Panic When Floating

I am 32, just had my first class and seem to panic when floating. I can float, but after a few seconds, I panic and try to get up abruptly. This is affecting my glide as well. I don't think I am scared, but I can't seem to control this impulse to get out quickly. Help please!

Congratulations on taking your first swimming lesson - it can be a nervous time for some people.

Do not stress at this stage about floating and gliding. The panic you are experiencing is very common. A combination of things can cause it.

if you hold your breath whilst floating or gliding, in fact, if you hold your breath whilst doing anything (not even swimming-related), it causes a build-up of carbon dioxide in your lungs which after a few seconds needs to be released to allow in fresh oxygen. In other words, you need to breathe!

Instead, try to breathe out slowly as you float or glide. This will allow the carbon dioxide to be released slowly whilst you are face down in the water, which will help you relax and make the need to breathe again much less urgent.

Another factor to consider is your buoyancy. You say you are able to float but there will almost certainly be parts of your body that will slowly sink (probably your legs) and when you glide you may find yourself beginning to roll slightly, or certainly feel unbalanced in some way. This is just the way that the human body behaves in the water, and it is these kinds of things that cause the panic to quickly set in.

With all this in mind, think about your scenario. You are learning a brand new skill in an environment that, quite frankly, human beings were not designed to be in and do not belong in. You take a deep breath, put your face down in the water and glide or float. Carbon dioxide builds up, and you suddenly need to breathe. Combine that with an unbalanced feeling and maybe a slight sinking feeling, and that's is - panic. Get me out of here.

Take each lesson one at a time. Over time you will learn how your body behaves in the water when you are floating, gliding and swimming.

Remember, the water is not trying to pull you down. It is actually trying to support you and in time you will learn to relax and appreciate and feel your own buoyancy.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click the link below for more information.

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming 

Professional guidance and support to help you through every stage of learning how to swim.

Discover everything you need from first entering the pool and building confidence to floating and breathing. Plus, 82 exercises to master the four basic swimming strokes.(click here for an instant preview) 

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Can't swim without holding my nose... Help me!

Hello! I have a fear of swimming without holding my nose! I have tried swimming without holding my nose before, but I choked. Please don't laugh. It sounds so weird and stupid and hilarious, but it's true. I need help. I have tried EVERYTHING! Friend's advice and family advice, websites, books, everything. I need help. Thanks.

Thanks for getting in touch. Your problem is not uncommon at all.

Forgive me if you think I might be stating the obvious. It would help if you practice holding your breath underwater.

You choke because water is getting up your nose as you submerge your face and swim, and the only reason water goes up your nose is that you are breathing it up there.

It is most likely that you are doing this unconsciously – in other words, you are not consciously holding your breath; instead, your body is attempting to breathe through your nose when you swim without you telling it to!

Firstly take some time to practice holding your breath and submerging. Not swimming at all, but remaining in one place in the pool, feet on the floor if necessary.

If fully submerging is still causing a problem, then remain at the surface, place your mouth and/or nose in the water, and work up to fully submerging gradually.

The important thing here is to take a big enough breath to allow you to hold it for a few seconds. So, take a large breath, as if you’re about to blow out the candles on a cake, and hold it all in.

Now, this may sound like baby stuff, and you may be more than able to do this stuff. If so, forgive me, but it is important to ensure you can do it.

Let's say you can easily hold your breath and submerge. The problem is that swimming (kicking your legs and pulling with your arms) causes you to exhale and inhale simultaneously.

This is a question of coordination. Most people associate coordination with making your arms do something simultaneously with your legs. In your case (and this is only a possible suggestion), it is the coordination of your breathing and overall movement.

You need to teach your body to hold your breath and swim simultaneously. When you need to breathe again, you need to surface to take another breath.

This goes back to remaining in one place in the pool and practising just breathing. Submerge and move your arms and legs slowly, keeping your breath held. Resurface and take another breath.

Keep practising until it becomes second nature.

My ebook The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming contains all the help and support you need, from relaxing, floating and breathing to all the technique tips for learning to swim the four basic strokes. Click here for an instant preview or click the link below for more information.

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

The Complete Beginners Guide To Swimming

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