5 Common Myths About Swimming

1) You have to wait 30 minutes after eating before you swim!

There is actually no scientific evidence to back up this claim. This myth might have been started by parents who want their children to take a break from the pool; we’re not sure. What we do know is that eating before swimming does not increase the likelihood of getting a cramp. However, getting a cramp while swimming is still possible. We recommend to always keep an eye on children in the pool and to only swim at depths you feel most comfortable.

2) Swimming can only help you physically!

While it is quite true that swimming is a fantastic form of exercise, it also can help in numerous other ways. Swimming helps to learn about goal setting, hard work, and performance under pressure. We’ve seen students grow not only as swimmers, but as individuals! There’s nothing quite like a student gaining confidence in their ability and in themself.

3) If I move my arms and legs faster, I will swim faster!

We tell students all the time to not overthink. Often a student will do what we sometimes to refer to as, “berserk arms” and flail wildly attempting to gain speed. Swimming is a sport that is all about technique. At the end of the day, swimming is about moving the water. When a student swings their arms enthusiastically, they move less water and thus move slower. Like with most things, practice makes perfect.

4) Swimming underwater is always faster!

There have been several olympians who will travel half the lane after their flip turn. While this is quite impressive, we can’t all compete with Michael Phelps! So for the rest of us, it’s important to keep in mind that swimming on the surface can sometimes be just as fast, if not faster. You also have to remember that holding your breath is another trade-off of underwater swimming. This is not to say you shouldn’t practice underwater swimming off the wall, be wary of a dependence on it.

5) I can’t learn to swim because my body fat is too high (or low)!

Your buoyancy in the water is attributed to several factors and body composition is not one of the important ones. There is some technique involved to assist in making floating much easier. However, the most important factor is relaxation. We see students all the time tensing their muscles and it makes floating much more difficult. But rest assured, anyone can learn to swim, and technically that’s true even if you have difficulty floating.