Imagine this: you hop into the pool for the first time in ages (or maybe ever), expecting a refreshing workout. A few minutes later, you’re clinging to the wall, gasping for breath, wondering why swimming feels so hard! If this scenario sounds familiar, don’t worry, you are not alone. Many beginners (even those who are otherwise fit) are surprised by how challenging swimming can be on the first try.
In fact, it’s perfectly normal to feel exhausted or defeated after swimming just a few laps when you’re getting started. Swimming is a unique full-body exercise that engages muscles and skills we don’t use on land, so there’s a steep learning curve. The good news is that feeling wiped out initially doesn’t mean you’re a “bad” swimmer, it means you’re human, and you’re learning!
This guide will explain why swimming feels so difficult at first and why that’s completely normal. More importantly, we’ll share tips to help you get over the hump so you can start enjoying your time in the water.
Why Swimming Feels So Hard in the Beginning
- New Muscles and Cardio Demand: Swimming engages muscle groups and energy systems in ways your body isn’t used to, which can leave even fit people winded. You might be a strong runner or cyclist, but swim fitness is its own entity, it takes time for your “swimming muscles” to catch up. Swimming uses your arms, shoulders, core, and legs all at once, and your heart and lungs have to work hard to pump oxygen throughout your body. If you haven’t built up swim-specific endurance, you’ll tire quickly even if you’re otherwise in great shape. Don’t be discouraged – as those muscles strengthen and your cardiovascular system adapts, it will get easier.
- Breathing Doesn’t Come Naturally (At First): On land, you breathe without thinking, but in water, you must learn how to breathe. Beginners often hold their breath underwater and then try to gulp air quickly when they surface, which leaves them gasping. In reality, that panicky “out of breath” feeling is usually caused by carbon dioxide buildup from not exhaling steadily, not from a lack of oxygen. Holding your breath also makes you too buoyant in the chest, causing your legs to sink and drag – no wonder it feels tough! Proper freestyle technique requires exhaling slowly into the water and turning your head to inhale briefly in a rhythm. It takes practice to get this timing down, so in the beginning, you’ll likely feel breathless until your body adapts to the new breathing pattern of swimming.
- Water Resistance = More Effort: Water is almost 800 times denser than air, so every movement in the pool meets major resistance. If your form isn’t efficient, you end up fighting against the water. On land, an awkward running stride might not slow you down much, but in water, an awkward swim stroke greatly increases drag. For beginners still learning technique, this means you expend a lot of energy for little forward progress, which can be exhausting. This is why coaches hammer home proper form: a long, streamlined body position significantly reduces drag so you can glide more easily. Early on, though, expect to feel the burn as your body works hard to move through a resistant medium.
- So Many Things to Coordinate: Swimming isn’t just about kicking your legs or stroking your arms; you have to do everything at once in a coordinated fashion. As a beginner, trying to time your arm pulls, flutter kick, body rotation, and breathing can feel like patting your head while rubbing your stomach. This mental effort contributes to the fatigue: “Swimming takes focus to coordinate all the elements and contributes to exhaustion,” notes one coach. It’s perfectly normal to struggle with the timing at first. With practice, your brain will start to automate the movements (muscle memory), but in the early stages, your mind and body are working in overdrive to sync everything up, which is tiring!
- Tension and Anxiety: It’s common to feel nervous or uneasy in the water initially – and when we’re nervous, we tend to tense up. Unfortunately, being tense makes swimming harder. Rigid, stiff muscles don’t float well or move fluidly. The tenser you are, the harder it is to float and stay balanced. Beginners who haven’t yet found comfort in the water might kick frantically or lift their head up high to feel “safer,” but those instinctive reactions actually make swimming more tiring (they disrupt your body position and waste energy). Learning to relax in the water is a skill that comes with time. As you spend more time in the pool and gain confidence, you’ll naturally start to loosen up, and you’ll find that everything becomes easier when you’re not fighting the water.
It’s Normal to Struggle (and It Gets Easier)
By now, you might be thinking: “Great, so swimming is hard because of all these reasons… but will it ever get any better?!” The answer is YES, stick with it and you’ll be surprised how quickly you progress. The struggles you face in your first few swim sessions are completely normal and temporary. Your body is amazingly adaptable. Each time you practice, your muscles get stronger, your lung capacity improves, and your brain refines your technique a little more.
What once left you winded (like one length of the pool) will start to feel manageable, then even easy, after enough consistent practice. One beginner swimmer remarked that after a few months of regular swimming, distances that used to leave them “dying of exhaustion” became totally doable, in fact, what felt like an all-out effort early on became a breeze a short time later. That transformation happens for almost everyone if you give it time and keep practising.
Remember, no one becomes a perfect swimmer overnight. “You will not become a perfect swimmer overnight – it’s a journey!” as one coaching resource reminds us. It’s perfectly okay to progress gradually and celebrate small victories. Maybe this week you can only swim 10 or 20 meters before needing a rest; with practice, next month you might handle 40 or 50 meters continuously. Over time, your effort will pay off and you’ll find yourself gliding through the water with far less strain than on day one.
