How to start swimming as a beginner
It can be daunting to start swimming as a complete beginner, but absolutely not impossible. With the right guidance, knowledge, and determination, you can become a confident and competent swimmer.
No doubt about it, swimming is a skill. A very useful one at that. Whatever age you may be, we all come to swimming as beginners at some point in our lives. As with any skill, with the right advice and support, swimming can be mastered.
It’s completely normal to feel trepidation when you start swimming. Perhaps you’re dipping your toes in for the very first time, or maybe it’s been years since you visited the pool, or you could have never truly gotten to grips with swimming with ease in the water.
Whatever your background, you’re in the right place now. Swimming is a great skill to know not only for exercise, but also for safety when around bodies of water, for you and your loved ones.
In this article, we’ll cover everything a beginner needs to know when considering taking up pool swimming. Why not jump to the section that’s most relevant to you and your swimming journey:
- Floating in the water
- Core swimming strokes
- Mastering breathing while swimming
- Safety considerations in the water
- Essential swim gear you should have
- Tips for overcoming a fear of swimming
Once you feel comfortable in the pool, you can graduate to starting open-water swimming even if you’re nervous and build confidence from there. The sky’s the limit! Before you know it, a full triathlon will be beckoning…
Basic swimming technique and skills
Floating in the water
For those coming to swimming for the very first time, the hardest part can often be getting started, so bravo for taking that first step. Your first aim should be to feel at ease in the water.
For now, stay in the shallow end of the pool, in sight of lifeguards, and standing chest-deep in the water. You are going to get used to floating on your back and your front, feeling the motion of the water and learning to relax.
Lean back into the water with your arms outstretched. Let your ears submerge and stretch out your arms. Focus your gaze toward the ceiling/sky.
If you have someone with you, have them support your lower back to encourage your body into a streamlined position in the water. Otherwise, you can do this along the side of the pool and hold on with your fingertips.
Kick out your legs until you’re horizontal and floating, this make take some practice. Flutter your hands at your sides in a side to side motion and gently kick your legs in a scissor kick to keep yourself afloat.
If you feel confident, let go of any anchoring sources and try to relax as you float in the water. Keep practicing this until you feel more and more confident on your back.
Now you’ve tried back floating, let’s do the same on your front. Take a deep breath and lean forward at the waist, dipping your face into the water.
Kick off from the bottom and extend your arms and legs so that you’re horizontal to the ground. Move your limbs gently to help you stay afloat and try to relax the best you can. Congratulations, you’ve just passed the first step in learning to swim!
Basic swimming strokes
Head to the shallow end of the pool where you can position yourself at around hip height in the water. We’re going to practice the core swimming stroke movements, focussing on efficient and correct technique.
While you’ll likely be swimming front crawl in races, it’s useful to know other strokes, especially for triathletes. Here’s some of the core strokes and how to get to grips with them.
Breaststroke
Breaststroke can be a useful stroke for when you don’t want to put your head under the water, or when you first dive in and are getting your bearings. In a triathlon, it is often used for swimming in chopping conditions, since a breath is taken after every stroke and it’s easier to sight where you’re going.
Unlike other strokes, breaststroke does not involve rotation of the torso. Classic breaststroke is performed with the head in the water, however there is a form of breaststroke nicknamed ‘granny breaststroke’ which uses the same technique, but with the head above the surface.
Arm movements
Start with the body horizontal in the water. Extend both arms forward in front of you, with palms facing down and hands next to each other. Sweep both arms outwards and slightly downward, forming a ‘Y’ shape.
Bend your elbows and bring your hands back inwards toward your chest, place the palms together as if in prayer. From here, you can extend your arms forward again and repeat the stroke.
Leg movements
As your arms are extended forward in front of you, your legs should be together and straight out behind you so you form one line in the water.
Once you’ve brought your hands out to your sides in the widest part of the arm movement, bend your knees up and kick both feet outwards in a semicircular motion, pushing the water back with the soles of your feet.
Bring your legs back together, straight, in a streamlined position before starting the stroke again.
If you have a hard time picturing the motion, took up a video of the movement online or ask a fellow swimmer for a demonstration.
Front crawl (freestyle)
Front crawl, also known as freestyle, as a stroke is more straightforward. As you do small, continual, flutter kicks from the hips with the legs, alternate your arm strokes through the water.
The front crawl arm movement is performed almost as one arm at a time. Start with both arms out in front of you, palms facing downward. Tilt your right wrist 45 degrees upwards at an angle where you can feel the ‘catch’ of the water and bring it down towards your hip in one smooth motion. Some coaches encourage an ‘S’ movement for this, there are different schools of thought on best practice.
This is the part of the stroke that takes the most effort and where you’ll feel most resistance, as you push water backwards and propel yourself forward through the water.
Then, as you do the same with your left hand, your right arm should break the water, arching over in a semi-circle back to its starting position straight out in front of you. Keep going with both arms to form the continual, basic front crawl stroke.
Breathing should be performed when you have one arm out in front of you in the water, use the natural rotation of your body to roll away from the arm and raise part of the face out of the water to take a breathe on the opposite side to your arm stroke.
