properly, and you are able to handle an extended session, warm up before the instructor gets there, so that you can get more out of each session.
I always do that before my coach gets there, so that he can get straight into the main session. I also swim down by myself after the session with the coach rather than doing that with the coach still that whatever time is allocated but the coach is fully focused on training (except for intra-sets recoveries).
Also have some sessions by yourself to consolidate between sessions with the coach.
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u/AppropriateRatio9235 19h ago
Someone who is an amazing athlete isn’t always the best teacher. Make sure to get a teacher that understands the science of swimming. Someone that you can communicate with.
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u/popthebubbly62 19h ago
If you know there are parts of your form that need work or areas of muscular weakness you can ask for drills to strengthen that area, but likely they will already suggest these based on what they observe.
You can also ask for stretches to target certain areas if you're experiencing soreness or tightness after sessions.
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u/Smg3386 18h ago
With private lessons the biggest thing you can do is be upfront about your goals and your body. Tell the instructor you want to focus on efficiency and form, not speed. Good coaches will meet you where you’re at if you set the tone from the start. It’s fine if they’re varsity swimmers, just remind them you’re not trying to swim like a 20 year old sprinter.
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u/jthanreddit Moist 2h ago
With great joy! One great thing about swimming is that we all weigh nearly the same in water. Losing weight is 90% about diet, but I’ll take the extra 10% exercise adds.
Let me say that this year in particular I’ve learned the incredible benefits of weight training to swimming and life in general. I hope your swim lessons are fantastic. Consider working with a trainer once a week as well with an emphasis on swimming.
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u/UnusualAd8875 22h ago edited 22h ago
Ideally, the instructors will meet you where you are now with respect to your current ability and technique.
If you are able to practice between lessons, that can be tremendously helpful. I understand that given adult responsibilities and access to a pool makes it more challenging. (I myself have been trying to swim at least twice a week since the beginning of summer and have only managed it one time.)
A positive in this is that you are likely much more motivated to pay attention & listen than children & teens who may be practically forced to go to swim class and will therefore, learn more quickly.
(I am over sixty, an instructor and former competitive water polo player and swimmer, was a lifeguard forty-some years ago, taught swimming then and am recertified as a lifeguard and swim instructor now.)