Chapter 3 – The Second Secret
Overcome Your Fears
Many beginners find it hard to improve because they are afraid of being drowned. While this fear is understandable, you need to control it if you want to progress as a swimmer. You have to be comfortable every moment that you are underwater. This chapter will discuss some tips and simple exercises to help you overcome this fear. However, let us start our discussion by listing the main causes of this fear.
The Main Causes
1. This fear can be related to a frightening experience that happened during childhood.
2. It is sometimes caused by the instinctive fear of death (i.e. drowning).
3. It can be taught by swimming instructors who use stressful or ineffective teaching methods.
4. It may be related to the “fear of the unknown.” Many people do not want to swim
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They further improved those skills by practicing continuously. However, these swimmers still become anxious if they have to swim in lakes or in the open seas, especially if they are not familiar with the area.
The main point here is that even expert swimmers can still experience some level of fear or anxiety. You should not lose hope since you can do things that can help you overcome this fear. Here are some of the exercises that you can perform.
The Water Exercises
We will now try to minimize your fear of water by performing some easy water exercises. If you want to feel comfortable while doing these drills, read these instructions carefully:
• These exercises can and must be performed in shallow water. Avoid doing these in deep waters since that is not needed. Look for places where the water is not higher than your neck. This way, you will feel more safe and comfortable.
• Perform these exercises in a swimming pool. Clean and clear water is advisable since you will be able to see what is (or what isn’t) beneath you. Swimming in cloudy or opaque water could worsen your