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Let’s imagine, you look through the holiday photos of your friend who has just returned from a sea vacation. Do you feel envy or fear? Many people are fearful of swimming, but it does not have to be that way. If you don’t have much confidence in your swimming skills, these tips will help you feel like a fish in the water.

Overcome Fear

Fear is one of the biggest obstacles people have to overcome while learning to swim. You might be surprised to know that 60% of Americans are afraid of deep water. To deal with it, there is a simple technique. Breathe in sufficient air, take poses under water and feel how the water brings you to the surface. Start with a shallow area and then slowly move on to deeper areas of the pool.

Learn to Breathe

Breathe in through your mouth when above the water, and out through your nose or mouth when under the water. Try to develop a rhythm. Another exercise to practice is holding your breath. You never know when it will come in handy.

Make Friends with the Water

Imagine that the water is your friend. Lie back on the water’s surface, spread out your arms to the side and relax. Feel how the water supports your weight and slowly moves you. Or you can try lying on your stomach with goggles on and looking down. This will help you to feel more comfortable in the water.

Learn to use your legs

If you have managed all of the above activities, let’s get down to swimming itself. You can practice different exercises in the water in order to use your legs. Try practicing breaststroke. This stroke requires a ton of leg strength. Don’t be embarrassed if you feel like you look silly. You will be grateful when you are able to confidently and rhythmically use your legs.

Tread Water

Tread water vertically. To do this, move your legs the way you did with breast stroke. Spread your arms out to the side and make circular motions with them. Or, you can tuck your legs in and pretend you are riding a bike.

It is never too late to overcome your fear of the water. You must first learn how to properly breathe under water, make friends with the water, learn to use your legs and practice by treading water. Once you achieve these, you will feel confident to swim freely in any depth of water.