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Bath Leisure Centre review since re-opening

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Teacher Lisa headed to Bath Leisure Centre and she shared her experience with us.

 

I wanted to write a post about my first swim since the pools have reopened from Covid-19.
I decided to go to Bath Leisure Centre (N Parade Rd, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4ET).

 

Booking

Bath Leisure Centre are not taking calls at this time. For enquiries, they direct you to their website. To book online you need to create an account for each user.

 

The swimming slots are in 10-minute windows, but you get an hour for your swim.

 

I chose the fitness swim at 14:50 -15:00pm which cost £6.00 for an adult. I took my 13 year old daughter Bliss, and her swim cost £4.00 for a child. Bliss is a competant swimmer.

 

At this time, as we understand it, swimming for beginners and non-swimmers is restricted.

 

Adult and child swimming

Better Bath Leisure statement reads:

During the interim phase of reopening we will be focusing on our Swim For Fitness sessions. Time slots in these sessions will need to be booked individually and are available for juniors but they must be competent swimmers, able to swim consistently in a lane swimming environment.

Some leisure centres will offer Adult and Child Swim sessions in selected pools over the weekend where every adult booking a slot will be able to bring up to two children at no extra cost. Please check for available sessions via the Better UK app.

 

Parking

Bath Leisure centre has a pay and display carpark. Parking is easy and it cost £3.60 for 2 hours.

 

Entrance

There are plenty of signs to direct you. The staff behind the screened desk were helpful. A member of staff guides you through the turnstile where you are able to sanitize your hands.

 

Buy your locker token before you enter the changing room

As you go through the turnstile, there is a card payment machine to buy tokens for the lockers. Tokens for the locker are 30p and are non-refundable.

 

Changing areas

The changing areas are clearly signposted with one-way directions. There are cleaning stations available with blue roll and disinfectant to clean your cubicle.

 

Swim England advise you go to the pool ‘beach ready’ with your costume underneath your clothes, so myself and my daughter just popped our bag into a locker and headed to the poolside following the arrows marked.

 

Poolside

There is one-way system round the main pool. At the time we went, the leisure pool was closed.
The pool is 25m long and split into 3 double lanes. The lanes permit a max of 10 swimmers per lane and are clearly signed slow / medium / fast and direction of swim.
Myself and my daughter were very lucky as all 3 lanes only had 2 swimmers in each so it was a lovely swim.

 

After the swim

Once our time was up, we headed back to the changing area which was not busy at all. There are a couple of showers available and toilets  are also open. I sanitised our cubicles before changing and we headed out of the leisure following the exit signs which led us to the rear of the building to the car park.

 

All in all…

I have to say our visit was made easy! Both myself and my daughter felt comfortable and pleased to be back in the pool. So much so, I have booked another session.

 

If you are in two minds whether to go or not… I would say go for it!

 

Swimming basics: Floating on the Back in Shallow Water | Swimcentral

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Swimming basics: Floating on the back in shallow water

Stage 1

Floating on the back requires keeping balanced and relaxed at the same time—not always easy for beginners! But it’s an important foundational skill for both the advanced strokes and for safety. Floating on the back in shallow water lets swimmers ease into position at their own pace while keeping control of their body and breathing.

To give it a go, a swimmer should:

  • Have access to very shallow water, such as a beach-entry pool
  • Feel comfortable with water around the head and ears
  • Understand a bit about of how the water will support their body

Relaxing the shoulders and tilting the chin up will help with floating. Folding the body in on itself will make it sink!

Our Guide to Floating on the Back in Shallow Water

  • Sit on the pool floor, legs in front and knees slightly bent
  • Put hands flat on the pool floor on either side of hips
  • Lean back onto elbows and stretch knees out
  • Tilt the head back and chin up until ears are submerged
  • Push the body up to the surface of the water with hands

 

Body Position

 

  • Once you’re able to push your body up to the surface…
  • Walk your fingers out a bit wider away from your body
  • Point your toes away from each other
  • Push your tummy button up to the ceiling
  • Let your hands come off of the pool floor

You’re floating!

 

 

Practicing with children?

  • Have a splash around first to get the head wet so it’s not a shock when they lean back the first time.
  • Sit side by side and practice getting into position together.
  • Make it fun: Pretend you’re starfish on the beach or a sunflower opening up to get some sunshine!

