10% OFF all Swim Packages. 10, 20 and 30 lessons packages.

School’s out! Our kids Holiday Camps are in!

Our Holiday Camps are designed to help your kids get active, introduce them to new and exciting activities, and create a fun-filled experience they will remember forever.

A bucket load of fun activities, every school holiday. With great value sports, performing arts, and games to enjoy each half term, we have plenty for your children to get stuck into in the school break.

Half day – Monday to Friday.

Activities including, Swimming, Football, Kayaking, Underwater games, Montessori time, Art&Crafts, Cycling, VR experiences.

Register today 0790143951 / langata@swimafrica.net

Just 4 strokes with intricate details for competition preparedness and achievement.

Stroke School focuses on the four strokes in competitive swimming and turns and dives. This program is instructional and recreational. There are no swim meets.

Stroke School is the next step for swimmers who have achieved intermediate or competitive swimming ability.

Its the bridge between learn to swim and competitive swimming. The focus is on improving each swimmer’s stroke technique with a focus on developing the 4 strokes.

0729201544 / admin@swimafrica.net

Every swimmer must have the opportunity to swim in appropriate, quality competition to enable them to achieve their true potential. (“Success is long term” – Swim England)

What are the benefits for children taking part in competitions?

Children from the age of 5 compare skills they have with others, and when they get to age 8 or 9 start to understand competitive play.

The benefits of children taking part in competitions are:

• Children become competitive, as they refine and practice skills, and develop co-ordination and cognitive abilities
• It helps to develop healthy attitudes about winning and losing
• Children learn about their abilities and limitations
• Children learn to participate in team events as well as an individual
• Children learn about rules of sport
• It can encourage growth and push children to excel.

Have you registered for the upcoming event on 12th February, 2021?

Reach out on 0729201544 or 0790143951 to register.

As a swimming enthusiast, here are Top 5 swimming films to catch up this weekend after you swim class….

1. Splash

Splash is a classic 1984 American romantic comedy, starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Hanks’s character falls in love with the mysterious Hannah, who is secretly a mermaid, after getting knocked out in an accident and falling into the ocean. The movie then goes on with the mermaid saving Tom Hanks’ character, but he doesn’t know it until she tries to find him. We watch as the mermaid’s true identity is kept secret, but how long can she keep it that way? Find out what happens in this feel-good love story.

2. Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer is an Inspirational true story of Bethany Hamilton, a competitive surfer who lost an arm in a shark attack in her early teens. Despite her injury, she was determined to return to competitive surfing. True to that, she was back on a surfboard a month after the incident and has since won many championships as a professional surfer at the young age of 21. This film brings us through her recovery and rehabilitation, allowing us to witness the resilience that Bethany possesses.

3. Unfiltered

Unfiltered was aired in 2005 and is a film that sheds light into the lives of two elite athletes –– Michael Phelps and Ian Crocker. Phelps is known to be the greatest swimmer of all time, but this movie reveals to us that he has not always won every single major race. In his path, Phelps encountered a loss at the 2003 World Championships in the 100m butterfly to Crocker, breaking his record. To fight back, Phelps achieved a gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, re-establishing his throne. This film reveals to us how both swimmers have had to deal with their own struggles outside the pool.

4. On a Clear Day

In the beginning of this film, we witness the Protagonist of this movie, Frank Redmond, is laid off from his job and spirals into depression. However, Frank starts to pick up swimming and one day, he impulsively swims the River Clyde. Afterwards, he decides that he wants to swim the English Channel to prove to himself that there is still meaning in his life. Whether Frank succeeds or not, you will have to discover it for yourself by watching the film. It is through this film that one can see the value of swimming, in improving mental health and providing comfort. So if you’re ever stressed, why not try out swimming?

5. The Big Bad Swim

This 2006 film won the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (Winner Best American Independent Film) follows the story of a group of Connecticut locals who are enrolled in an adult beginner swim class. Depressed instructor Noah, who is a former Olympian, manages to bring hope to the students as they learn to swim. As the lessons progress, three strangers find themselves entering deep water while they learn that swimming, just like life, isn’t always about diving in, but rather, it’s about getting your feet wet occasionally.

Scientific studies show that people who exercise in the water at least three times a week are less susceptible to stress and depression. It is especially beneficial for those who have a stressful job or everyday life.

Admittedly, after a hard day’s work, it does seem more tempting to end the day on the couch at home instead of going to the gym or pool but in the long run, we are not doing our body any favour this way. In any case, it’s worthwhile to overcome this temptation and get some exercise. A study conducted by sports scientists at the University of Basel has shown that sport is particularly important in times of increased stress and should not be neglected.

