City of Sydney Leisure

Why
every
adult
should
know
how
to
swim

No matter how young or old you are, it’s never too late to learn to swim or hone your skills to improve your stroke.

Person walking by the outdoor 50m pool Prince Alfred Park Pool

Published Sat, 10 Feb 2024

Learning to swim is one of those skills most Australians learn when they are kids.

However there are many reasons why some adults never learnt to swim. Having a bad childhood experience, fear of the water, or just simply not having the opportunity (especially true for those who come from countries where there is a lack of pools).

There are huge benefits relating to safety, health and fun in knowing how to swim, even when you aren’t a kid anymore.

Life saving skill

This is probably the biggest reason to learn to swim and is true for adults and children alike.

Being surrounded by so many beaches, lakes, damns and rivers, it is almost impossible to avoid the water at some stage in your life.

By knowing how to swim, this will minimise the chance of drowning if you accidentally fall into the water or end up in the deep end of a pool.

Not only does good water knowledge potentially save your life, you could even save someone else’s life – whether it be friends, family or your own children.

A lifetime of fun

We have some of the most beautiful beaches and amazing pools in the world.

Knowing how to swim means you can participate in the wonderful lifestyle that living in Australia offers.

Being confident with the water helps you interact with others, increases your self esteem, improves your social life, and deepens your connection to the community.

And how much fun is to being able to enjoy the water with friends and family and experience all the wonderful benefits swimming brings.

You will never miss out on that pool party or beach getaway again.

Try some new water activities

Once you know how to swim, this gives you greater confidence to try any number of of water related sports.

You could try stand-up paddle boarding, river rafting, canoeing or water skiing.

Or perhaps you want to try your hand at surfing, soar the skies by paragliding or enjoy the thrills of water skiing.

Maybe you have dreamed of finding out what is below the surface and do some snorkelling or scuba diving.

Or you could even try an aqua class and enjoy the terrific benefits of training in the water.

There are so many sports and activities you can do under, on or above the water once you have the confidence and skills to swim.

A new way to exercise

There are some amazing health and fitness benefits to swimming – both physically and mentally.

Swimming is a fantastic all body workout that helps with weight loss, burns calories, builds muscle strength and improves cardiovascular fitness.

Plus swimming is a safe option if you have any joint problems, disabilities, arthritis or other issues which rules out any high impact exercise.

Like all exercises, swimming releases endorphins which make you feel good too. Swimming boosts your mood, reduces stress and anxiety, and helps you relax.

Plus it is a heap of fun.

Interested in adult swimming lessons?

Learn the basics or further develop your skills. Our programs cater to all abilities and offer water safety and stroke development tailored to meet individual needs.

Learn more