The Benefits of Swimming!

14 Dec The Benefits of Swimming!

It is finally Summer! With Summer means spending time in the water whether it be the pool or beach to help cool down and have fun! It is also the perfect time to get your kids in swim classes and help them learn how to swim. Swimming is a fantastic skill for your children to learn. It is a skill they will keep with them throughout their life ultimately helping to improve their safety and quality of life!  

In addition to having fun swimming has some fantastic physical benefits. See below: 

1. Strengthening – Swimming is a great activity to help improve strength of the whole body. The core is always working to help us stay afloat. The arms are obviously working to help propel us forward and the legs are kicking. Each different stroke has the added benefit of helping to strengthen different muscle groups depending on the arm and leg movements. 

1. Coordination – Swimming is not easy, it’s complex series of Arm and leg movements. The only reason us as adults may find it easy if because we have been doing it for so long! Each of the different strokes requires a different combination of movements helping to improve your child’s coordination. 

1. Fitness – Spending time in the water and swimming has the obvious benefit of helping to improve your child’s cardiovascular fitness! 

1. Improved sleep – Swimming (and all physical activity) helps to use your child’s energy up and helps them sleep restfully overnight. 

In addition to organized swim classes having fun with your child in the water can have huge benefits. These include the benefits listed above because in water we are always using different muscles to help us balance and keep our body where we want it to be. Taking your child down to the pool or beach for a bit of a splash around is a great way to help improve your child’s confidence in the water. Remember to always stay close to your child when they are in/around water and to swim at a pool or beach with lifeguards/savers and always swim between the red and yellow flags.