You can learn water survival and keep yourself fit and healthy by choosing swimming. Basically an aerobic work-out, swimming helps you to exercise all your body parts namely your head, arms and legs and is hence preferred over other forms of exercise. If you are a beginner you need not worry if you happen to get breathless too soon, since swimming involves controlled breathing which can be learnt gradually. You can enroll in a good swimming class under a reputed coach so that your swimming journey proceeds without hassles.
The first tip to get started is that you should not fear water and should learn to be comfortable in it. You can start at the shallow end and get the feel of water before venturing into the deep end. By holding on to pool sides, you can slowly submerge your head and start blowing bubbles. You can practice this for a few days until you are completely comfortable in the pool.
In the next step, you should learn to keep yourself afloat in the pool. This can be done gradually until you are able to float for at least 30 seconds at a stretch. To begin with you can hold on to the sides of the pool. With time, you can master this technique by floating without holding onto the side.
You can make use of floatation devices to try swimming initially. Grab a flotation device and try one lap of swimming. You can use kickboards or similar devices to complete one lap by relaxing a bit along the way. You can try further laps by holding on to such support devices in front of you. You should not forget to breathe or rotate your head as you progress with your laps. Rest and repeat as many times as you can.
Once you are confident, you can try swimming without using floatation devices. You can try different strokes once you are good at freestyle swimming. You can just use the kickboard as additional support or to rest against it or push it before progressing with further strokes. Rest and repeat once you are comfortable.
Coming to other tips, you can make use of goggles to prevent eye irritation. You can also use a swim cap to keep hair out of your face and to stay dry and secure. These coupled with a good swim suit which is neither too tight nor loose can help you enjoy a rewarding swimming experience.