Are You Afraid Of Swimming? Let Go Of Your Fears This Summer

You’ve heard great things about swimming but just can’t seem to take the plunge? Pratika Yashaswi gives you a little push

- Pratika Yashaswi

know how you can make your favourite workout even better? Do it underwater. “You can kick higher, stretch further and since you’re working against both gravity as well as water resistance, your exercise becomes even more effective,” says Sucheta Pal, who conducts Aqua Zumba classes in cities across India. “The water provides a cushioning effect, making it easier to push yourself.”

The pool is a more inclusive place than, say, the track. People with joint problems, arthritis and bone injuries can all get a good workout in here. “The physical properties of water, its viscosity and buoyancy, give you a sense of weightlessness and remove the biggest hindrance that manifests on land: pain,” says Dr Charu Eapen, associate professor of physiotherapy at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore.

Chances are you already know swimming is good for you. No one who’s ever seen a topless picture of Milind Soman can possibly doubt that. So what’s keeping you from diving right in?

“I can’t swim.”

What if we said you could get your exercise in the pool and keep your hair dry. Aqua specialist Deepali Jain tells students they can come to her class with make-up on because the water stays below chest level. She says once they gain confidence in water, her students are swimming like fish in no time. If you prefer to do laps, there are places you can learn — and from the very best. The most prolific Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, and his trainers have designed a program that’s been brought to India through Waveline Sports (