 

Mastered Floating on the Back in Shallow Water? Why not try the Star Float on the Front?

Finding this skill tricky? Have a go at Blowing Bubbles. 

Swimming basics: Blowing bubbles | Swimcentral

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Swimming basics: Blowing bubbles

Stage 1

You may think you need to be able to hold your breath for a long time to swim. But the truth is you need to be able to control it. Blowing bubbles is the start of learning breath control! By getting into a pattern of breathing in when your face is out of the water, and blowing out when your face is in the water, oxygen keeps flowing to the muscles while you swim!

To give it a go, a swimmer should:

  • Be comfortable with water on the face
  • Be able to support their head position
  • Understand how to control their breathing

Looking forward while dipping the whole body straight down instead of face-planting into the water can help beginners feel more relaxed and in control.

 

Our Guide to Blowing Bubbles

  • Use the hands to wet the face if not already wet
  • Take a deep breath in through the mouth and hold it
  • Lower the body down until the mouth and nose are submerged
  • Blow the air out into the water
  • Stand back up before you breathe in again

 

More Ideas

If submerging to blow bubbles is a little challenging, start with blowing bubbles from above the water:

  • Put your chin in the water and…
  • Instead of bubbles, try to make ripples across the surface of the water

Or…

  • Take a big breath through the mouth, then…
  • Put your mouth on a straw and blow into the water
  • Bubbles!

 

 

Practicing with children?

  • Give them something to aim for with their breath, like an egg flip or a ball.
  • Face each other and blow bubbles back and forth.
  • Make it fun: Face your child and put a ball between you. See if they can catch you by blowing the ball toward you as you back away!

Mastered Blowing Bubbles?  Why not try Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs 

 

Swimmer of the week

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Swimmer of the week!

This week goes to Lilly.

Lilly in Rachael’s stage 3 class at 10am, Prior Park on Sundays. Lilly was really brilliant the last time she swam. Really focused.

Lilly made big circles with her legs, she turned out feet and had a very good start with the arms of one stroke breathing.

Congratulations Lilly, super work!

Swimming basics: Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs | Swimcentral

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Swimming basics: Blowing bubbles and kicking legs

Stage 1

Blowing bubbles and kicking legs is what makes every swimming stroke go! It coordinates movement and breathing. At the beginning, it’s a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. A little practice at the wall will help establish good habits once they start swimming away from it.

To give it a go, a swimmer should already:

  • Feel comfortable with water on the face
  • Be able to hold onto the wall
  • Have tried the kicking movement while sat on poolside

Fast, small kicks with relaxed feet will hold the body up in the water. Blowing bubbles in a pattern will help control breathing.

Our Guide to Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs

  • Feet on the floor, facing the wall
  • Stretch arms out straight, and hold onto the wall for support
  • Put your face into the water between your arms start to blow bubbles
  • Walk legs backwards until they float up straight behind you
  • Kick legs straight up and down
  • Keep feet relax and floppy—little splashes!

How to stop

  • Pull yourself towards on the wall

….and at the same time…

  • Tuck your knees up to your chest
  • Lift your head out of the water
  • Feet flat on the floor

You’ve done it!

Practicing with children?

  • Try letting kids hold your hands for support instead of the wall.
  • Or get in position side by side at the wall and practice together.
  • Make it fun: Blow bubbles in a song pattern such as the ABCs or Jingle Bells!

Mastered Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs? Why not try the Star Float on the Front?

Finding this skill tricky? Have a go at Floating on the Back in Shallow Water.

Swimming lessons suspended until further notice

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Swimcentral has taken the difficult decision to suspend our lessons with immediate effect for both our RUH and Prior Park College swimming lessons.

We have spoken with both venues today and decided this is the best course of action to avoid all non-essential contact and travel.

Swimcentral also delivers swimming lessons to Roundhill Primary School as part of their curriculum and currently those internal lessons are continuing as normal.

We hope to be back in the water as soon as possible so that we can finish the last three weeks of this term, give out certificates and celebrate the kids’ (and adults!) achievements.

Summer term will follow on, after the three remaining weeks of spring term are complete. We will email you with a date for your priority booking once the pools have reopened.

We will stay in touch and communicate news about our lessons as soon as we have it. We are waiting for the day when we can finish off this term and see you all again at the pool, until then, stay safe.

