Learning to swim later in life

CORALVILLE -- A few nights a week this summer, a biochemist set aside his eyeglasses and lab wear for a swimsuit and a kickboard. Shuvendu Das was learning to swim.

Many people learn to swim as children, but there is a growing demand for the adult classes, says Coralville Aquatics Supervisor Faron Van Nostrand.

Adults don swimsuits and goggles for varying reasons. For some it's at a doctor's suggestion. Physicians often recommend swimming as a low-impact exercise.

Others want to swim with their kids or overcome their own fear of the water.

According to a study for USA Swimming by researchers at The University of Memphis 65 percent of parents of at-risk swimmers are themselves at-risk swimmers. On the other hand, only 19 percent of parents of non-at-risk swimmers are themselves at-risk swimmers.

The same study found that a quarter of parents are unable to swim and nearly another quarter, 23.7 percent can swim a little, but are not comfortable in the water.

That's why Das signed up.

"I know that if I get down into the water, up to 5 feet, I will not die," says Das , a University of Iowa researcher from Coralville.

It used to be that he would go to the beach and only submerge himself waist-deep in the water.

Not any more.

After weeks of lessons, he's no longer afraid of the water.

He and about 10 other students enrolled in two beginner-level swim classes offered this summer by Coralville Parks and Recreation, 1508 Eighth St.

Several drowning cases this summer prove that knowing how to swim is important, says instructor Allison Davis, 18, of North Liberty.

" Swimming is something everyone should learn how to do," she says.

The group meets for 30 minutes near a sign reading "adults only" to learn new strokes.

Davis enjoys teaching adults, she says. They can communicate their learning styles and goals better than kids.

Rob Butcher, executive director of United States Masters Swimming , a national organization of more than 50,000 adult swimmers, says it doesn't take long to see benefits once a person begins to swim.

"It's undeniably one of the safest and healthiest forms of exercise," he says.

There are 12 masters clubs in Iowa, according to the Iowa Masters Swimming Web page. About 500,000 adults swim a few times each week for exercise in the United States, Butcher says.

Van Nostrand, with the Coralville Recreation Center, says he expects to see the demand for adult swim lessons stay steady. In addition to the two beginner courses, there also are intermediate ones. In all, around 20 adults took classes this summer.

Of course, kids are learning to swim at the recreation center as well. Das ' son, Aaron Das , 5, is one of them.

He says he's proud of his father for learning how to swim.

(The Gazette published this story on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010)