Why Swimming Lessons Are Important For Every Child's Development
Health benefits of swimming
Swimming lessons are important for your child's development. Getting your kids into swimming lessons will provide them with a valuable, life-long skill and will teach them how to be safe in the water.
Regular swimming lessons have amazing benefits for your child’s physical and mental development.
Overall fitness
Swimming is considered to be one of the best forms of physical exercise for people of all ages, including children. Swimming is perfect for getting the heart racing and the blood moving around the body, which helps develop fitness and stamina, and it provides an all-over body workout by utilising most muscle groups.
Builds strong muscles
As your child kicks, pushes, pulls, stretches and reaches through the water, their muscles need to work harder against the extra resistance that water provides. Muscles, therefore, strengthen more quickly, lengthen and gain flexibility, which provides the basis for a strong and agile body. Because swimming is low impact, gentle on the body and non-contact, less strain is put on joints than other forms of exercise, making injuries fairly uncommon.
Improves organ function
Swimming helps the body to use oxygen more efficiently by providing a steady cardiovascular workout that stimulates heart and lung function.
Improves coordination
Swimming enables children to improve essential skills such as balance, posture, coordination and concentration. It also greatly helps in the early development of fine and gross motor skills. Research has shown that those who regularly swim during early childhood development are more capable at cutting paper, colouring in and drawing lines and shapes, when compared to others of the same age.
Weight management
Swimming is a light yet effective aerobic exercise which keeps kids moving, helping to prevent childhood obesity, which has been linked to juvenile diabetes.
Promotes intelligence
Swimming also has a positive effect on the brain. A study done by Griffith University in 2012 showed that children who participate in regular swimming activities not only reach physical milestones faster but have a higher level of intelligence due to an earlier brain and cognitive development.
Reduces stress
Swimming offers a form of relaxation which can help calm a tired, stressed or frustrated mind. When it comes to kids, swimming may provide the perfect outlet for them to relax and let go of their daily pressures, which will result in a happier, healthier state of mind.
Preparing your child for swimming lessons
Young kids can be anxious about starting swimming lessons. To prepare, you can make them feel more comfortable by doing the following before the first lesson:
- Get them used to being in the water in the bathtub and having fun with bath toys and games.
- Take them to the pool and spend time with them so that they are familiar with the location. Bring the family along too, so they become used to others being there in the water.
- Give your child a small snack beforehand for energy like a muesli bar or some fruit.
- Ensure you leave plenty of time to get to the pool to reduce stress and frustration beforehand.
- Let the instructor know of any medical conditions or injuries.
What equipment is used in swimming?
Preparing your child for the pool or beach
Firstly, ensure your child has fresh water and a snack, a bag for their items and don't forget a towel for drying off! Always remember to apply and regularly reapply sunscreen.
Swimwear for kids
To get started in swimming, the main thing you will need is a swimsuit. You'll want it to fit well and not be loose, saggy or too tight. Funkita and Funky Trunk swimwear comes in super fun prints that kids love. Kids love to be able to choose from patterns, designs and colours that suit their personality. As they tend to spend a lot of time in their swimwear - when going to the pool, the beach and when playing in the backyard sprinklers - having a backup pair is also sensible.
Should kids wear goggles when swimming?
A decent pair of goggles will make a big difference in swimming. Look for durable goggles that don't leak, fog up or fall off easily. If your child normally wears glasses, you can even purchase prescription goggles.
Goggles help your child to see underwater as well as protecting the eye from the sun (for goggles with UV protection) and other objects while in the water.
Vorgee goggles feature UV protection, an anti-fog coating and have interchangeable nose bridges to suit your child, not to mention their beautiful colour combinations.
Why should you wear a bathing cap?
Bathing or swim caps protect hair from harsh chlorine. Pre-soaking hair with clean water will help to reduce how much chlorine is absorbed into your child's hair.
Swim caps will also reduce drag, giving swimmers with longer hair a speed boost!
For kids who feel the cold, swim caps keep the swimmer warmer, which is helpful in a shady pool. They increase the visibility to other swimmers and onlookers, helping parents to identify their child in the pool or at the beach.
Vorgee swim caps are designed for junior swimmers and feature cute character designs.
Are ear plugs good for swimming?
Ear plugs are an excellent item for frequent swimmers. They prevent water getting stuck inside the ear, which can lead to a painful bacterial infection called swimmer's ear. This is common in children as their ear canals are small and do not drain as easily as an adult's.
Surfers ear is also best prevented by wearing ear plugs. Surfer's ear occurs from long-time exposure to very cold water and wind, causing bony growth in the ear canal. This can lead to significant hearing loss.
Good ear plugs are comfortable, easy to insert and washable.
Benefits of nose plugs for swimming
Nose plugs prevent water going into the nasal cavity during flip turns, when turning the head to breathe or during backstroke. They also help with breath control, which can be difficult for beginners.
Nose plugs help swimmers to hold their breath by preventing air being exhaled from the nose. Finally, they help to maintain buoyancy in the water by keeping air in the lungs.
Should kids learn to swim with flippers?
The benefits of hand paddles for learning to swim
Are kickboards good for learning to swim?
Beginners often struggle with coordinating their legs and arms. Kickboards keep a swimmer's upper body afloat, allowing them to focus on their kicking technique. They develop leg strength and allow the arms to rest while keeping the heart rate up, which is great for swimmers who do not yet have the fitness or skill levels required to continuously swim freestyle. Learners will find out how important kicking is to their swimming speed.
Is it easier to swim with a pull buoy?
Pull buoys sit between the legs and lift the legs to the surface, improving technique. When a swimmer's legs drop, this increases drag and reduces efficiency. Pull buoys allow the swimmer to focus on their upper body stroke while feeling what correct body positioning should feel like. They increase endurance by eliminating kicking and isolating the upper body.
The legs require a lot of oxygen during swimming and can tire your child out quickly. Pull buoys allow swimmers to swim for longer with less effort, while developing upper body fitness. In combination with hand paddles, they make an even better workout for the arms.
Unsure what equipment your child should have for swimming? Here's a handy visual guide of items you might want to consider.
What are the 4 major styles of swimming?
Once your child has learned basic swimming skills, they can learn the four major styles of swimming - freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.
How to learn to swim freestyle (a.k.a. the front crawl)
- Float facedown and stretch out your body.
- Point your toes and alternate kicking your legs up and down quickly.
- Stretch your arms out in front of your head and pull your arms so that as one arm enters the water overhead, the other leaves the water at the thigh.
- To inhale, turn your head to the side while your arm is outstretched and then put your face back into the water.
How to learn breaststroke
- Float facedown and stretch out your body with your hands together at the front.
- Stretch your toes out and bend your knees and ankles, pointing your feet outwards. Kick backwards and slightly downwards and bring your feet together.
- Turn your hands so the thumbs are pointing downwards and push out and bring your arms around in a circle until they return to the front.
- As you push out each time, bring your head up to inhale.
How to learn backstroke
- Float on your back and stretch out your body.
- With pointed toes, alternate kicking your legs up and down quickly, with floppy ankles.
- Keep your arms straight and alternate bringing them out of the water backwards and over the top of your head in an arc, then return them to the water to the thigh.
- Take a breath when required during each stroke.
How to learn the butterfly stroke
- Float facedown and stretch out your body.
- While keeping your legs and feet together, undulate your entire body and bend and straighten your knees.
- Both hands should come around in an arc and then enter the water at the same time, pulling down towards the hips and then coming back out again.
- Inhale towards the end of the pull, when your arms are by your sides and legs are straight.
