Soon enough the chill winds and rains of spring will give way to blistering summer heat, and many of us will head to the poolside. However, over a third of American adults may not take advantage of swimming opportunities because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37 percent of American adults say they have limited swimming ability.
To lower this number, the national Florida-based nonprofit, U.S. Masters Swimming, has designated April as adult learn-to-swim month. The Epoch Times spoke with the executive director of Masters Swimming, Rob Butcher, about what it takes to learn to swim when you’re older.
Epoch Times: If someone never learned to swim as a child, can they learn when they are in their 60s, 70s, or 80s?
Mr. Rob Butcher: Yes. Our world is 70 percent water and there are close to 20 million swimming pools and hot tubs in the U.S. Regardless of age, every adult should learn this basic lifesaving skill.
An important ingredient is to find an instructor who will help you feel comfortable in water with such things as floating and breathing. Once you have comfort with the water, then you can begin to learn strokes that will actually help you swim.
