Research shows that one in five adults in the UK are unable to swim. It closes off a whole area of activity and mean they can’t enjoy the beach and pool properly while on holiday. It also can also put their life and their loved one’s lives in danger too. As such, we’ve partnered with Swim England and its #LoveSwimming campaign to bring you information about the benefits of learning to swim as an adult, why you shouldn’t be afraid to take the plunge and how easy it is for adults to learn to swim.
You’ll hear from people who have come to swimming later in life and discover that it’s nowhere near as daunting as you may believe and that swimming is something anyone and everyone can get involved with.
Helen’s Story
Helen took up swimming due to the feeling of helplessness she had when her daughter got into difficulties in the deep end of their local pool and she was unable to help
Avoiding learning to swim up to this point was partly because of a fear of water, having seen several drownings in her native Uganda. She also felt there was a stigma over not being able to swim and so she decided not to pursue it.
Before learning to swim, Helen was worried about what people may think of her. Would they be questioning why it had taken her so long to learn to swim? Backing out is, however, not an option.
Helen says she’s learning to swim and sharing her story in order to be an inspiration to other adults struggling to swim. “No matter how old you are” she says “whatever your age, you can still pursue your dreams. It has always been my goal to be able to swim and I’ve gone for it”.
In no time at all, Helen was making significant progress and is ecstatic with her progress. “I’m very proud of myself. Going from not being able to swim to being able to swim 15m without having to take a break. That’s fantastic. I’ve exceeded my expectations of myself from when I started. Swimming is going to be a huge part of my life.”
Linda’s Story
For as long as she can remember, 40-year-old Linda has been scared of the water. In 2018, however, she decided to take those fears on and take swimming lessons at her local swimming pool – Daventry Leisure Centre in Northamptonshire. Her progress has been so rapid that in September 2019, she completed her first 22 mile swim and now swims two miles, four times a week. She also takes on on a swimming challenge each month.
Learning to Swim as an Adult with Everyone Active
Everyone Active is dedicated to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim, regardless of age, ability or experience. This is why we have developed a swimming lesson programme specifically for adults.
Available at all 120+ Everyone Active sites with a pool, our adult swimming lessons are incredibly popular, with 6,275 swimmers taking part in the programme each week.
Benefits of Learning to Swim With Everyone Active
There are so many benefits to learning to swim, both as a child and an adult. To begin with, there are the obvious safety benefits. These include being able to keep yourself and others out of danger in and around the water.
Swimming is also great fun and a fantastic family activity to enjoy together, whether you’re in your local Everyone Active pool, by the sea or in the hotel pool while you’re on holiday.
It’s a fantastic whole body workout, working just about all the main muscle groups. Also, thanks to the extra resistance of water, you’re building strength and boosting your cardio fitness at the same time. The buoyancy offered by the water means you’re less likely to hurt yourself. It also makes it ideal if you’re recovering from injury or returning to exercise after a long lay-off.
Find out more about adult swimming lessons right here and discover your local Everyone Active pool.