Learn How to Swim using Water Noodles

When an adult or child is taking swimming lessons in Toronto for the first time, they are often introduced to various aids that may help them learn how to swim. You often see kick boards and small floatation devices used at the pool during lessons. Another useful tool is the water noodle. You may be surprised as this is often seen as a toy that kids play around with in a backyard pool. However, it is just as important as and possibly more versatile than more traditional devices.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Foam noodles are inexpensive and easy to find outside of swimming or athletic retail stores. If you quickly need to find something for your child to use during their private swimming lessons, it’s no problem to go to your local big box store and pick one up. Because swim noodles come in various bright colors, kids may see them as fun objects and be more encouraged to work on their swimming skills.

Many novice swimmers love water noodles because they provide more physical support to the body than a kick board. These products are particularly advantageous when someone is trying to work exclusively on their kick. The size of the noodle makes it possible for the swimmer to keep their head completely above water with no effort. While they are working on their legs, they don’t have to worry about breathing.

Advanced swimmers may not find much use for the water noodle outside of helping them work on a kick. However, any child or adult who is just learning how to swim will find it useful.

Instructions

Here’s how one would use foam noodles at a pool:

• After entering the pool, place a foam noodle horizontally in front of you.
• Drape both arms over the noodle, letting the armpits rest on the device.
• Before attempting to swim, it is important to spend some time getting comfortable with the water noodle by just floating.
• To swim:
• Fully extend the body back and begin to kick with the flutter technique.
• If you are in a public pool, be mindful of the other people swimming around you.
• This process can be done for the backstroke or side swimming by simply reorienting the body.
• Once a swimmer is comfortable with practice using a foam noodle, they may want to attempt swimming without the use of an aid.

Other Uses for Water Noodles

While at a public pool you will most likely see foam noodles used for group and private swimming lessons, they have some other interesting uses as well. Ever heard of water jogging? Injured athletes and others looking for low impact exercise often use pool noodles to navigate through the water in an upright position. Water provides a significant amount of resistance for someone trying to run or walk through it resulting in a very good workout.

As you probably know, it’s not all business when it comes to using water noodles. There is plenty of opportunity for fun and games as well. If you have enough foam noodles, you can build interesting structures in the water and develop some interesting games as a result. This isn’t directly related to swimming, but will definitely encourage your child to spend more time in the water.

Are you interested in helping your child become a more confident swimmer? Want to find the best swimming lessons in Toronto? Zodiac is here to help! Visit our website http://www.zodiackids.ca/ to learn more about our swimming and camp programs.