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Swimming is a fun summertime activity that the whole family can enjoy. However, it also offers your child many health benefits. From upgrading lung capacity to increasing morale, swimming is a healthy option for kids who want to have fun and learn a new skill. By giving your child the opportunity to learn how to swim, you can safeguard against accidents, offer them a low-stress exercise, help improve their physical fitness, and boost their emotional and mental health.
Safety
Early swimming instruction is one of the best defenses against drowning accidents. In the United States, 20% of all drowning victims are children 14 years old or younger. Nonfatal drownings can also cause severe neurological problems due to oxygen deprivation. When young children begin swimming lessons early, they learn what to do in risky situations and how to stay afloat until an adult can help them. By getting kids and babies swimming lessons it helps you not to panic and to aim for the edge of the pool, early swimming lessons can help safeguard them in unexpected situations.
Stress
Swimming is a simple, low-stress exercise that uses all of the muscles in the body. Children who swim can do so easily, thanks to the buoyant properties of water. However, they are also building up more muscle when they push against water, which provides more resistance than air.
The weightless quality of water helps cushion joints from the stress and damage that kids might suffer during other cardio workouts like running or using a jump rope. Without the hard impact of the body hitting the ground, joints are more effectively protected from stress during swimming. As a relatively low-impact activity, swimming is perfect for children who don’t want to engage in injury-prone sports like football or soccer.
Cardiovascular Health
Taking a dip in the pool provides your child with an effective cardiovascular workout. The heart and lungs work hard during pool time and help lower blood pressure. Swimming also helps to increase blood flow, keeping the heart and arteries healthy. In fact, swimming is often prescribed by doctors to patients who suffer from heart disease. The warm air surrounding indoor pools is beneficial to children that suffer from asthma.
Studies have shown that asthmatic children are able to improve their physical fitness and lung function by swimming, making it a preferable alternative to other sports that can trigger asthma attacks.
Emotional Benefits
Swimming can improve emotional health by building confidence in young children. Kids with swimming know-how can approach the water without fear and learn new skills in a safe, supportive environment. Swimming also improves mental health. Unlike many land-based sports, it is a relaxing activity that appeals to kids who aren’t good at other sports. In the pool, social skills are also important. Learning to swim is built on trust. Small children quickly bond with their parent or caregiver when they learn to swim.
If your child is enrolled in a class with other children, it gives them a good opportunity to meet new friends and socialize in a group setting. Many swimming instructors offer one-on-one instruction, which allows your child to learn how to interact with an adult outside of their immediate family.
When small children learn how to swim, it provides them with an entertaining new talent that they can use for the rest of their lives. However, it’s not all fun and games. Your kids will also experience many health advantages from swimming. The skills they learn from swimming will help save them from drowning accidents, increase their lung capacity, protect their joints from wear and tear, and enhance their emotional health.
