How to overcome the fear of water and learn to swim: exercises to get rid of the fear of depth for adults and children, the causes of this phobia and what is it called?

Water is an unfamiliar environment for humans, therefore fear of it is natural, and it should be present in everyone to a reasonable extent.
However, often this fear is excessively strong - it prevents not only swimming, but sometimes even entering the water. Such excessive fear no longer brings any benefit.

You can overcome it not with psychological suggestions, but by completing a series of tasks step by step . They are not anything complicated or scary; on the contrary, everything is quite simple.

Below we present a program, the implementation of which, we hope, will overcome this problem.

Exercises to get used to water

From our point of view, as a first step, the most optimal program for this is the program of action recommended by swimming coach Denis Tarakanov.

The point of this program is to get used to the water and learn to relax in it.

It is best to start in a very shallow, warm pool - one that is very shallow enough to allow you to sit in the water. If you have an extremely strong fear of water, your task is to simply sit in warm water and learn to relax in it.

You don't need to start swimming or do anything else - just get used to being in the water .

Take your time - take as much time as you need. In extreme cases, if necessary, you can even spend several months simply relaxing in shallow warm water.

The sequence of actions is clearly shown in this video:

You should develop a feeling of comfort and relaxation from being in the water, then this feeling should “get bored” and you should have a desire to take the next step.

If it is not possible to do this exercise in a shallow pool, then you can do it on the shore of a lake or sea, but with the following reservations:

shallow near the shore , the water should be warm and pleasant.
There should be no waves , staying in the water should be extremely comfortable.

If there is neither a shallow pool nor the necessary body of water nearby, or if the fear of them is very high, then as a “zero” step you can teach the body not to be afraid of water at home in the shower :

at first the water should pour only on the back;
then we put our heads under water and breathe only through our mouths - we get used to breathing in water.

Name of the disease

A phobia is a common pathology that can sometimes cause severe discomfort and also prevent you from living a normal life, enjoying all its delights. A striking example is hydrophobia (aquaphobia): a patient who suffers from this disease cannot plunge into water on a summer day. The phobia can appear in early childhood and accompany the patient throughout his life.

Today, psychologists call panic fear of water several concepts. What is the correct name for this phenomenon: aquaphobia or hydrophobia? Both of these names refer to the same disease. It’s just that previously the concept of “hydrophobia” was a symptom exclusively of rabies. Today, both of these names can equally be used to refer to one illness - panic fear of water and everything connected with it.

Head Dive

The next step is to train your face to submerge in water..

The fact is that very often the fear of water is associated with the fear of choking, which is enhanced by the discomfort of water getting into the nose. Many people dislike the very act of immersing oneself in water.

Therefore, we move on to the next task, which can be done even at home - in the bathroom, or with a basin of water, or in the pool or open water.

You can close your eyes, but it is much better to wear swimming goggles.

Procedure:

We lower our face into the water for just a couple of seconds. We don’t plug our nose with our hands, but we don’t breathe either.
Then we lift it and at the moment of lifting we exhale sharply through our nose in order to completely clear the nose if anything gets into it.
Take your time - repeat this task as many times as required. You can gradually increase the duration of immersion in the water.

Your task is to ensure that you lower your face into the water, including your nose, without experiencing any discomfort.

If you don't feel comfortable putting your head in the water, you can also try gradual squats into the water in a pool, as shown in this video:

Swimming techniques for beginners

Each type of swimming requires separate study. The crawl is considered the most accessible, although it cannot be called easy - you have to learn to work harmoniously with all parts of the body and breathe in time. The butterfly is considered the most difficult for beginners.

On the spot

It's not so much a swimming style as it is the ability to stay on the water. Having mastered it, the swimmer feels safe on the largest bodies of water. Thanks to swimming in place, a person saves energy during swims by giving himself breaks.

This skill is not particularly necessary in the pool, but in open waters it is difficult to do without it. If a person gets tired after sailing far from the shore, he will always be able to rest. To swim across a river or lake, moving in place comes in handy.

What is the essence of swimming “in place”:

you have to move your legs all the time;
hands are held along the body or horizontally.

When positioned horizontally, the arms make semicircular movements to the sides. Move one hand clockwise, the other counterclockwise. In this case, the forearms are above the surface of the water.

If the arms are located along the body, it is more difficult to swim, but it is possible to restore the functionality of the arm muscles. The swimmer puts his hands into the water, and his palms make the same movements as his legs. Take deep breaths - the air entering the lungs helps to stay on the water.

