Conquering Fear/Anxiety in the Water – This is an outline from Coach Michelle’s Weekly Live Training Tips on the Performance High Facebook Page! For the full video visit Performance High!

Part 1:

Defining “anxiety”

• Healthy – Our natural hesitation to being in water which keeps us safe
• Restrictive – Caused by lack of experience and/or negative/dangerous experience.  Interferes with relaxation in, enjoyment of the water.
  • Signs of anxiety/fear
    • Must hold onto something
    • Not comfortable with face in water
    • Not comfortable floating
    • Holds breath…can’t blow out underwater
    • HR, rigidity of body increase
    • Focus on past (what has happened), future (what might happen)
    • Extreme is panic – no longer thinking, instincts take over

• Step 1 – Bring focus to present
  • Present (right now) is the ONLY thing you can control
  • Teach focus on…
    • Breath – Can always control our breath…how long in vs how long out
    • Feeling – Answer the question “What are you feeling?”
      • If you can define your “feeling” you are in control

Part 2:

Teaching How Bodies Work in Water

• Water is predictable…there are constants…things that always happen
  • Chest & Legs behave opposite each other
    • Chest floats highest because of air in lungs
    • Legs sink towards bottom because of muscle mass
  • We “fall” up
  • Surface area improves floating & stability
  • Relaxation improves floating & stability
  • Water doesn’t automatically go into our lungs…we have to actively pull it in
  • Blowing bubbles moves water away from our nose/mouth
  • It is VERY hard to get to the bottom!

• Water (because of its density) is a different world…we can’t use land-based concepts or movement patterns…we have to learn new ways to move
  • Everything slows down
  • Gravity doesn’t apply
  • Think opposites
    • Arm movement to right moves you left
    • Arm movement up moves you down
    • Pressing chest down lifts hips up

Part 3:

Teaching How to Move in Water

• Patience
  • Movements are slower in water
  • Learning to wait
  • Waiting & relaxing increases success

• Transitioning from Floating to Standing
  • Getting legs underneath us
  • Working w/ our body’s natural tendencies rather than against

• A Balanced Body Moves Easier
  • Using chest buoyancy to lift hips
  • Feeling drag & its negative effects on moving

• Kicking
  • Proper mechanics
    • We want to “run” in water – NOT GOOD
    • Must learn to turn legs into fins

Part 4:

Teaching the Beginnings of “Swimming”

• Getting to Air
  • The easiest way to get to air is to roll to it
  • Lifting our head is the MOST difficult way

• Getting to Air No Matter What!
  • Whatever way you enter the water…you can ALWAYS get to air
    • Jump into water, “fall” to surface, roll to air!

• Moving in Streamline
  • A balanced, “skinny” body moves easier through the water
  • What does it feel like to “slip” through the water?

• Learning to Balance (Part 2)
  • Bodies are like teeter-totters in the water
    • Head/chest position will be exactly opposite hip position
  • We can change hip position by changing head, arm, chest position