Voices of the Bay: Bristol Swim Instructor Adam Dutra

Looking to kick off the new year with an all-body workout? Move over pilates, yoga, and pickleball. Instead, get into a pool, recommends Adam Dutra, a lifelong swimmer and seasoned swim coach who is passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of swimming. A graduate of Mt. Hope High School, where he was a member of the swim team and, in recent years, has been one of the team’s swim coaches, the Bristol native earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Rhode Island College and a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho in environmental science and conservation biology. After working in the field, he switched gears and followed his heart back to the pool deck as the aquatics manager for Pods Swimming in East Providence. This month, Dutra will take on a new role as a swim coach for Warren’s Kickemuit Middle School swim team.

ALL AGES APPLY: We have four-month-olds who are learning to swim, and I teach adult lessons for all ages. I had one student, a woman in her 80s, learning to swim. Swimming can help you at any point in your life.

FOUR B’S: Unlike other places I had worked, Pods doesn’t use any floatation devices, which I thought was pretty cool. It’s all about focusing on the four B’s: body position, balance, buoyancy, and breath control.

FULL BODY: There are so many proven benefits, mentally and physically, for swimming. I tell everybody that swimming is the only sport you can do that works every single part of your body, including your brain, and you aren’t putting strain or pressure on your joints. If you put in a good water workout, you will be tired, but in a good way.

H2O: Swimming works your cardiovascular system to build up your lung capacity and breath control. We have many athletes from football and hockey who use swimming to help with agility and breath control. Gymnasts make the best swimmers.

LOSE POUNDS: Swimming is great for people with weight issues. We’ve had people who tried running, walking, or going to the gym, but the weight put a lot of pressure on their bodies. If every time you leave [the gym] in excruciating pain, why are you going to keep going? It’s easier to sit on the couch and do nothing. In the water with buoyancy, you don’t have pain, and you can consistently exercise and lose weight.

ESSENTIAL BUSINESS: During COVID, we were one of the only facilities that remained open because we wanted to offer an opportunity for those with medical issues. So many people who came in said they were also coming in for their mental health. Swimming really helps with OCD and anxiety. As you swim, you are so focused on when to breathe, so it’s easy to not think about anything else. I even love to float in the water. It is so calming and freeing.