Gliding on the Water
The child pushes off the pool wall with both feet from a standing position and glides fully extended, hands placed on top of each other and legs as still as possible, for at least 5 seconds. The goal is to glide as far as possible. Trains water acclimation and gliding.
Preparatory exercises
From a seated position
Your child sits on the edge of the pool, bends their back and lets themselves fall forward into the water with outstretched hands; a swim ring can encourage deeper diving. Falling in increases momentum and body control, and the hands should always point toward the target, as the child glides in that direction. An excellent preparation for learning to dive in a later course.
Stretch and pull
The child stands in a waist-deep pool, arms extended forward with hands on top of each other. Hold your child's hands and walk slowly backward, pulling them forward; as you pull, the child lifts the legs, takes a breath and places the face in the water between the arms. This practices stretching in the prone position, holding the breath and feeling the water resistance of the later gliding phase.
Pretzel stick jump
In the same position as before: body fully extended, hands placed on top of each other, this time in waist-deep water. From the extended position, bend to the knees and jump as high as possible three times, fully extending the body at the highest point each time. This exercise simulates pushing off the pool wall by transitioning from a non-extended position directly into a fully extended one, similar to the water arrow.
Pretzel stick walk
On land, stretch the arms forward, place the hands on top of each other, raise the arms upward, tuck the head between them and fully extend the body (see image). Then do the pretzel-stick run on tiptoes around the pool, staying as stretched as possible; later try it in shallow water. Since children rarely fully extend their bodies in daily life, this trains maintaining a consistent stretch over time.
Common mistakes
Relaxing
Children often struggle to stay stretched, especially if they are not accustomed to prolonged submersion. In cases of panic or body flinching, we recommend repeating the demonstrated exercises, particularly the pulling exercise, multiple times to build comfort and confidence.
