SWIMMING BENEFITS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Swimming provides multiple benefits for people of all ages. It gives you a full body workout without putting pressure on your joints. It’s a great way to cool off on a hot day and provides a wonderful way to socialize with friends.
While people of any age can learn to swim, the earlier you start the better, as it will produce this enjoyable exercise for a lifetime. When can you start learning? As soon as the umbilical cord is cut! Since babies come in a liquid-filled bag, they are natural in water. However, it is better as a parent to spend time with the child just floating and playing, getting familiar with how it works. Three years old is the ideal time for formal lessons in a class with other children, as that is the age when they are mature enough to understand and follow directions. If the young child is already familiar with water, he will not be afraid of it.
The benefits of swimming for young children are many. As a medium, water is practically weightless, so you can fall without hurting yourself. The forgiving nature of water allows children to try new things and make mistakes without becoming afraid, as they do not feel pain while learning. Swimming helps build muscle and cardiovascular strength, flexibility, posture, coordination, and balance. Young children can learn to swim before they can even walk; in fact, those who are slow learners can get help with swimming lessons. Regular participation helps fight obesity. It allows them to grow and become healthy adults, as it is an activity that they will never overcome; they can enjoy it for life.
Swimming improves emotional health. Water is a very calming and healing medium, which encourages those who drink it to exercise longer. Anyone who has worked with children knows how difficult it is to get them out of the water. Swimming improves mood, eliminating depression. It also helps that it can be easily incorporated into a social activity, such as a pool or beach party (swimming should never be done alone anyway).
Swimming also increases mental capacity. Young children discover how the world around them works as they learn to interact with others. Physical training provides oxygen to the brain, allowing it to function better. Studies have shown that children who learned to swim early reach developmental milestones earlier and score better on tests once they are in school. The first lessons also improve self-esteem; Painfully shy children, even autistic ones, have reaped multiple benefits from spending time in the water. Undoubtedly, this is due to the bonding of parents and the social interaction that the first swimming lessons provide.
Most important of all is the safety factor. Drowning is the second leading cause of death for people ages 5 to 24. By introducing them to toddler swimming lessons, this will virtually eliminate this from happening to them, while maintaining their health in the most enjoyable way.
With so many swimming benefits for young children, there is no reason NOT to teach them to swim!