If a person has a real, panicky fear of water, and not just a subconscious fear of depth plus discomfort from getting water into the nose and ears, then all swimming teaching techniques that begin with the paragraph “First of all, learn to lower your head under water and exhale” go forest.

Try to explain to someone who can’t catch his breath from fear when he went into the water further than waist-deep that he “only” needs to completely plunge, putting his whole self into this frightening substance - and there is a high probability that you will be in a couple minutes will be pumped out, because the trainee will climb in horror on the only "land" in the vicinity, that is, on you.

I was taught to swim, like most of those born three decades ago, according to the good old technique of “throw it into the water, and then it will swim by itself”. In any case, for most very good parents, this was considered an iron method. In his defense, I will say that many of my peers learned to swim that way. I, being overboard of some boat, terribly swallowed water and fell into a terrible panic. It didn't float. Moreover, after that I even categorically refused to dive in the bath, and it was unpleasant for me to wash with my head in the shower until I was quite conscious of age.

The second attempt to reconcile me with the water element was at the age of seven, when I was sent to the children's pool. The coach did not bother with those who awkwardly pressed against the side and refused to come off it. Like a proper child with an excellent student syndrome, I decided that now I would still bravely move to the other side, where the others were studying, and somewhere along the way I lost my balance. From this smelly chlorinated water, which I pretty much swallowed, I was caught with a special stick, slippery and just as smelly. Needless to say, I didn’t go to the pool as a child anymore?

What happens when you are really afraid of water?

All my swimming in open reservoirs for another twenty years began and ended near the shore, where there was a gentle entrance to the water, and I almost never went further than waist-deep. As soon as there was a feeling that I could lose my balance or the water was pushing me out - write wasted, uncontrollable horror really rose from somewhere deep in a couple of seconds.

Then I made friends with an inflatable ring and with it a couple of times I even sailed away to the buoys in the sea. Friendship with the circle ended when one day I somehow slipped out of it and did not feel the bottom under my feet. A man floated by - to my joy and to his misfortune. Together with the circle, we climbed onto the stranger with a cry of “Row to the shore!”. Just in case, he obeyed - maybe he decided that special water terrorists had captured him and it was better not to resist.

I no longer approached the circle (I think my savior also kept away from people with the circle), but I really wanted to learn how to swim and generally stay on the water. Everything is according to the principle "And you want, and it pricks." I trained hard where there was a bottom under my feet, trying to at least tear off these very legs and not be afraid. There were no swimming courses then, as well as videos, and any advice from experienced people began with recommendations to stuff your face under water and exhale there. For me, submerging my face under water is like being closed in a jar of spiders.

There was another category of those who promised to teach me how to swim. Together we went to some depth, I tore off my legs, the man held me, and as soon as I began to feel that the water was holding me, and calm down - he remembered the good old method “It will float by itself” and suddenly let me go. All these stories ended in approximately the same way - just like the one where I literally almost drowned my future husband in a 1.5-meter-deep pool and stopped leaning on his long-suffering head only when he had already ceased persistently to emerge and only blew bubbles.

Unfortunately, I have met and still meet many who were taught to swim in much the same way and with the same result as mine. And hooray, I came across a man who was also wildly afraid of water, but overcame it. He shared his experience, and after three days I could flounder in the water "without legs", swimming several meters, although not sailing from the shore. Here it is obvious that first it was necessary to treat x, and then learn to swim.

How did I eventually learn to swim?