The key is to be patient with yourself and trust that each swim is building your strength and skill. Every expert was once a beginner the difference is they kept at it!
Tips to Make Swimming Easier as a Beginner
So how can you push past that initial difficulty and start improving? Here are some practical tips to help you out:
- Focus on Technique, Not Speed or Distance. When you’re just starting, it’s tempting to churn out as many laps as possible or to swim fast – but that often backfires. Swimming with sloppy form will only make you more tired (remember the extra drag in water). Instead, slow down and concentrate on your technique: a good horizontal body position, smooth arm strokes, and efficient kicks and breathing. Don’t worry if you can only do one length at a time – that’s fine! It’s much more important to swim with good form than to swim far or fast as a beginner. As one training guide advises, “focus on your stroke, breathing, and kicking technique – not how far or how fast you are swimming”. By prioritizing technique now, you’ll build a strong foundation that will make longer swims feel easy later on.
- Master the Breathing Rhythm. Breathing is often the Achilles’ heel for new swimmers. Practice exhaling in the water and breathing in to the side (for freestyle) in a relaxed cycle. A helpful drill is to hold onto the pool wall or a kickboard and simply dunk your face, blow bubbles (steady exhale), then turn your head to take a quick breath of air. This trains you to avoid holding your breath. Remember, if you hold your breath underwater and then try to blast all your air out and inhale in one hurried moment, you’ll never get enough oxygen. The goal is a continuous, calm breath cycle. For example, in freestyle you might exhale for 2-3 seconds while your face is in the water, then inhale when you rotate to the side. Once you get the hang of it, this rhythm will feel natural – almost like a meditation in the water. Proper breathing technique not only gives you more endurance, it also keeps you relaxed and buoyant. A smooth inhale-exhale pattern ensures a steady supply of oxygen and prevents that CO2 buildup that makes you feel desperate for air. (Don’t worry about fancy breathing patterns at first; it’s perfectly okay to breathe every stroke or every other stroke on whatever side feels easiest.)
- Stay Relaxed and Streamlined. Tension is your enemy in swimming. We know it’s easier said than done, but try to relax your body in the water. When you’re nervous or thrashing around, you waste energy and actually sink lower in the water. Instead, think about being long and loose: stretch out your body, keep your head in line with your spine, and kick gently. Avoid lifting your head too high (that causes your hips to drop). If you find yourself panicking or stiffening up, pause at the wall, take a few deep breaths, and then continue slowly. Often, slowing down your stroke cadence helps you stay calm. A relaxed swimmer is a more efficient swimmer – you’ll float higher and move smoother when you’re not rigid. Remember, “the more time you spend in the water, the calmer you are. Just give yourself some time”. In the beginning, everything is new and a bit overwhelming, but each session you’ll gain a little more comfort. As your confidence grows, you’ll naturally become less tense and more streamlined in the water.
- Gear Up for Comfort and Confidence. The right equipment can make a huge difference in your swimming experience. For starters, a pair of well-fitting goggles is a must – swimming without goggles is miserable (burning eyes, blurred vision, no thanks!). Find goggles that seal well without leaking; if you swim outdoors or in bright pools, consider ones with UV protection or tinted lenses. For example, the FINIS Bolt Black swim goggles (smoke-tinted lenses) are great for sunny conditions, and the FINIS Lightning goggles have blue mirror lenses to cut glare. If you have long hair, a swim cap will keep it out of your face and reduce drag (we even have fun kid-friendly caps like the FINIS Mermaid™ Kids’ Swim Cap and cute Animal Heads silicone caps to make children excited to gear up). Wearing a comfortable, secure swimsuit (one that stays in place) will also boost your confidence – you don’t want to be worrying about wardrobe malfunctions in the pool! Basically, eliminate any little discomfort that might distract or annoy you. When you’re equipped properly – from a durable suit to anti-fog goggles – you can focus on your swim rather than on water in your eyes or hair in your face. And if you have a child who’s learning to swim, consider getting them some fun gear too, like fruity-scented FINIS Fruit Basket Kids’ Swim Goggles or a light-up pool toy such as the WellyWeight diving challenge. Little touches like these can turn nervousness into excitement, making the water feel more inviting for kids. Similarly, a colourful foam kickboard or Floatie Friends hand float (shaped like a shark, turtle, or starfish) can give young swimmers extra support while keeping practice fun.
