1 – Patience
That’s the key word. PATIENCE. You need a good dose of it, because progress cannot be made in a handful of days. Especially when you take up an activity as demanding as swimming. If you’re starting from scratch, start by staying close to the edge. As you train, you’ll feel more and more at ease. So you can go from strength to strength. This way, your breath and joints will get used to the new effort.
2 – Regularity
In swimming, as in any other sport, regularity is the key to progress. It’s a basic rule. Doing sport once in a while is fun, but it won’t help you see any progress. Regularity means at least 1 to 2 sessions per week. Only then will you be able to increase your capacities. Each week, plan your sessions in advance, note them in your diary and try to stick to your schedule.
3 – Progressiveness
Nothing is worse for your body and mind than starting swimming by overestimating your abilities. As your body is not used to this kind of physical activity, you may find yourself struggling during the effort, turning your first session into a real torture. This will prove counterproductive later on, because how can you want to be regular when you don’t take a modicum of pleasure in what you do? On the other hand, if you start off with too long training sessions, you run the risk of suffering painful aches and pains that will prevent you from putting your shirt back on quickly. That’s why our 30-minute sessions for children and 45-minute sessions for adults are the ideal time to progress at your own pace, without going too fast!
4 – A healthy lifestyle
We can’t stress this enough: doing sport and having a healthy lifestyle at the same time won’t help you make optimum progress. Training is also part of your diet. A healthy diet, consisting mainly of fruit, vegetables, cereals and pulses, is the key. Protein is important, but keep in mind that it’s not just meat that provides it. Vegetable proteins are also very interesting from a nutritional point of view. Last but not least, physical activity goes hand in hand with good hydration. A dehydrated body sees its capacities diminish. So don’t forget to bring your water bottle to pool classes!
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