Regards,

Swimcentral team

Swim England’s latest position regarding Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

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We have been receiving a number of emails regarding swimming lessons and we understand the concerns of our parents and swimmers. Swimcentral is following the advice of Swim England, the Government and are we speak regularly with our schools and Bath NHS Trust.

The welfare of our learners is of paramount importance.

The current advice from Swim England is that there is still no requirement to cancel lessons, although we appreciate that some organisations in the UK have taken the decision to so.

Hygiene advice for swimmers and visitors

While our classes remain open, we encourage everyone to enjoy the lessons and be mindful of the advice from the Government and Public Health England.

The guidance we have received is that water and the chlorine within swimming pools will help to kill the virus. It’s important, however, to ensure that everyone visiting pools follows the latest hygiene advice to help reduce the risk of infection.

Swimmers should shower before and after entering the water, while everyone, visitors and swimmers should regularly wash their hands for 20 seconds using soap and water or a sanitiser gel.

Most importantly, if you feel unwell, please do not attend lessons and seek appropriate medical advice.

If circumstances change

We continue to evaluate what is an ongoing situation and regularly review the guidance from Swim England and the Government.  If circumstances change and we are advised to close, we will credit all swimmer accounts with the remaining lessons. Credits will be carried over once swimming lessons resume.

We are speaking to our schools and the NHS Trust to see if we can run additional, catch-up lessons over the summer holidays. We will keep you informed of any news.

Links to most up-to-date guidance from Public Health England

Below, you’ll find relevant links to the most up-to-date guidance from the Government and Public Health England regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • Find out the number of cases and risk level in the UK, what to do if you have symptoms, and what the government is doing about the virus. Please read the latest here. This is updated regularly.
  • We’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to take hygiene precautions to help reduce the spread of infection. This also applies to session spectators (parents/guardians). For the latest infection control advice, please click here.
  • As a Swim England Member, Swimcentral Ltd will adhere to the latest Government and NHS guidance. This can be found on the Public Health England website.

Many thanks for your cooperation

Swimming basics: Star float on the front | Swimcentral

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Swimming basics: Star float on the front

Stage 1

Learning to float face-down—the star float on the front—is an important foundational skill in swimming. That’s because it helps the swimmer prepare the correct body position for the more advanced strokes they’ll be learning in the later stages!

To give it a go, a swimmer should already be able to:

  • Place their whole face in the water
  • Extend arms and legs away from their bodies
  • Hold a position for a few seconds

Holding arms and legs out wide helps keep balance and buoyancy so the swimmer stays on the top of the water!

Put your face into the water between your arms and let legs float up behind you

Our Guide to Star Float on the Front

  • Feet on the floor, facing the wall
  • Stretch arms out wide and straight, and hold onto the wall for support
  • Put your face into the water between your arms and let legs float up behind you
  • Let go of the wall and float for a few seconds, arms and legs out wide. Relaxing!
  • Alternatively, use a noodle float to get into position instead of the wall

How to stop

  •  Push down on the water with your hands and lift your head

….and at the same time…

  • Bring your knees up to your chest
  • Feet flat on the floor
  • Pat yourself on the back, well done!

Practicing with children?

  • Get in position side by side at the wall to show them how to do it
  • Make it fun: Pretend to be parachutists who have just jumped out of an airplane!
  • Kids might want help coming out of the float position the first few times. Encourage them to tuck their knees to the body while also providing support.

Mastered the Star Float on the Front? Why not try the Push and Glide?

Finding this skill tricky? Have a go at Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs

 

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance from Swim England

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Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

We are following the advice of Swim England who have provided the details and links below. The welfare of our learners is of paramount importance.

This communication is designed to inform, rather than alarm, and contains relevant links to the most up-to-date guidance from the Government and Public Health England regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • The Government has issued advice around travel to and from certain areas as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation develops. Please read the latest advice here. This is updated regularly.
  • We’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to take hygiene precautions to help reduce the spread of infection. This also applies to session spectators (parents/guardians). For the latest infection control advice, please click here.
  • As a Swim England Member, Swimcentral Ltd will adhere to the latest Government and NHS guidance. This can be found on the Public Health England website. If you feel unwell, please call NHS 111 for advice.
  • Swimcentral will be continuing to plan for our lessons as normal but we will be following Swim England and Government guidance and assessing risk as appropriate.

Many thanks for your cooperation