Even on a grey day children from across Monroe County are learning to swim.  It's probably one the best ways to get fit and it's free in the City of Rochester to kids from across the county.

"We do stretching, we do some leg exercises as you saw them, train around the pool, things that get them ready for the stroke development," says John Kerr, coordinator of athletics and aquatics for the City of Rochester, "it's for children ages six and above. We do offer training for all five levels of the Red Cross and kids do get certification."

The City of Rochester's offering free swimming lessons at all of its area pools. The classes are 30 minutes, four times a week. The classes not only teach children how to swim, they teach them how to swim safely.  

"Safety is the number one goal of the City and City recreation and that's what we're here for to teach children how to have fun but how to have safe fun too," says Kerr.  

The classes are taught by American Red Cross trained lifeguards. While most of the classes are held at city-area swimming pools, there is also a free class offered at Durand Eastman beach to teach lake swimming skills.

"It's about learning how to swim, we also teach them elements of swimming like the buddy swim, learning how to swim together, knowing where you're swimming and making sure you're swimming in a safe area. "

What's more, Kerr says once you learn how to swim, you learn it for life.

"It's a life-long skill and it's something we encourage."

For more information on the City of Rochester’s swimming lessons program call:

(585) 428-7888