Standing Up Mid Swim

I am learning the breaststroke. I am 63yrs and have never swam before and I am having trouble standing up mid swim. Can you give me some tips please?

Firstly well done on venturing into the swimming pool to learn to swim as there are many non-swimming adults that will not dare try!

Breaststroke is the easiest to learn as an adult and learning to stop and stand up mid-way, especially when you become tired, is one of the most essential swimming basics.

Standing from a prone (face down) position, or even a head up and facing forwards position, requires a simultaneous movement of the arms and legs. The arms pull down deep in the water, almost to your sides and at the same time your knees are drawn forwards and up. Your body almost takes on a sitting position just before you place your feet on the pool floor. If you are familiar with performing a ‘crunch’ in the gym (laying on your back and bringing your knees to your chest to work your abdominal muscles) it is much like that movement but in a more upright position.

The most common mistakes are failing to pull the knees forwards and instead arching the back in an attempt to stand. Also failing to pull down with the hands and arms, giving a feeling of falling forward is very common mistake.

Sometimes the technique of standing up can be more difficult if you attempt to keep you head above the water. Putting your face in the water and performing the technique partially submerged can sometimes be easier and as you get used to it, you will be able to eventually perform it without getting your face wet.

However you do it there are no points for style and technique when it comes to standing up so it does not really matter how you do it!

Standing up from a prone position is explained with the aid of a diagram on a separate page of our site. Click here to see it.

It is also explained along with loads of other useful swimming tips in our best-selling book 'The Complete Guide to Simple Swimming' that contains over 80 separate swimming exercises to help all parts of basic swimming. You can download it, print out the parts you need and take them to your pool to try out. Click the link below for more information.

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