Although our body is initially also stressed by sport, physical exertion is followed by a relaxation phase, which has a calming and stress-reducing effect on our psyche, as mood-lifting messengers are released.

A further positive effect is that we are distracted by physical exertion during sports, thus clearing our mind and preparing our spirit for new challenges. This effect is particularly noticeable when swimming because you are largely cut off from the outside world in the water and perceive outside sounds less.

Swimming is even described by some as a kind of movement meditation in which you can concentrate fully on your swimming technique, the movement of your body and your own breathing.

If you have not been actively swimming before, but are now motivated to start, we advise you to take it slowly at the beginning and to increase your performance steadily – even 30 minutes in the water should have noticeable results, especially for the psyche. Many experts recommend interval training for beginners, e.g. to swim 50 meters at a low pace, take a short break and then continue swimming.

What might be interesting for experienced swimmers: for performance-oriented sports swimming, cooler water temperatures are more suitable, since the body heat produced during physical exertion can be released more quickly into the environment this way – 23 degrees are ideal here, and about 26 degrees are recommended at normal swimming speed.

Swimming increases your brain power

Recent studies show that endurance sports or regular exercise increases the number of brain cells and promotes the formation of new neural connections – in simple terms: sport makes you smart! One of the reasons for this is the above-mentioned reduction in stress that goes hand in hand with sports: when we suffer from mental stress, our thinking and cognitive abilities are reduced because our body is in crisis mode and focuses primarily on essential functions. This means the more balanced and relaxed we are, the better our mind can perform, which for example also enables us to be more creative.

Another reason for the intelligence-enhancing effect of swimming is that it increases blood circulation in the head – this was found out by Australian linguists from the University of Western Australia in a study published in the American Journal of Physiology.

For this study Howard Carter, the leader of the study, had nine young men climb into an empty pool which was then filled with water and emptied again. He found out that the blood flow in the test persons’ brains was significantly higher when they were standing in the water up to their chests – at this time the blood supply of the mid cerebral artery was increased by 14 per cent, in the posterior cerebral artery by 9 per cent. Both arteries are among the main vessels of the brain, which are responsible for supplying it with oxygen, glucose and other nutrients. When the water was drained from the pool again, the measured effects could no longer be proven.

The results of this study are a further indication that in certain areas water sports are superior to other sports on land.

Swimming increases your self-confidence

Self-confidence also plays a major role in our psychological well-being. A study performed by the Australian University of Griffith recently found that young swimmers are on average more self-confident than their peers who do not practice water sports. Although the reasons for this have not yet been conclusively clarified, it is suspected that this is due to the fact that water is an inherently unknown medium for humans. If we regularly move in it, we leave our comfort zone or expand it, which in turn has a positive effect on our self-confidence.

Swimming promotes the development of children

Scientists from the Australian Griffith Institute for Educational Research have studied 7000 children in America and Australia aged up to five years over a period of three years. They discovered that children who learned to swim at a very early age developed significantly better and faster than their peers who had not yet learned to swim.

Amongst others this is shown by the fact that milestones in child development were reached earlier, for example, being able to cut paper with scissors, drawing lines and shapes, as well as narrating and speaking. The socio-economic background of the test group played no role in the results.

Swimming keeps us young

People have always been looking for a fountain of youth that keeps them from growing old – to find it, in most cases we don’t have to search long, the nearest swimming pool can already serve this purpose if we use it regularly. This is proven by a study of the University of Indiana, which found out that people who swim regularly are biologically on average 20 years younger than people of the same age who don’t practice swimming. Researchers suggest that this is due to the many health benefits of swimming: healthy blood pressure, low cholesterol, strengthening of the heart and central nervous system as well as enhancement of our cognitive abilities.

Tips for the perfect swimming experience

To make your visit to the swimming pool, the lake or the sea as pleasant as possible, we have four tips for you:

Eat a small meal before swimming

About 2 hours before you go into the water, you should eat a small meal that contains a lot of carbohydrates – pasta, potatoes or bread are good examples. This will ensure that you will have sufficient nutrients during exercise and that your blood circulation does not cause you any problems. But be careful: a full stomach draws blood from your body, which can have a negative effect on your performance.

Take in enough liquid

Water pressure ensures that your kidneys are stimulated and thus exude more water. Although you don’t notice it in the water, you sweat due to the movement in the water and also lose fluid this way. That’s why you should replenish your water reserves sufficiently after a training session – preferably with mineral water or fruit juice mixed with mineral water at room temperature.