• So, if you are as afraid of water as I am, then first you need to completely forget about this “dip your face in the water” - believe me, there is usually nothing interesting under water, especially if it is a large public beach, and there is no coral reef under your feet. I propose to relax simply and corny, because a tense body resists water and is simply heavier. Any techniques that you are familiar with will do here: deep, calm breathing, etc. It helps me to strongly strain the whole body and then sharply relax it.
• When relaxation is achieved (yes, hardly completely - nevertheless, water remains an unfamiliar source of danger at first), by any means I advise you to feel the property of water, especially salty, to keep you on the surface. I did this by simply tucking my legs under me, but not forgetting to relax my body at the same time. And no supports if you don't trust whoever is holding you. You can also hold on to a walkway or other stable support, tearing off your legs. And go into the water little by little, but deeper and deeper, until you can safely sink up to your neck or chin.
• After that, try to lie on the water, take a horizontal position, stretching your body relaxed. The same bridges helped me, I held on to them with both hands and stretched along the surface of the water. By the way, for me, the important point was to feel that I can dive so that the water flows into my ears, and nothing happens. I'm not deaf, I'm not drowning, the world hasn't fallen on my head - my ears are just in the water. It is believed that further it is necessary to immerse the entire face and learn to exhale into the water. I couldn't, it's still a very embarrassing moment for me.
• When you feel calm in a horizontal position, try to move towards the shore, stretching your body along the water as far as possible, and moving your arms and legs. It doesn’t work at the same time - row with your hands, connect your legs later. It is not possible to position the body horizontally - row as best you can. This is not at all a classic method of learning to swim, but it helps to understand that you can move on the water without stepping on the bottom with your feet. We treat fear, remember? By the way, for a long time I rowed only with my hands, spreading them under water. But it was too slow, and then the neck ached. And I slowly learned to lie down on the water and row like a dog, but not quite. I take my hands completely out of the water and exhale not under the water, but on the surface.

• And the last thing - try not to make sudden movements. If you want to get on your feet - lower them calmly and without jerking. Sharp movements lead to unnecessary somersaults in the water and panic rising again.

With small steps, I switched to “you” with water for a very long time. It’s just that my hometown, although it is on the sea, is not worth swimming in this sea, so I had to wait for a vacation to practice. Oddly enough, but it was more difficult to learn to swim on my back - so I could not relax, because I did not see what was ahead.

A couple of years ago, I still went to the pool. It turned out that there is no longer such a terrible smell of bleach, and fresh water also holds well. Now I can easily overcome about a kilometer, famously swim behind the buoys in the sea and sometimes experiment with immersing my face in water, but the remnants of that fear prevent me from doing it completely. I am terribly uncomfortable diving, unfortunately. But even when swimming far, when it is very deep under me, I feel confident.

Last summer, for the first time, I sailed from a yacht in the sea, although a couple of years ago it was incredible for me to swim somewhere where there were 10 meters or more under my feet and there was no shore nearby at all. Like going down from the bridge into the water: what if it is short, what if I have to jump and I find myself under water, what if I can’t climb back up later? ..

And this winter, for the first time, I decided to swim in a mask (although this is the easiest for those who are not afraid to put their heads in the water). At first there was a wild horror that now water would flow into my nose and I would choke, but then the delight from what I see at the bottom of various fish and turtles blocked everything.

The plans are to still learn how to swim “in a decent way” with a coach, since I have overcome my main fear and I think that I can already learn how to breathe correctly and master a couple of swimming styles, except for “dog-like” and “with a circle riding on stranger."

Summer, warm sea sand, gentle waves... It would seem, what else is needed for happiness at this wonderful moment? But you timidly stand on the shore or walk knee-deep in water, instead of swimming and enjoying the wonderful moments of summer. And it’s embarrassing for you to admit that you are simply afraid of the depth. Don't worry, you can fight it.

What is aquaphobia?

Yes, in fact, there is even such a diagnosis - aquaphobia, that is, the fear of water. Depending on the form of the disease, fear can occur at the sight of large volumes of water - a river, lake, sea, or in front of the water itself. For example, some patients are afraid of even getting water on the skin.

But today we are interested in a completely different kind of aquaphobia - bathaphobia. The most common type of this deviation is fear of depth. Moreover, not only people who cannot swim can suffer from it, but also those who feel like a fish in the water, so fear can be objective and subjective.