Crawl on chest

This style is most widespread among amateur swimmers. The crawl is often called freestyle. It is the most natural and is based on movements that are easy for the average person to master. This is a fast and beautiful style, and it is best to start learning with it.

How to swim front crawl correctly:

the swimmer alternates rowing with his hands - now with his right, now with his left;
the body moves due to the movement of the entire body, and not only due to the work of the arms and legs;
the head alternately deviates to the side - if the left hand is rowing, the head turns to the right, if the right hand is rowing, the head turns to the left;
the head is lowered into the water almost all the time, and the neck is relaxed;
when the head turns to the side, the face appears above the surface of the water, and at this moment the swimmer has time to inhale air;
The crawl swimmer's legs work without stopping, making a "scissors" movement.

The main task when mastering the crawl:

learn to breathe correctly;
synchronize the work of all limbs;
coordinate the movement of all parts of the body - body, head, arms, legs.

Crawl is more difficult than breaststroke, but easier than butterfly. The movement is based primarily on the work of the hands, so in this style their technique is most important. The main technical difference between the style and breaststroke and butterfly is maintaining a horizontal position with the body.

An important difference between crawl and other swimming styles is the alternating work of arms and legs. In butterfly and breaststroke, the limbs work synchronously.

A video about the front crawl style is located below:

Back crawl

This style is used less frequently than the front crawl, although it is more energy efficient. All movements here are the same as in the front crawl, only the body is positioned face up. It is recommended to use both types of rabbit alternately.

The biggest advantage of the back crawl is the ease of breathing. Since the face is turned upward, there are no problems with it. This style develops the ankle and back muscles and is faster than breaststroke, but slower than butterfly and front crawl.

The back crawl technique is similar to freestyle. The differences are mainly related to body position.

How to swim back crawl:

the body is straight, elongated, turned face up;
when moving, the body rotates thanks to the strokes;
the head does not turn, the face is always directed upward;
legs are straight, working like in front crawl - “scissors”;
the arms alternately row, their movement reminiscent of the “mill” exercise.

Hand technique is especially important. When one of them rows underwater, the swimmer carries the second one above the water. This is similar to the classic crawl, but the arms in this style rotate in the opposite direction.

There are 4 phases of hand movement:

influx - the hand plunges into the water;
main phase - the elbow turns back and down, pushing off from the water, then straightens at the hip;
exit to the surface - the palm unfolds, with the little finger at the top;
carry - a straight hand sweeps over the water.

The legs move almost similarly to the classic crawl, but the swimmer applies force from the bottom up - it’s like he’s pushing out water. The legs are straightened, the hips work, not the knees.

At the beginning of training, a person breathes as he has to, without really thinking about when to inhale or exhale. In the future, it is recommended to inhale at the moment when one hand sweeps over the water, and exhale while carrying the second hand.

Here is a video about backstroke crawl:

Butterfly

This is the most difficult style, it allows you to develop high speed. Mastering the butterfly technique is not easy, but from the outside it looks impressive. The swings of the arms are so powerful and wide that it seems that the swimmer is flying over the water.

To swim butterfly, you must have excellent physical fitness and impeccable coordination. In terms of technique, the style is similar to breaststroke, but in butterfly the arms perform a full rotation rather than a half rotation.

A man swims on his chest, and both his arms simultaneously make a sweeping stroke. The legs and pelvis move in waves. The wave starts from the body. From a distance, the swimmer looks like a sea creature, which is why the second name of the style is “dolphin”.

How to swim butterfly:

In the starting position, the body is straight, the legs are pressed together, and the arms are located above the head.
The shoulders, along with the upper body, move down and forward, the pelvis rises, and the feet move down. When the shoulders move up, the pelvis, on the contrary, lowers and the legs rise.
The body makes wave-like movements due to the work of the core muscles.
The legs work simultaneously, and not in turn, as in the crawl. They perform an up and down motion that lifts their upper body out of the water.
The arms, having made a powerful stroke, are thrown forward.
Inhalation is done while raising your arms. Exhale - during the dive, through the nose and mouth at the same time.

Below is a video about the butterfly:

Breaststroke

This style is simpler than butterfly, but more difficult than crawl. Requires good physical fitness and coordination of movements. They switch to breaststroke when they learn to confidently swim freestyle.

