Children need to learn to Swim
Learning how to swim is an important skill for both parents and children to learn. New studies indicate that teaching children to swim between the ages of 6 and 12 months old is a great way to build their confidence in the water while at the same time teaching them water safety skills.
Exercise for Health
Swimming provides an effective opportunity for exercise for people of all ages. Swimming exercise involves cardiovascular activity, which enhances both heart and lung condition. Swimming also increases strength, endurance, flexibility and balance, thanks to the activity and movements involved in swim strokes. Children who engage in regular swimming activity might avoid health issues associated with childhood obesity, including diabetes.
Swimming builds whole body strength
A swimming workout is a great total body workout, strengthening everything from the core to the legs to the arms. In swimming, a whole lot of muscles are working together as your kids are pushing, pulling and kicking their way through the water. Swimming is a full-body workout. It’s simultaneously works muscles from triceps and biceps to abdominals to hamstrings and everything in between. Wow!
Swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 – 4. Learning how to swim is an important skill for both parents and children to learn. New studies indicate that teaching children to swim between the ages of 6 and 12 months old is a great way to build their confidence in the water while at the same time teaching them water safety skills.
You read the stats above, right? This is serious stuff and as your child gets older, they are more likely to be around water when you might not be present (say on a trip to the beach with friends). Swimming is an essential life skill and you want to be confident that your child has mastered it.
Swimming Skills for Safety
Drowning is a real risk for children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately one out of every five people who die from drowning are younger than 14. By teaching your children swimming skills, you equip them with water skills that can increase water safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to teach children to swim for water safety. However, even children who know how to swim are not immune from drowning. You must always supervise your children in the water, even when they know how to swim.
Swim safety
- Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
- Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
- Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
- Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
- Maintain constant supervision.
- Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well.
- If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers. Many children who drown in home pools were out of sight for less than five minutes and in the care of one or both parents at the time.
- Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.
- If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
- Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
- Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
- Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