1. Fear of the deep in those who cannot swim.
2. Fear of what is in the depths of those who know how.

In any case, a person needs the help of specialists if he wants not to hide from the water, but to enjoy swimming in the warm gentle sea.

Where does the fear of depth come from?

Fear of depth in most cases has its roots in early childhood. Surprisingly, you may not even remember the event that caused it. What could be the impetus for the development of bataphobia?

• Perhaps you had a sad experience with water and once upon a time you almost drowned. Now you have a self-preservation instinct at the sight of large volumes of water.
• It is possible that one of your relatives or friends drowned.
• Sometimes children are so affected by the sight of drowned people, if they happened to see them by chance.
• Even such trifles as a fall in the bathroom, watching a scary movie about a shipwreck and other situations that in most cases are very smoothed out of memory, but are remembered on a subconscious level, can play a role.

How to overcome the fear of depth?

Of course, overcoming the fear of depth is not so easy, but if you set a goal, then you will definitely succeed.

• First, visit a psychologist. In most cases, it is not easy to overcome the fear of depth without the participation of a specialist. He will help you get to the bottom of the true cause and find ways to overcome fear.
• Watch more educational programs about water, its benefits, be interested in water sports. By the way, it will even be useful for you to master one type - rowing. On a boat, you can be at great depths, but at the same time be safe. Convince yourself that water is your friend.
• For the next step, you need to be determined, as "a wedge is knocked out with a wedge." The best place to start is with the pool. If you can't swim, then try to learn how to do it like a fish. If you can, then spend as much time as possible there - make it your good habit.
• Once you get comfortable in the water, don't swim alone anyway. Head to the beach with friends, or choose a busy time. This will give you confidence that you are not alone and if something happens, then you will definitely come to the rescue.
• While in the water, think only about yourself, your breathing, throw extraneous thoughts out of your head. And never forget that the water itself pushes you to the surface.
• At first, mentally pronounce your actions - so it will be easier for you not to lose concentration. They sound like a mantra. For example, inhale-exhale, inhale-exhale.
• Buy fins. Swimming with them is very exciting - the speed of movement will be higher, but you will spend less energy. In addition, it will open up new charms of friendship with water.
• At first, do not swim too deep, so that at any moment you can get up on your feet and feel the bottom under them. Do not rush things - when you feel ready to swim further, then do it.
• Start with short swims, gradually increasing their duration.
• Start exercising in the gym. If your muscles are stronger, then you will be less tired during swimming and, accordingly, feel more confident.
• Always exhale into the water at the start of a swim. This will help you get over your panic and not stress yourself out too much. Your muscles should be ready for the load, but in no case tense.

Always remember that if you want to achieve something and put effort into it, then you will definitely succeed. There are practically no impossible tasks. There is a lack of perseverance.

Swimming is a sport that is not natural for everyone. Walking, running, cycling - all these activities are quite easy to master. But for the full development of swimming technique, much more coordination and endurance are required. Swimming styles may vary depending on our abilities. The good news is that everyone can learn how to swim by following certain instructions, thereby overcoming their fear of water.

Before we go drowning, let's think about the following things. First, swimming is a movement in a horizontal position, which is not typical for most people. Many beginner swimmers feel disoriented when lying on the water. They feel like they might fall down or that they are not in control of their body. However, this feeling is deceptive. Try to think instead that you are lying on a very soft bed. Let's stick to this analogy from now on. Secondly, when you go to bed, your body is relaxed. You should feel the same way in the water. Believe it or not, the more relaxed you are, the easier it is to stay afloat. Third, do not use any swimming aids. Of course, it is much easier to take some kind of board for swimming or a life jacket, however, most people become hostages of these funds and cannot do without them in the future. Fourth, breathe! Don't hold your breath. Each time you inhale and dip your face into the water, start exhaling bubbles slowly. Fifth, don't be afraid, water is your friend. A huge number of people have learned to swim before you, so why can't you?