- Leverage Swim Tools to Build Skills. In addition to basic gear, there are some awesome training aids that can help you overcome initial challenges. For example, if you struggle with coordinating breathing or maintaining body position, try using a centre-mount snorkel. A snorkel (like the FINIS Original Swimmer’s Snorkel) lets you breathe continuously without lifting your head, so you can focus on your stroke and learn to exhale steadily in the water. Many beginners find a snorkel to be a game-changer for building confidence with breathing. Another useful tool is a pair of short training fins. Fins – such as the FINIS Booster Swim Fins for younger swimmers (various sizes for kids) or the multi-size FINIS Positive Drive Fins for all ages – add propulsion to your kick and improve your body alignment (the extra thrust helps lift your legs toward the surface). By wearing fins, you can swim a bit faster with less effort, which allows you to practice proper technique without getting exhausted as quickly. A kickboard is also great for isolating your kick – you hold the board out front for buoyancy and focus on kicking from your hips. (Just be mindful to keep your hips up and not rely on the board too heavily; the goal is to wean off it as your kick improves.) Other handy tools include pull buoys (foam floats you hold between your thighs to work on arm strokes and body position) and hand paddles (to work on stroke technique and arm strength), though those are usually introduced once you’re comfortable with the basics. You certainly don’t need a bag full of equipment to learn to swim, but using some of these aids can accelerate your learning and make those first weeks more enjoyable. Plus, let’s be honest – trying new swim gadgets is fun and can keep you motivated to hop in the pool!
- Pace Yourself with Short Repeats. When you’re new, it’s unlikely you can swim continuously for a long distance – and that’s okay. Instead of exhausting yourself trying to do a huge nonstop swim, break your workout into short segments with rest in between. For example, swim one pool length (say 25 meters), then stop and rest for 20-30 seconds, catch your breath, and go again. You might do sets of 4×25m or 2×50m with rest stops, which still give you a good workout but with recovery time built in. As you get fitter, you can gradually make the swim portions longer or the rest breaks shorter. This interval approach is much more effective for building endurance than forcing one torturous, nonstop swim that leaves you wiped out. In fact, many coaches suggest reducing your rest slightly each session to gently push your stamina and adaptation. Also remember to start each swim slow and controlled, beginners often sprint out of nervous energy, only to burn out halfway down the pool. It’s better to maintain a consistent, moderate pace and focus on form. Take breaks before you’re completely spent, and you’ll be able to continue practicing longer. Over time, your endurance will improve and you’ll be able to string together more laps with ease.
- Consider Lessons or Group Classes. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of guided instruction. A good swim teacher or coach can accelerate your learning dramatically. They will help you fix inefficient technique (so you don’t waste energy) and give you structured sets to build endurance safely. Plus, an instructor provides feedback and encouragement that keep you motivated. Swimming lessons aren’t just for kids – adults can benefit hugely from a few sessions with a trained coach who knows how to teach beginners. In a class or private lesson, you’ll get pointers on your form that you simply can’t get on your own (after all, you can’t see yourself swim). If you prefer a social setting, joining a beginners’ group or a Masters swim program can also help – you’ll meet fellow newbies to share the journey. Here at Swim Design Space, we offer friendly, beginner-focused classes at multiple locations, including Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Everlast Fitness in Gloucester, Everlast Gym in Cheltenham, Sir Thomas Rich’s School in Gloucester, Etloe House Farms in Blakeney, and Everlast Gym in Cardiff. Our instructors understand exactly why swimming feels hard at first, and they’ll guide you step by step to improve your skills and confidence. Whether you work with us or another qualified coach, getting some instruction can turn that “impossibly hard” first swim into real progress and make the process a lot more enjoyable.
Turning Struggle into Strength: Looking Ahead
Once you push past the initial hurdles, you may find that you actually love swimming; it happens to a lot of people! That feeling of progress and confidence in the water can even open up new opportunities. Some swimmers decide to take their skills to the next level by pursuing formal certifications or aquatic careers.
Have you ever thought about becoming a lifeguard or teaching others to swim? If so, there are excellent programs you can aim for down the road, like the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), which trains you in pool rescue techniques, CPR, and first aid. Swim Design Space offers the NPLQ course for those looking to get certified as lifeguards (a great goal for strong swimmers who want a rewarding job). Likewise, if you’re passionate about coaching, you might consider the National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC). This certification for example, our upcoming NRASTC course in April 2026 is designed to equip swim instructors and coaches with essential rescue and safety skills.
Achieving qualifications like NPLQ or NRASTC is a fantastic accomplishment (and looks great on a résumé) and to think, it all starts with that first day when swimming felt “too hard.”
Whether or not you plan to go pro with your swimming, the important thing is that you’re turning initial struggle into strength. Today you might be a beginner huffing and puffing after two laps; a year from now, you could be confidently swimming a mile nonstop, or even helping others learn to swim.
Remember: every expert was once a beginner. The fact that swimming feels hard at first just means you’re at the start of your journey and there’s a wonderful journey ahead.
So don’t give up! Feeling like a tired, water-logged mess in the beginning is totally normal. With each practice, it will get a little easier. Follow these tips, be patient with yourself, and celebrate each small improvement. One day you’ll look back and marvel at how far you’ve come. Until then, take a deep breath, dive back in, and keep on swimming – it will be worth it. Happy swimming!