There are a couple of ways to help you little swimmers prevent cramps while swimming.
1. Warming up muscles.
2. Providing a calm environment.
These sound like pretty simple things to do – or to help your kids do. But let’s dig a little deeper just for fun.
Warming up muscles.
You may think that this only applies to older swimmers or even competitive swimmers. It does – but they aren’t alone. Warming up is a good activity for everyone to do before getting into the water.
Older children can understand and do warm-ups that get their muscles ready for specific skills like strokes and kicks. Competitors can do pretty complex stretching and warm-ups that focus on muscle groups that they will use for their races and exercises that prepare their lungs for the breathing rhythms their competitions will require.
But is there really something that little ones can do to help them “warm-up” for their swim?
Sure! Any sort of activity that loosens up the body helps!
Even little ones who are as limber as mops can benefit from something as simple as a pre-swim shake.
If you watch competitors – even Michael Phelps – you’ll notice that they do sort of a wet dog imitation when they step up to the pool. The shake loosens their bodies up and signals to it that it’s time for action! This “shake” can be one of the first warm-ups little ones can learn and will think is lots of fun to do! It’s easy to add arm circles and torso twists to this as they grow up. There is a side bonus to instituting the simple shake for little ones – It helps them to develop a warm-up routine that will benefit them even more as they progress through swimming levels.
Providing a calm environment.
At first thought, you may wonder how in the world this can happen. But realize that you’re in control! One of the best ways to keep your kids calm is to be calm yourself. Set the example! Your kids will mimic your moods and emotions so be sure you’re exhibiting the ones that you want them to have. It also helps to give them a calm environment just prior to swimming lessons whenever possible. A calm attitude and environment can help to keep the muscles relaxed and ready to engage new skills and the mind ready to soak in activities their instructors want them to learn.
Little Otter Swim Schools offers a fun and supportive learning environment that starts your kid’s swimming experience off with positivity that will encourage them to maintain it for a lifetime! Contact us to learn more.
Conversations