You may be asking: “What should I do in the pool? How to start?". Let's get a look:

1. If you are afraid of water, you should start swimming at the shallow end of the pool, holding onto the wall and crouching so that your chin is close to the surface of the water. Breathe calmly until you get bored of sitting like that. Once you feel like you're ready for something more, try holding your breath and taking a dip. Repeat this action several times. After you get used to dipping, try to do the same, but slowly, smoothly. Gradually increase the time spent underwater. I recommend using goggles to navigate the water and explore the "underwater world of the pool".

2. Once you find yourself feeling pretty good underwater, try blowing bubbles. Squat down holding the side so that your mouth sinks into the water and exhale into the water, forming a stream of bubbles. Remember that each action should be relaxed (or become relaxed after long training). After exhaling, rise up, inhale through your mouth and again immerse it in water, exhaling. Try to increase the time during which you exhale bubbles. Exhalation is always relaxation. Compare how you feel when you exhale and when you hold your breath. I'm sure you're less stressed the first time. How can you be afraid when you are relaxed?

3. After the bubbles, it is the turn of lying on the water. Stand in shallow water, arms at your sides. Slowly bend down and lie face down on the water, stretching your arms along your head. You should feel like a log, stretching your arms forward as far as possible, palms down. Hold your breath and lie like this for a while. Your body must be straight. Do not be afraid if your head is completely submerged in water. Once you're ready to stand up, slowly bring your knees up to your chest, keeping your upper body in the same position. You will notice how the body itself will begin to move into a vertical position. As soon as your butt starts to sink, move your hands to your hips. All that remains to be done is to stretch your legs and stand up. Once you learn how to lie on the water holding your breath, try to complicate the task. Breathe out bubbles while lying down. Don't worry if you dive into the water. After all, you can always get up, and how many times have you dived in the first and second stages!

If you get serious about these activities, do a few hundred dives, your fear of water will disappear and you will feel comfortable and relaxed in the water. Don't think too much about your fears, you definitely won't drown! We all have survival instincts

Can be one of the most enjoyable and energizing ways to exercise and stay fit for a lifetime. Fortunately for those who are afraid to swim or feel uncomfortable in the water, this secret is actually available not only to professional swimmers. And the essence of this secret is that the water itself "wants" to keep you on the surface. This is the nature of water and should help you overcome your fear of swimming. No matter what height or weight you are, the water will just keep you going. The steps below will help you get that feeling of support in the water and overcome your fear of swimming.

There are a few key points to help you. You must control the situation and move forward gradually. Choose for yourself how to quickly move from one stage to the next, in the course of the lessons, which will be discussed next. If you feel panicky at any point, go back to the step where you feel safe. This is vital. It is quite normal if the process of getting used to the water takes several months. After all, you have been struggling with the fear of swimming all your life, and if you get rid of it after a few months, then it will be a great result.

Another important point is to find someone who will keep you company. Perhaps this will be your friend, and it will be good if your friend is also wary of the water - together you can overcome your fears and learn how to swim. It is important that your friend really gives you support, encourages you, and does not say that you are doing stupid things here, and does not pressure you to move faster. It is good if the lesson will be fun and relaxed in a comfortable psychological environment. And don't forget to praise yourself, especially when the going gets tough.

Before starting classes.

Firstly, you can always just sit on the edge of the pool at first, dangle your legs, or just squat down, trying to relax and. You may want to close your eyes and imagine yourself somewhere where you feel safe. Keep this picture in front of your eyes and imagine it every time you get scared. You can then descend into the water to any depth you like. It probably won't be too deep - no more than chest deep. You can simply spend the first few sessions walking in the water to get used to it. Or you can just stand in the water and talk to your buddy.

Once you feel ready, proceed to the following extremely simple steps. Your most important goal right now is to learn how to swim well like a dog, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. At this level, you will learn how to stay on the water well with comfort for yourself, move around the pool, and get twenty minutes of excellent.

