I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Why Do I Sink? Discover How To Float Plus a Floating and Gliding Lesson Plan For Teachers
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How do I float and why do I sink? It's a question commonly asked by beginners learning how to swim. Hi, Mark here. Hope all is well with you. This week, we are talking about why we sink. Scroll down and discover the science behind floating and sinking and how it may help you understand more and even help you stay afloat when you swim. Firstly, for swimming teachers, I have a lesson plan for teaching floating and gliding. Teach Your Pupils How To Stay Afloat.The 'floating and gliding' lesson plan below outlines some basic exercises that can be included as part of a complete swimming lesson. This plan is taken from my best-selling book where you will find lesson plans specifically for floating and confidence building, and you will also find plans written explicitly for adults. Click here for more details. This lesson plan is taken from 101 Swimming Lesson Plans for Swimming Teachers. Lesson plans that:
Show me 101 Swimming Lesson Plans Why Do We Sink? The Science Made SimpleFirst, Let's clarify one thing: Floating whilst stationary in one place and staying afloat whilst swimming are two completely different concepts. Your ability to float is all down to your relative density. What does that mean? Take this example: a log floats and a rock sinks. The log floats because its density is low relative to the density of the water. But the rock sinks because its density is high relative to the density of the water. For more on relative density, click here. How does this relate to the human body? Let's say that the log is fat and the rock is muscle. Okay, so there's more to the human body than fat and muscle. There are bones, organs, blood and stuff like that, and they all contribute to your overall density. To keep this simple, let's stick to fat and muscle. People with a higher fat content will tend to float. Lean and muscular people will tend to sink naturally. If you naturally sink, it does not mean that you cannot swim! Let's go back to our naturally sinking rock. Like you, it has a slightly streamlined shape, so if it's propelled across the water surface, it will remain at the surface for a short time before it sinks. Create a streamlined shape as you propel yourself through the water; add some basic swimming technique, and you will remain at the water surface as you swim! Click here to discover some easy exercises that will help keep you remain afloat as you swim. That's it for now. Happy swimming! Cheers Mark ps - did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here. |
Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach
I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
'Why do I get so out of breath when I swim?' - one of the most commonly asked questions in the pool. There are 2 very common breathing mistakes that many beginners learning to swim are guilty of. Hi, Mark here. I hope you've had a great week. When it comes to breathing technique, whichever swimming stroke is being attempted, there are two common mistakes that many adults make. Breath-holding Breathing too late What happens when you hold your breath? Breath-holding is an unnatural act for a...
How do I float? Why do I get so tired? Am I too old? As a beginner learning to swim, you have many unanswered questions, and as a teacher, you are constantly being asked them. There are a few that get asked more than others. Hi, Mark here. How are you? I hope all is well. How can I stand up mid-swim? How can I swim without getting tired? How Do I Float? These are just some of the most common questions I get asked. I have listed the most common questions and links to more detailed answers. I...
Do you think you've got your front crawl timing and coordination all wrong? There is a good chance it is actually okay. Confused? Read on. Hi, Mark here. I hope all is well with you. What Exactly Is 'Timing'? When we talk about timing, we usually refer to the number of leg kicks per arm pull cycle—that is, how many times our legs kick in the time it takes for our arms to complete one arm pull cycle. Which Timing Pattern Works For You? Some timing patterns will suit some swimmers better than...