You can breathe every two strokes as you learn, but may want to graduate to bilateral breathing as you improve. Bilateral swimming for beginner swimmers can help to balance out the stroke.
You don’t need to lift the whole head out of the water for this, but we’ll explain more in the breathing while swimming section below.
- 15 front crawl swim drills to improve your technique
- How to transform your front crawl in 6 weeks
- 3 simple ways to improve your freestyle technique
- How to use your legs properly while you swim
Backstroke
Backstroke can be useful during a triathlon for taking a moment to breathe and rest. Either way, it’s a handy stroke to have in your swimming repertoire.
Before getting into deep water to try backstroke for the first time, lie in the shallows if you have a very shallow pool/open-water area to practice, or use the floor.
Backstroke does require some coordination, but you can also think of it as an upsidedown front crawl. There’s that similar rotational movement, yet this time you can breathe all the time as the face is out of the water.
With the same front crawl flutter kick, start off on your back and stretch out both arms behind you in a line horizontal to the ground, palms facing upwards.
One hand at a time, pull an arm through the water in a semi-circular motion. Bend the elbow slightly as you pull the hand down towards the hip. Your arm should move through the water in an ‘S’ position to maintain catch in the water.
Once your hand is down at your side, lift it out the water keeping the arm straight and moving in a line back over the head to the starting position. Meanwhile, rotating the palm back upwards and preparing the hand to re-enter the water with the pinky finger first.
Your shoulders will rotate with each arm movement, move with this and let your body rotate from side to side in the water. As one arm pulls underwater, the other will be recovering above the surface, this process is a constant motion.
How to breathe when swimming
Figuring out a proper breathing routine that works for you, is efficient, and allows you to swim with proper form, is essential when starting out swimming.
There are some foundational rules for breathing that are key to remember, these include:
Exhale underwater – Many make the mistake of holding their breath while swimming, which leads to inefficient breathing. Continuously exhale when the head is underwater to expel all the used air in your lungs and prepare to take in more oxygen. Form your mouth in an ‘o’ shape and blow out air, which will look like bubbles under the water. To get a feel for it, you can practice this by dipping your head underwater and expelling all your air.
Quick inhale – When you turn your head to one side to breathe on the front crawl stroke, inhale quickly through the mouth. The aim is to minimise the time your head is out of the water, in order to remain as streamlined as possible.
Rhythmic breathing – Once you get the hand of breathing while swimming, aim to establish a consistent breathing pattern that coordinates with your stroke. This helps maintain a smooth and efficient swim.
- Two drills that improve your breathing while swimming
- Multiple Ironman world champ Jan Frodeno’s swim tips
Staying safe in the water
Pool safety starts with awareness. Never swim alone; always make sure that there’s a lifeguard on duty or at least a swimming buddy who can keep an eye on you, and vice versa.
Be sure to check pool depth before doing any diving or jumping, and avoid running on the slippery poolside surface.
It’s a good idea to warm up before swimming to prevent any painful cramps; hydration is also key for this.
Beginners should stay in shallow areas, at least until you feel more confident in the water and have built up swimming strength. Know your limits and don’t push yourself beyond your current swimming abilities.
If swimming in an outdoors pool, be sure to wear sun protection in the form of suncream or a swimming costume with good UV coverage.
Make yourself aware of the closest pool exit or location of the life rings in case of emergencies. Be mindful of pool chemicals and avoid swallowing pool water.
In terms of pool hygiene, it can be a good idea to wear flip-flops when walking on poolside to prevent fungal infections which can be rife in pool conditions. Equally, if you’re prone to ear infections then consider wearing ear plugs.
What equipment do I need to start swimming?
Swimming can be as simple as you make it. There’s only a couple of bits of swimming gear you’ll need to get started, including a swimsuit or jammers, a pair of reliable swimming goggles, and a swimming cap for those with longer hair.
After this, if you’re planning to get more into swimming drills or join a club session, then you may need further pool swimming equipment like a kickboard, pull buoy, swim fins, and hand paddles.
How do I overcome my fear of swimming?
First of all, it is totally normal to be afraid of swimming and off being in deep water. Overcoming a fear of swimming is entirely possible and starts with gradual exposure.
Begin in shallow water where you can stand comfortably. Focus on building comfort with water on your face by practicing blowing bubbles.
It can be helpful to enroll in beginner swimming lessons with a patient instructor who can guide you step-by-step. But if you want to take the first step by yourself, take a trip down to your local pool and perhaps bring a supportive friend with you.
Practice floating and basic movements in a safe, controlled environment. Visualise yourself swimming confidently. Remember, it’s okay to take your time.
Celebrate small victories, like putting your face in the water without panic. Slowly build yourself up to being in deeper water. Consistent, gentle exposure is key to building confidence and reducing fear.
We highly recommend seeking the advice of an expert when learning to swim for the first time, or re-learnign after a long break. The help and expertise of a dedicated swim coach will be the most useful thing you can do to improve your swimming from beginner level. As always, safety should be your top priority in the water.
So now you’ve got the swimming down, how about your next challenge? Like training for your first 3.8km swim.
Kate Milsom
Freelance sports journalist 