Step 1. Stand facing the side of the pool, hold on to the side and remain in this position throughout the exercise. All you need to do in this step is tilt one leg back, bending it slightly so that it is comfortable, and let it float freely in the water. You can slightly perform slow shaking movements with it, as if you want to kick something. The purpose of this exercise is to feel how your leg begins to float freely, if you give it a chance. Close your eyes and feel the water supporting your leg. Listen to the sensations for a while, and then repeat the exercise for the other leg.

Step 2 At this step, you will be able to perform similar movements, but with your hands. Turn your back to the side. Stretch your arms and bend your elbows slightly, place them on the surface of the water and relax. Do not press your hands to the body, give them freedom. Now, just as you did with your feet, perform gentle rocking movements, as if pressing the water with the entire surface of your hand. Feel the resistance of the water, and how the hand floats back after pressing the water. The harder you push, the more your hands want to float back to the surface. It is important not to strain your hands, but to keep them relaxed.

Step 3 In this and the next exercise, you can do whatever you want with your hands. For now, just stand at the same depth and lightly bounce in the water. Do it at your convenience. Just focus on what your body feels when you are in the water. If you're afraid to look stupid, take your kids with you - make your bouncing look like a game.

Step 4 Here you need to dive a little deeper into the water, but no deeper than shoulder-deep. So that the body is completely in the water, if you sit down a little. If at any time you feel fear and that you are losing control, go back to any stage where you feel safe, rest and start again. At this step, jump, but now when the body is completely immersed in water above. Next, try to jump up and pull your knees up to your chest. Keep jumping and try to increase the amount of time your feet are off the bottom of the pool.

Step 5 At this stage, you should already feel the support of the water well, and now you can go further. You will now combine bouncing with the actions you learned in the second step. Start jumping up and at the same time press your hands into the water. Let the arms and legs move in the opposite direction to each other: arms down - legs up, legs up - arms down, and so on. What do you notice? It's like pushing your hands into the water lifts your legs up. Stay on this step until you feel comfortable and safe. Don't forget to praise yourself for your successes.

Step 6 Once you have fully mastered the situation in the previous step, it's time to learn how to swim like a dog, but for now only with your hands. Feet need to stand on the bottom motionless. All you have to do is row with your hands. The movements should be circular, as if you are digging something. Relax your arms, bend them at the elbows, close your fingers together so that your palms work like oars.

Step 7 This step may feel a little awkward, and it may be easier if you combine it with the eighth step right away. You need to jump up and down at the same time as you did in the previous step. Increase the time you keep your feet afloat. Practice this step for as long as you see fit until you feel it.

Step 8. That's all! You are ready to doggystyle without your feet touching the bottom. At the same time, rowing with your arms, as in the previous two stages, jump up and start rowing with your feet. Leg movements will be similar to arm movements - circular, as if pedaling a bicycle. In this case, the legs will be located under your body, which will take a more or less horizontal position in the water. The knees must be bent. This is a serious step, so don't forget to rest and keep practicing until you can swim confidently. Remember, this process can take a couple of months.

Step 9 Congratulations! You have mastered doggystyle swimming and now you can practice other body positions in the water to feel like a real swimmer. When swimming like a dog, try to lean even more with your chest into the water, arch your back and raise your butt to the surface of the water. You will soon find that your feet will begin to float to the surface on their own. Arching your back, you help the body to take a horizontal position, and it begins to float like a buoy. The more you attach importance to just this position of the body, the easier it will be for you to stay on the water and swim.

Now that you have successfully learned to float and swim a little, feel safe in the water, you are ready to learn the technique of normal swimming. Perhaps starting with a free style. Join a group or ask a trusted friend who can swim well to teach you. Remember that you can practice for as long as you want. Rushing on the water is useless. Once you are sure that swimming is now safe for you, and being in the water is not scary, you can reward yourself for your bravery. You rightfully deserve a gold medal!

