PE notes

GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE WATER SAFELY

Beginning swimmers should only enter the water feet first (always enter shallow water feet first!). The best
method to enter depends on the body of water and your surroundings. In most pools this can be done using a
ladder, steps, ramp, or entering from the side. When using a ladder, it is important to enter/exit the pool facing
the ladder. This will help to prevent slipping or falling off the ladder.

GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE WATER SAFELY

To enter safely from the side:
• Sit down with your feet in the water
• Place both hands to one side of your body and slowly roll onto your stomach
• While holding onto the side of the pool, slowly lower your body into the water

GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE WATER SAFELY

To exit from the side:
Face the deck or side and place both hands on the wall
• Push down to lift your upper body out of the water, place a knee or foot onto the side, and then climb out
Those with less upper body strength can:
Pull themselves up to their elbows, then onto their stomach
• Put one leg up on the side and continue to climb out of the water

PROPER BREATHING
While often overlooked, proper breathing is among the most crucial swim skills everyone needs to survive in
water.
1. Stand in chest-deep water, facing the wall of the pool.
2. Place your hands on the pool edge.
3. Bend over at the waist, breathe in and place your face in the water.
4. Slowly but forcefully blow out the air in your lungs through your mouth and nose.
5. Tilt your head to one side as you exhale toward the water's surface.
6. When your mouth emerges above the water, inhale.
7. Repeat the exercise, reaching to the right and then to the left side.

When moving forward in most swimming strokes, the trick is to breathe out from the nose and mouth when
your head is underwater and then be able to lift your head out of the water to take a full breath before putting
your head back underwater. Learning to time your breaths with your strokes will prevent you from breathing
your rhythm and tiring yourself out. It will also help you make faster, more coordinated movements in the water.

COORDINATING LIMBS
All body parts must be coordinated as you're swimming. You should be able to move your lower back muscles,
abdomen and hips in a synchronized fashion to keep swimming forward, with your hands cutting through the
water first, followed by your elbows and then your body.
Beginner swimmers often chop through the water with all limbs, as it takes time to get a feel for how your limbs
should be moving. It also takes time to get used to moving your lower
back muscles, hips and abdomen to power you forward. Learning these basic swimming techniques will ensure
you can coordinate your limbs to keep your head above water and start building your swimming skills.

KICKING
Learning how to kick is also an essential skill if you want to master swimming. Kicking is a basic foundation for
many more advanced swimming movements. Beginner swimmers can practice their kicking by taking hold of
the side of the pool, letting their body float up and kicking while keeping their upper body above the water. You
might also use a kick board to support the body as you get used to kicking and moving forward in the water.

FLOATING
Learning how to float and tread water is essential. If you accidentally fall in the water or cannot make it to the
edge of the pool, knowing how to float or tread water can help you until someone comes to help.
Floating on your back is usually easiest. When teaching children to float, stay in waist-deep water and support
them from their backs until they can float on their own. For adults, it's easier to learn to float in chest-deep
water, but be sure to have someone there to support you if you need it.

TYPES OF FLOAT
• jellyfish float
• tuck float
• supine float
• prone float

• There are 4 different swimming strokes used in major competitions mainly freestyle stroke, butterfly stroke,
backstroke, and breast stroke. 
• The breaststroke and the butterfly stroke require a “two-hand-touch” when performing in the competitive
swimming. 
• In swimming backstroke, the little finger enters the water first. 
• In breaststroke, the swimmer's legs and arms move in a coordinated manner, resembling the rhythmic motion
of a frog's limbs as it swims through water. 
• The flip turn is exclusively employed in the freestyle and butterfly strokes among the four swimming styles. 
• In breaststroke, the correct sequence involves a simultaneous and symmetrical movement of the arms,
followed by a kick of the legs and a glide, creating an efficient and propulsive swimming technique. 
• Wearing a swim cap provides benefits such as reducing drag in the water, protecting hair from chlorine
damage, and enhancing swimmer's hydrodynamics for improved performance. 
• Swimmers typically take a breath during the recovery phase of the front crawl, as they rotate their head to the
side while one arm is lifted out of the water.