Swimming is often considered a ideal sport for seniors because of its many benefits for physical and mental health. Its main advantage? It minimizes the impact on the joints while providing a full body workout“Older people not only improve their muscular strength and endurance, but also their flexibility and balance,” says Nicolas Moreau.
Can you learn to swim after 60 or 70?
Rest assured, it is entirely possible to learn to swim after 60, 70, or even 80! “Age is not a barrier to acquiring new skills,” assures the expert. Many swimming pools and aquatic centers also offer specific introductory courses for seniors. These courses are often designed to be gentler and to take into account the specific needs of older people. But there are also more “intensive” courses for seasoned seniors, says Nicolas Moreau.
And the expert clarified: “The objective is to help seniors to get (back) moving and to develop skills without ever aiming for performance! We are counting on breaststroke, backstroke, even crawlbut never on the butterfly, for example, which is far too physical for most seniors.” Learning to swim can take a little longer at an older age, but with patience and perseverancethe progress…
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