Here at Blue Buoy Swim School, we craft our classes so they are naturally rewarding to you or your child. However, we know that not everyone lives close enough to learn with us, and even if you do, you might want some tips to help get even more out of your lessons. We love the water and want you to love it just as much. So, to help, here are 5 tips to get the most out of your swimming session.

1. Arrive to Your Lessons Early

How early should you try to arrive? This will depend on your schedule and what you are looking to experience. We think that arriving fifteen minutes early is excellent if you want some time to get ready and work through any nerves. If you want the chance to speak to an instructor not involved in a class, give yourself twenty minutes.

In addition, if you want to watch other swimmers practice so you can learn from observation, consider arriving about thirty minutes early. This is a good tip for all swimmers, but it is especially valuable to young children who either want to swim competitively or who are anxious and need to acclimate to the environment.

2. Approach Lessons with a Positive, Growth Mindset

A positive mindset and a growth mindset are similar, but somewhat different. With a positive mindset, you are willing to look at your efforts as being excellent, even if they are not perfect. With a growth mindset, you believe that even if you don’t seem to be naturally exceptional at swimming, you believe that with hard work and lots of practice, you can get there. For children, you may need to help them see things in the right way, talking about their efforts in a positive light and highlighting their growth as they go.

3. Respect the Wisdom of the Instructor

If you are the student, it can be easier to assume you know what you need to know once you have been studying for a bit. After all, all teachers were students once upon a time; it stands to reason that if you work hard, you will eventually be as good as the teacher. However, you need to not get ahead of your instructor, as well as respect their wisdom. If you are a parent of a child taking swimming lessons, take a step back and allow the instructor to work.

4. Take Care of Your Body

Now you might be thinking that this is what you’re doing by taking swimming lessons. However, if you want to get the most out of these lessons, you need to take care of your body outside of the pool as well. This means eating a healthy diet and engaging in other forms of exercise as well. At the very least, you should complete a stretching routine before and after swimming to help your muscles prepare for the session, and then recover from it.

5. Change Things Up

When your routine becomes too repetitive, you stop growing. Your instructor should always be changing things up for you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask your instructor about other options. Some things to consider are:

  • Using different pieces of equipment in your practice
  • Focusing on different strokes
  • Swimming in cold water
  • Changing up your target speed
  • Targeting a specific heart rate

Whatever you choose, just make sure you’re not getting stuck in a rut.

Blue Buoy Swim School Offers Personalized Instruction

If you want swim lessons that offer you the best results and the most fun, turn to us. We offer personalized instruction that will surpass your needs and help cultivate a love for swimming. To learn more about our classes and rates, give us a call or stop on by. We look forward to having you learn to swim with us.