Adult Swimming Lessons and Courses

Whether you are a complete beginner, are getting into swimming after a period of absence, or want to improve your swimming technique, we have the swimming lesson or course for you.

Whatever support you need with your swimming, the Bluecoat Sports Swim Academy team is here to help. Available for both members or Pay As You Go members, simply email us at bluecoatsswimacademy@christs-hospital.org.uk to book your adult swimming lessons.

Our adult swimming sessions and lessons

Our adult swimming sessions and lessons offer something for every adult looking to improve their swimming skills. From complete beginners to confident swimmers, we have a session for you.

Our weekly Hints ‘n’ Tips adult swim clinic is a great opportunity to get some hands-on help from our expert Swim Academy instructors. Swim instructors will be poolside to provide tips and advice to help you improve your swimming. This is perfect for adults wanting to work on a particular stroke or those needing a refresher on technique.

We also offer personalised 1:1 private swimming lessons for adults. These 30-minute sessions allow you to get tailored instruction focused on your specific goals and abilities.

For adults looking for a more structured programme, we offer group lessons for adult beginner and adult improver courses. The beginner course starts with the fundamentals to give you water confidence and builds up your skills from there. Our improver course is great for swimmers who can already swim short distances but want to improve their strokes and breathing to become stronger swimmers.

Hints ‘N’ Tips

Looking to improve your swimming?  Whether you want to learn to breathe to both sides when swimming front crawl or fancy trying butterfly but don’t know where to start, this session gives you the opportunity to get some help and advice on your swimming technique from our Swim Academy instructors.

Operating as part of normal lane swimming session but with an instructor on the poolside, this session will take place every Tuesday, 19:30-20:45. This is a drop in session, so you can choose how long you want to swim for.

No need to book – just turn up & start improving your swimming!

Slow, Medium & Fast lanes will be available. Normal lane swimming will still available for those that do not want additional help.

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Suitable For : Must be able to swim 4 consecutive lengths

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Class Duration : 1 hour 15 minutes

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When : Tuesdays, 19:30-20:45

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Equipment Needed : Drink, Towel, Swimming Costume

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Memberships Included : Full, Swim

1:1 Swimming Lessons

Some children (and adults) need more individual attention to help them develop their swimming skills. We offer 1:1 lessons for children or adults who want more support with either learning to swim or improving their swimming. Our friendly instructors help you build your confidence and develop your breathing and swimming techniques so you become a more confident and proficient swimmer. Alongside our 1:1 sessions we also offer the option of 2:1 for siblings or friends close in ability.

The Swim Academy is currently undergoing an administration update to its systems and will not be taking on any new enquiries until April 2024. Please come back to us in April if you still require swimming lessons. Many thanks for your understanding.

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Suitable For : Anyone

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Class Duration : 30 minutes

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Equipment Needed : Towel, Swimming Costume

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Cost : 1:1 – £22.00 per session, 2:1 – £29.00 per session (£14.50 per person)

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Memberships Included : None

Starting to Swim

We understand it can be daunting learning to swim when you’re older and our course starts with the basics to help you with this. You will learn the foundation skills you need to be able to swim. Once you have mastered these, then we help you learn to enjoy the water and develop your swimming strokes. Some of you learn to swim purely for pleasure and some so you can join in with your children; whatever your motivation, we will support you with your goals.

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Suitable For : Anyone

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Class Duration : 45 minutes (Thursday Mornings), 1 hour (Tuesday Evenings)

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Equipment Needed : Towel, Swimming Costume

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Cost : Fixed monthly cost depending on class type

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Memberships Included : None

Improving your Technique

If you can already swim and would like to improve your swimming technique then our improvers course is perfect. You will develop your stroke and breathing techniques to give you a more effective and efficient stroke. At the start of the course you will be able to swim short distances but as you improve your strokes and breathing you will be able to swim further than before.

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Suitable For : Improvers/Advanced

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Class Duration : 45 minutes (Thursday Mornings), 1 hour (Tuesday Evenings)

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Equipment Needed : Towel, Swimming Costume

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Cost : Fixed monthly cost depending on class type

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Memberships Included : None

The benefits of adult swimming lessons

Improves overall fitness

Swimming is a fantastic way for adults to improve their overall fitness. It provides a full-body workout that engages all the major muscle groups, including arms, legs, core, and back. The resistance of the water makes it an effective strength-training exercise. Swimming also gets your heart rate up and improves cardiovascular endurance. It’s a low-impact activity that is easy on the joints, so it can be done throughout adulthood and as you age. Adults who swim regularly will see improvements in their strength, flexibility, endurance, and cardiovascular health.

Supports weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals

Incorporating swimming into an exercise routine can help adults meet their weight loss goals. Swimming burns lots of calories so it increases your calorie expenditure. The more you swim, the more calories you burn. It also builds lean muscle mass, boosting your metabolism so you burn more calories even at rest. The resistance provided by the water makes swimming an efficient strength workout that builds muscle. Swimming is an effective form of interval training as well, alternating between short bursts of intense swimming and recovery periods.

Enhances mental wellbeing

Swimming can greatly improve mental well-being in adults. Being immersed in the relaxing environment of a pool can induce a meditative state and help reduce stress levels. Learning new swimming skills also provides a sense of accomplishment. Developing swimming confidence gives adults a general sense of capability that transfers to other parts of life. Socialising with other adult swimmers also enhances mood and improves mental health.

Builds confidence

Learning proper swimming techniques through lessons builds body awareness and coordination in adults. Becoming a proficient swimmer makes adults feel much more confident and capable in the water. It provides them with an important safety skill as well. Adults who have confidence in their swimming abilities are more likely to enjoy water-based activities and exercise. They know they possess the skills to keep themselves safe in aquatic environments.

Provides a low-impact exercise option

For adults with pain, mobility issues, or arthritis, swimming provides a fantastic low-impact exercise option. The buoyancy provided by the water means there is less strain and impact on joints throughout the body. Swimming allows for active exercise while avoiding high-impact activities like running or jumping. Water aerobics classes are another great low-impact pool option for adults. Swimming is a safe long-term exercise choice for maintaining mobility and range of motion.

Sign up for adult swimming lessons

Browse our range of swimming lessons online and sign up today. We’re proud to offer classes for all types of swimmers and are here to help you build water confidence and reach your goals.

From Monday 25th March, we will be reintroducing penalties. Please click here to find out more.