10 Benefits of Children Swimming
If you are looking for an exercise for your child to do that will have many benefits, you should look no further than swimming. Swimming is a great exercise that kids love to do. They can swim at home, swim at the local pool, and swim at summer day camp.
1. Improved Appetite
If you have a child that you feel is not eating as well as they should, consider getting them to swim. Swimming burns many calories, and each time your child swims, they will find that they are hungry. It has been shown that children who swim often have an increased appetite and eat better because of this.
2. Stronger Muscles
When a child learns how to swim, they will naturally improve their muscle tone. Swimming works out a wide variety of muscles and joints. These areas will get much stronger as your child increases the time that they spend swimming. They will be training muscles in the lower back, hips, and pelvis. This will help to promote stability and strength within the body.
3. Builds Up Coordination and Balance
Swimming can help to build coordination and balance. Swimming will train body parts and the muscle system to work efficiently with the brain. When a child first starts swimming, they may have some difficulty moving their arms and legs at the same time. However, when they get swim lessons, they will learn how to do this well. In time, you will see marked improvement in both balance and coordination. If your child has problems with coordination and balance, talk to a swim instructor to see how they can help your child improve these issues. You will be amazed at how little time it will take just by swimming for them to improve their coordination and their balance.
4. Improved Cognitive Development
The earlier in life that your child swims the more benefits they will have. Swimming can help to increase problem-solving abilities, oral skills, and verbal skills. This is due to the fact that they have to learn how to swim and in doing that learn the rules of swimming and how to communicate with others while in the water. They will also be around other children, which will greatly help their communication skills and social skills.
5. Builds Confidence
If you have a child that is shy or lacks self-confidence, you may want to consider having them swim. Swimming can help your child to build that confidence which will in turn boost self-esteem. They will become familiar with the water and be able to dive right in. They will have confidence when they are around bodies of water and may even help their peers in learning how to swim. The more time that they are in the water, like when they are at summer day camp, the better.
6. Better Parent and Child Relationship
Swimming can help you to build a better communication system with your child. When you take your child swimming, you will be able to spend a lot of time with them. You can create fun family outings to go swimming at your local water park, purchase your own pool, or go to the beach. The more time you spend as a family, the greater bond you will have.
7. Improving Social Interaction
Swimming can greatly improve your child’s social interaction. When they go for swimming lessons, they will be around other children their age. If you go to a local waterpark or pool, your children can make friends there as well. If you get a pool for your home, you can also invite the local kids in your neighborhood for a swim. This increased social interaction will help them to make friends and help them to know how to interact with people in the future. If your kids go to a summer camp, they will meet a group of friends that they will be able to interact with daily, allowing them to make a great set of friends.
8. Reduces the Chances of Drowning
One of the most important swimming benefits out there is that your child will learn how to swim, and the risk of drowning will be decreased. Every year, many children lose their lives because they get into the water and have no idea how to swim. When your child gets experience swimming, they will be less likely to drown if they are in the water unsupervised. Some parents never worry about their children drowning because they are not near a body of water. However, because you never know where you will be at all times, teaching your child how to swim will help to ensure that they are never in a situation where they do not know how to survive if they fall into a pool, lake, or the ocean.
9. Minimizes Stress
If you have older children, you may find that they are often stressed about tests, school issues, family issues, and more. It can be hard to help them through this. You may try everything possible, and still feel like you are not helping them. Swimming has been shown to help alleviate stress. Even older children, including teenagers, love to swim. Swimming will help to relax the body and put out those happy endorphins that minimize stress. If you see that your child is stressed out, consider taking them swimming. You will be amazed at how much it will help.
10. Excellent Low-Impact Exercise
All children need exercise, and swimming is a good way to burn off that excess energy and keep your child in good health. Swimming can help to burn calories which will keep your child at their ideal weight. Swimming is not a high-impact exercise, so you do not have to worry about your child getting hurt like you would if they participated in a contact sport. If your child is looking for a great exercise, have them start swimming.
Getting Started With Swimming
If your child has never swum before, you will want to teach them or take them somewhere that offers swimming lessons. Places like your local swimming pool, YMCA, or even your local gym may offer these lessons. You will want to make sure that your child goes to every lesson possible to ensure that they know how to swim properly. Consider purchasing a pool or getting a membership to your local pool to ensure that your child can practice swimming during those hot summer months. Another thing you can do is to find a safe kids camp that will help your child to swim and keep their skills up. The more your child practices, the more skilled they will be.
If you are looking for a place for your children to swim and have fun, bring them to us at Chartwell’s Happy Day Camp. We are located in Marlton, New Jersey, and offer many fun, unique activities for your child. At our safe kids camp, your child will get free swim lessons, arts and crafts, nature studies, and more. You can reach us at (856) 983-8827 or email us at chartwell@chartwellfun.com. You can also visit our website for more information, including videos on all we have to offer your child. We look forward to having a fun summer with your child.
