It’s really not until you spend some time hanging out with your kids in a pool that you remember just how much fun swimming can be. Swimming with kids can be uniquely rewarding and tends to be one of the few genuinely beneficial activities most kids can’t get enough of. But what so many parents don’t tend to realise is that along with the obvious benefits and enjoyment of swimming, getting kids in the water and teaching them how to swim brings them a whole world of additional benefits as a bonus.
So from the experts at www.babyswimmingshop.co.uk, here’s a quick look at the five most incredible benefits your kids will get from swimming:
1 – It Gets Them Fit
It’s no secret that getting the kids off the couch to do any kind of healthy exercise can be tricky at the best of times. Nevertheless, swimming is the kind of activity most kids absolutely love taking part in and doing so can work wonders for fitness. Swimming is one of the few types of exercise which gives a good workout for every major muscle group in the body while at the same time minimising the impact. What’s more, statistically speaking swimming is the single least likely activity to result in injuries to kids taking part. Long story short therefore it is safe, enjoyable and absolutely guaranteed to help get your kids in great shape.
2 – It Keeps Them Healthy
The health benefits of swimming are almost too abundant to begin listing. Swimming is exactly the kind of sport activity which can play an incredibly effective role in reducing childhood obesity risk, while at the same time seriously benefiting the cardiovascular system and lung health in general. Needless to say, the fact that swimming is also the kind of activity that can be enjoyed at any time of year, indoors or outdoors, makes it absolutely ideal as a regular hobby for kids. And it’s not as if they have to swim dozens of lengths practicing proper technique either – simply splashing around in a pool with a few friends gives their bodies one heck of a workout.
3 – It Benefits Their Strength and Coordination
Another of the less commonly acknowledged benefits of swimming for kids is the way in which it teaches coordination and improves strength. Kids need as much practice as possible when it comes to synchronising arm and leg movements and generally being able to use their limbs independently from one another. What’s more, there’s much to be said for the way in which swimming teaches kids how to coordinate body movements with controlled breathing patterns, which again can be beneficial for the development.
4 – It Teaches Essential Water Safety Skills
Of course one of the most obvious and important benefits of teaching kids to swim is the way in which it naturally teaches important lessons on water safety. These are the kinds of lessons that are important throughout life as there will always be times and instances where water poses a potential threat. The earlier you teach your kids about water safety and the more the idea becomes a standard part of their life, the better equipped there will be to avoid any dangers or hazardous situations involving water going forward.
5 – It Enhances Confidence and Motivation
Last but not least, swimming is the perfect example of an activity where making even very slight progress instills a real sense of confidence and achievement. In order for kids to progress and develop in all areas of life, they need to have confidence both in themselves and in the things they do. As an adult, it is often easy to forget just how hard it is to grow, develop and learn new skills or try new things for the very first time. Swimming can for many kids be quite daunting in the early stages at least, but in any and all cases learning to swim tends to be a quite massive confidence booster. And of course, the more confidence they have in their swimming abilities, the more motivated they will be to continue swimming and further develop their skills and abilities.
On the whole, doctors and paediatric health experts alike universally agree that swimming is perhaps the single most beneficial form of exercise any kid can take part in. Along with giving them the kind of workout no other form of exercise comes close to, chances are they will also have the time of their life and relish the opportunity to take part.