How to swim breaststroke:

In the starting position, the body and arms are straight and extended. The latter are folded together and stretched forward. The swimmer spreads them slightly wider than shoulder width.
The swimmer makes a stroke with his hands and then throws them forward. Thanks to this movement, the shoulders and head are above the water. The swimmer inhales and, throwing his arms forward, plunges his head under the water.
When a swimmer throws out his arms, his legs push the water. This push resembles the movement of a frog.
Inhalations are made at the moments of raising the head from under the water. The swimmer inhales through the mouth and exhales through the nose during the dive. And if he swims intensely, he uses his nose and mouth at the same time.

Below you will find a video about breaststroke:

Horizontal body position

The next stage is to take a completely horizontal position in the water, with your face lowered into the water.

Like the previous ones, this task is done entirely in shallow water , where the depth is maximum up to your knees.

Grasp the bottom of the pool (or body of water) with both hands, inhale and extend your legs so that your body is lying in the water, your head is lowered into the water .

Relax your neck, relax completely.

Do as many repetitions as necessary to get used to keeping your body and head in the water.

How long does it take to learn to swim?

Is it possible to stop being afraid of water and learn to swim in 1 day, you ask, and we will answer... yes. This is really real, because if at some point you feel that you feel safe in the pool, it is quite possible that you will be able to swim right away. And this may well happen already in the first lesson.

Of course, your technique is unlikely to be perfect right away, but that’s not the question! The most important thing is that you hold on, don’t drown, and even move a little. And you are not afraid at all!

It will take about a month for a dedicated swimmer to start swimming really well in the pool. Quite a real prospect, isn’t it?

First movements

Follow all the previous steps until being in shallow water and having your nose in the water does not cause you discomfort. This may take from several days to several months, we repeat: take your time.

Then the next step is to learn to lie on the water with your face down in shallow water.

As in the previous exercise, inhale and lie down, holding the bottom with both hands. Then we release one hand. After several such attempts, we release both hands. Finally, we stretch both arms forward and lie face down in the water .

Having learned to lie in the water, we make the first movements with our legs.

The whole sequence of actions, thanks to which an adult who is afraid of water can quickly learn to swim, is very well shown in this video:

In addition to this video, the next step after the steps shown in this video is to also learn how to exhale through your nose or mouth into the water .

This can be done near the shore or at the edge of the pool - inhale through your mouth, lower your face and exhale into the water. Try to get used to exhaling through your nose (exhaling through your mouth is required during intense sports swimming). Read more about inhalation, exhalation and proper breathing in swimming in this article.

Eyes

How many of us can boast, if not love, at least favor for the process of instilling medical drops into the eyes? When the cornea of this most delicate paired organ comes into contact with a foreign object, which in our case is water, a reaction is automatically triggered - we begin to blink intensely. This is a normal protective reflex that protects the mucous membrane of the eye from damage and contamination.

When water hits the cornea, it causes a tingling sensation. Of course, it is better to use special goggles or a mask during swimming lessons. But it is necessary to accustom your eyes to unhindered contact with water that does not cause discomfort. It doesn't matter whether this happens with regular swimming or with practice in the bathroom.

How to get rid of the fear of great depths

If you have learned to lie in the water and at least somehow swim in shallow water (technique is not important now, you can even do it like a dog), then you should no longer have problems getting into the water and immersing yourself in it.

As a rule, in most cases this already removes the fear of water and the fear of choking.

If you still have a fear of depth, then within reasonable limits this is generally normal for any person; this is an instinct of self-preservation.

Do not start swimming at depth unless there is a qualified instructor nearby, a person who will supervise you and provide all the necessary assistance!

If there is an instructor nearby and objectively has every opportunity to help, but even with his support you are still afraid of the depth, then try one of the following exercises :

Swimming with a swim board . Hold onto the swimming board with your hands - this is a kind of analogue of a lifebuoy that prevents the body from drowning. Swim using your legs. You can train this kind of swimming in shallow water and then gradually move on to swimming in deep water (we repeat, under the control and with the safety of an instructor!).
Psychology exercise: “drown in 30 seconds”.
This exercise is offered by the instructors of the Swim Rocket school, its meaning: being in fairly shallow water (where you can stand on your feet), take a horizontal position in the water, that is, lie down on the water, and with all your might try to completely submerge under the water - “drown”.
You should have an instructor with you who will insure you and at the same time time you, giving you only 30 seconds for this task.
To the surprise of the swimmer, it turns out that if you take a horizontal position in the water, you cannot drown.
This gives an increase in psychological confidence for further activities.

The “drown in 30 seconds” technique is demonstrated in this video:

Become a sailor - learn the directions

Few people remember this, but since ancient times, sailors have compiled maps of water areas for their voyages. How are pilot lines useful for swimmers? From them you can get a lot of information about the upcoming swim. For example, you will understand that deep areas will be colder than shallower ones. And also that there may be a strong current between the islands or between the mainland and the island, which means swimming will be more difficult.

