Swimming is a remarkably popular sport that poses a wide array of health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health and weight loss. Despite its praise, young children die from drowning every day, compared to any other cause of death. This striking statistic highlights the prevalence of non-swimmers and the types of harmful risks they face on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re currently having your children through a surrogate or carrying them yourself, it’s important to consider these things extremely early on. To discuss this further, we will uncover the main reasons you should encourage your child to swim when they are young.
Offers Children the Chance to Socialize
Children are social creatures, who often pick up quirks and attributes found in those around them. This is an incredibly important life skill that can help them develop later on in life. By joining a local swimming club, your child has the chance to interact with others, giving them the opportunity to learn different perspectives and gain a well-deserved confidence boost. The CDC also states that 1 in 36 children in America are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), making this a great way for neurodiverse children to experiment in new social interactions.
Protects Them in Future Situations
Swimming is a crucial life skill that can ensure that children remain safe in future situations. Whether it’s exploring the depths of the sea or walking too close to a stream, there are many serious scenarios where we rely on the ability to swim. By instilling this knowledge early on, children will know the dangers of deep waters but will also have the skills needed to save them from drowning. They can also use this skill to help others in a similar situation. To exemplify this risk, the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services found that a third of unintentional drowning deaths occurred in natural waters.
Improves Mental Health
Children are not immune to the stressors of everyday life, meaning that they can experience similar mental health issues to adults. Swimming allows children to step away from their usual demands and engage in a fun and invigorating activity. This sport also releases a ton of endorphins, giving young children a boost of happy chemicals as they play in the water. Thus, if you are concerned about your child’s mental well-being, swimming may be the ideal activity to bring them out of their shell.
Maintains a High Fitness Level
Although swimming is considered to be a low-impact sport, it provides a diverse collection of physical benefits. By building strength in both arms and legs, swimmers have increased fine motor skills and better cognitive abilities. Therefore, by putting your children in swimming lessons while they’re young, they have a better chance of building key muscle areas and having a better fitness level for life.
Lessen Generational Trauma
History shows that marginalized communities are less likely to know how to swim, compared to their more privileged counterparts. By encouraging children from different backgrounds to learn the art of swimming, they are more likely to break these unfair cycles and make great strides in their communities. Diversity within local swimming clubs also impacts the sport on a wider scale, making a fairer landscape overall.
Swimming is an incredibly popular activity that gives children the chance to spread their wings and try something new. With a wealth of benefits on offer, it is vital that parents place their child in swimming lessons before it is too late.
