In this current day and age, kids are regularly enrolled in multiple activities and you, as the parent, might find it challenging to decide which to keep and which to cut out. After all, you don’t want your child to be overscheduled or feeling anxious about the number of commitments they have already in their young lives.
You might have heard other parents arguing in favor of one sport or another, or maybe have come to think that as long as your child is physically active, the activity itself doesn’t matter. As a swim school, of course, we believe swimming is a cut above the rest. Swimming lessons for kids have many benefits including teaching water safety, emotional and cognitive development, and keeping your kids active and healthy.
Specific Skills Swimming Provides
For optimal physical health, your child should absolutely be active. Although being active is better than not being active, no matter the activity, not all physical activities are created equal. In fact, swimming lessons actually work with the muscles differently than most other pastimes and impart different skills as well. For example:
- Swimming lessons use body weight and the weight of the water to provide resistance. This results in a very gentle push and pull of the body, which strengthens – without straining – muscles.
- Learning to swim helps kids learn breath control and expand their lung capacity, which are unique benefits that don’t typically accompany other sports.
- And most importantly, swimming gives children a boost of endorphins, which helps promote mental well-being and a sense of accomplishment.
Safety for a Lifetime
In addition to learning swimming skills, swimming lessons teach kids important water safety skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. For instance, children learn how to backfloat for extended periods of time, which is a lifesaving skill. They also get plenty of practice finding the edge of the pool and climbing out and, of course, successfully learning how to swim on their own. All of these activities help lay a foundation for safe swimmers who will know what to do, and what not to do when they encounter water.
So if you’re wondering whether swimmers have advantages over non-swimmers, the answer is – yes, plenty! Your child will gain important swimming skills, water safety techniques, better physical health, and improved mental well-being when they come to class. If you think swimming may be the ideal sport for your child, contact us to learn more.
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