Take a shower after swimming

This tip is especially important for swimming pools: since the water is usually chlorinated and chlorine can damage your skin, you should definitely take a shower as soon as possible after your visit to the pool. PH-neutral products should be used for body cleansing and it is recommended that you put moisturising lotion on your skin afterwards.

Use a Powerbreather

You won’t regret it: the breathing technique is just as important when swimming as the swimming technique – whether in the hobby or professional sector. The Powerbreather was developed by swimmers for swimmers to facilitate and perfect their breathing during sports and to maximize the training effect.

This specially developed swimming snorkel separates inhalation and exhalation – you inhale through two air tubes, which run to the left and right of the mouthpiece and contain special valves and exhale into the water through the mouthpiece. With the Powerbreather you don’t have to turn your head to breathe, so you can fully concentrate on your technique. This makes it easy to improve your freestyle swimming technique. Due to this new technology, it is almost impossible for water to enter your mouth through the snorkel.

No matter how old you are, whether you are just starting to swim or have been doing this sport for a long time – we are one hundred per cent convinced by the benefits of the Powerbreather! Since we are sure you will also be thrilled, you can test the Powerbreather for 90 days – if you are not satisfied with its performance during this period, you will get your money back immediately. Just have a look at our shop and find the right model for yourself.

Have fun in the water – if you have any further questions about swimming or snorkeling we are looking forward to hearing from you!

The weather is good! It’s the perfect time for Pool Parties!

But to minimize drownings even further, we need to pay more attention to prevention. Lifeguard services save lives, reduce drowning rates, and prevent injuries in water recreational situations.

Supervising a group of children around water, such as at a pool party, is particularly difficult. Between pool toys and splashing it can be hard to see all areas of the pool. It is also very different to supervising your own children while they are swimming.

If you’re hosting a pool party, there are some important things to consider.

• The children at the party will not be familiar with your pool, so explain the rules and layout of the pool to them.
• Different children have different swimming abilitiesand you may not be aware of the skill level of each child you are supervising.
• It may be hard to see all areas of the pool, with pool toys and splashing water impeding your vision.
• It can be easy to become distracted by one child, diverting your attention from the other children in the pool area.
• Invest in a Life-guard, Swim Africa offers life-guarding services for pool parties. For more information, contact us on 0729201544.

Our swimming lesson philosophy is that learning to swim should be simple, practical, and fun with an emphasis on skills and safety.

We understand that children are different with varying needs and will progress at their own pace. Allowing children to explore and make mistakes is an integral part of learning, which we respect.

That is why our instructors are trained to guide the student.

At Swim Africa, we realize that some children may cry for the first swimming lesson or ten as they try to gain control of a new situation. Parents always know what is best for their children.

In a life-saving situation, immediate action is required and this can be developed as a conditioned response. We believe in a no-nonsense method of swim instruction that works. We teach swimming as a life skill. We call it a life skill because it could potentially save your or your child’s life.

Our teaching is done as a positive and individualized approach and works for everyone, from complete beginners to competitive swimmers. Our coaches have training in mentoring swimmers with special needs. Swimming will develop inner and physical strength. Swimmers and their families will develop discipline, mutual trust and respect, control, support, pride, and the life skill of swimming. These are attributes that can be applied to all areas of life. We expect each swimmer to strive to do his or her best during each lesson. We encourage families to use swimming as a fun, physical, and healthy part of their lifestyle.

If there are tears and it seems highly likely that the child is dealing with separation anxiety, then we normally continue the swimming lesson for infants, babies and toddlers to completion.

Tips for Easing Normal Separation Anxiety in Swimming Lessons for Infants, Babies and Toddlers

For children with normal separation anxiety, there are steps you can take to make the process of separation anxiety easier.

• Practice separation. Leave your child with a caregiver for brief periods and short distances at first.
• Schedule separations after naps or feedings. Babies are more susceptible to separation anxiety when they’re tired or hungry.
• Develop a “goodbye” ritual. Rituals are reassuring and can be as simple as a special wave through the window or a goodbye kiss.
• Keep familiar surroundings when possible and make new surroundings familiar. Have the sitter come to your house. When your child is away from home, let him or her bring a familiar object.
• Have a consistent primary caregiver. If you hire a caregiver, try to keep him or her on the job.
• Leave without fanfare. Tell your child you are leaving and that you will return, then go—don’t stall.
• Minimize scary television. Your child is less likely to be fearful if the shows you watch are not frightening.
• Try not to give in. Reassure your child that he or she will be just fine—setting limits will help the adjustment to separation.

Happy swimming!