If you don’t understand anything about maps, then go online and study the swim locations using reviews and virtual tours. Modern technologies allow us to look at any point on the planet using satellites. The more information you collect, the better you study each kilometer, the more confident and calm you will feel at a distance.

What to do if your child is afraid to swim in the pool

First, remember the main rule of children's swimming: a child of any age, even one who knows how to swim, should only be in the water under adult supervision!

Next, if your child is afraid to go into the water, we will give the following recommendations:

the water should be warm and there should be no waves;
If we are talking about a baby, then you should not force him into warm and comfortable water. Let him grow up a little and want to swim himself;
do not scold him under any circumstances . Take this calmly and, if possible, turn the situation into a positive one. A child’s fear of getting water in his nose and your scolding can put a strong thought in his head: “this should never happen again,” and then that very fear of water begins, which this article is dedicated to getting rid of.

Is it real...?

“It’s never too late to learn” - this expression is heard very often when a person begins to master, by the way, foreign languages or the art of ceramics.

However, is it possible to learn to swim as an adult if for some reason you missed this opportunity earlier? Can changing body characteristics interfere with learning, as in gymnastics and ballet?

Correct answer: yes. You can start swimming at any age, the main thing is to cast aside fears and doubts, and set the right goal. This is where the main catch of the expression “I want to learn to swim” lies - for some it is quite enough to stay on the water and not drown, but for others they are ready to improve their technique by correcting the mistakes made when swimming in order to swim like Michael Phelps - technically correct , beautiful, powerful and fast.

Ideally, all swimmers should strive to master all four strokes, but above all, they need to motivate themselves. Without this, the matter will not move forward, so you need to create the right motivation for yourself.

Causes of fear in adults

If we are talking about a moderate fear of water, then its main reason is the instinct of self-preservation, combined with the inability to swim .
If we are talking about extreme cases of non-acceptance of water, then their cause may be precisely an unsuccessful experience with water in childhood . For example, the situation described above, when water got into the child’s nose, he “drank too much water” and was afraid that he would choke, and against the background of this, his parents scolded him severely.
Similarly, this phobia can develop from cases of forcibly immersing children in water.

For the last two cases, it is especially important to accustom your nose to being in water , learn to exhale into it, and let yourself understand that nothing bad will happen from immersing your nose in water.

Ears

For the most part, the fear of water in the ears is irrational, since the design of the human ear is quite effective in preventing water from entering the auricle. The eardrum is practically inaccessible to water. However, sometimes water can be blocked by so-called earwax (wax) in the outer canals of the ear. As a rule, this leads to temporary inconvenience. You just need to clean your ears. If this is not done, a bacterial infection can develop. The procedure for cleaning the external canals of the auricle must be performed carefully, since excessive zeal can also lead to inflammatory processes.

What is this phobia called?

Officially, the fear of water is called “Hydrophobia” .

According to Wikipedia, celebrities also have this phobia, including Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer.

We hope that the tips in this article will allow you to successfully overcome any aversion to being in the water.

We also recommend that you read our general article about what proper swimming is, and other articles from the “How to learn to swim” section. We hope that with their help, your stay in the water will be pleasant and useful.

Manifestations of bathophobia

When an irritant appears, that is, water and the bottom, a person experiences acute fear, which is accompanied by manifestations from the autonomic nervous system, which has come to combat readiness:

cardiopalmus;
nausea;
sweating;
coldness of hands and feet;
weakness;
discomfort in the chest and stomach;
spasm in the throat.

A person’s natural desire in such a situation is to escape, but it is this that perpetuates the functioning of bathophobia, allowing it to develop. The right decision is to stay and endure all the unpleasant sensations. It's all about the conditioned reflex.

Afraid of getting caught in seaweed

There are people who are afraid to swim in the depths; they begin to panic for fear of being swallowed up by the depths. And there are those who are afraid of algae. In this case, it only takes one time for a person to become entangled in algae for panic and fear of depth to arise in relation to them.

It is quite natural for a person to consciously beware of algae so as not to get caught in their entanglements. This is a normal natural reaction and in some cases can be life saving. Indeed, aquatic vegetation is dangerous for swimmers. But the worst thing can happen when a swimmer, in panic, begins to move chaotically. Therefore, if such a phobia occurs, it is better to refrain from swimming into depth, and especially into algae.

Usually such fear is treated with hypnosis.