“I'm 14 years old and I can't swim. And I don't know how to learn. A swimming instructor in our pioneer camp deals only with those who already know how to swim, and he told me - “You can’t learn you, you are afraid of water. Late". Help, doctor, tell me how to learn to swim? - Nadia, Novosibirsk.

As one very good swimming coach said, there are no people who are not capable of swimming, and it doesn’t matter: at 9 years old to study, at 10 years old, at 14 years old or at 40 years old. In the Moskva pool, for example, even seventy-year-olds who were afraid of water are taught to swim. Moreover, you can teach a fourteen-year-old girl to swim without much difficulty. And, sorry, that swimming instructor signed only in his own pedagogical impotence. How can Nadia and other children who are afraid of water learn to swim on their own? To do this, everyone who wants to learn this useful activity must complete the following tasks.

Getting Started: Preparation and Result

Task one. First you need to take a basin with warm water - cold water is also terrifying. Put it on a stool and dip your face and ears into the water. Do not close your eyes. Thus, you need to learn to look in the water. To do this, throw a toothbrush or spoon into the basin and get them from the bottom. Of course, you should not take sharp objects, they can hurt you. Also, to get comfortable in the water, blow bubbles into the water: first, take a deep breath in the air, then dip your face into the water and release the air. Learn to hold your breath in water for 10-15 seconds without swallowing water. Learn to turn your head to the right (or left) and breathe without taking your head off the water:

• when turning the head to the side;
• when the mouth is out, inhale deeply;
• turning your head face down, exhale the air into the water.

Task two. To learn how to swim, you need to learn how to glide through the water. This is very important: the water is dense and you cannot swim without good glide. How to study? Very simple - with the help of a short magic wand. You take it in your hands and lie down on the water, and a rope is tied to this stick, for which your friend pulls you along the shore. He goes, and you "float" behind him - you slide. Where to study? In a shallow place - in a paddling pool or in a pond where water is up to the waist and there are no deep holes. And you need to study with adults or with older comrades who can swim and know the reservoir well.

Task three. How to overcome fear? Some may ask, how can I learn to swim if I am afraid of drowning? To do this, we advise in a shallow place where the water is up to the waist (and you can also in the bath), take a deep breath, hold your breath, plunge headlong into the water and clasp your knees with your hands. You feel that the water is lifting you from the bottom, shaking you back and forth, like a float. You don't drown!!! And now exhale the air to the end - you will immediately go to the bottom. With this task, you will get rid of the fear of drowning, because you just need to take air into your chest and the water will keep you on the surface.

Task four. Get into the water up to your waist, turn your face to the shore, raise your hands up, take a deep breath and, pushing forward and up from the bottom with your feet, lie down on the water. Your body is straightened, your face is in the water - you are moving by inertia towards the shore, you are not drowning, you are practically swimming. It remains only to complete the following two tasks.

Task five. Practice leg movements. When swimming, the legs are extended, not tense, they move, almost without bending at the knees, up and down. Take a volleyball or a foam rectangle in outstretched hands and swim, working with one foot. Repeat these exercises every day until you bring your legs to automatism.

Task six. Remember training in the pelvis. When swimming on exhalation, the head is lowered face down into the water, while inhaling it is turned to the extreme to the right or left (as it is more convenient for someone). And the hands at this time are rowing alternately. The end of the exhalation and inhalation is done under one arm (under the left or right), when it is taken out of the water for the next stroke. How to work out coordination of movements with hands and head? First, do them standing on the shore. Then, entering the water to the waist, tilt your torso (face in the water) and work with your hands. Then hold a styrofoam or rubber ball between your legs and learn to swim by working your arms and turning your head. When you have worked out these movements well, you can go into the water and swim along the shore, working with your arms and legs.

Useful blitz

How long does it take for a child to learn to swim? the question is individual, it may take both a couple of hours and a week of diligent study. The average value is 2-3 lessons of 2 hours.