Swimming is good for all people, but especially for children. With this sport, they can develop and strengthen their muscles, stimulate the circulatory and respiratory system. Swimming also helps the child developing his independence and develop his self-confidence.

In our mother’s womb, we are floating, some say that babies know how to swim because they were always surrounded by liquid. However, to experience what they call life it is necessary to get out of our mother’s womb, and then we find other pleasant places; one of them is water.

The feeling of slipping through the water is very relaxing and stimulating at the same time. Swimming helps children learning to have a sense of space, inside or outside the pool lanes.

These benefits develop skills that your child will use throughout his life, skills that he can develop from six months when the baby can start contacting with water. There are currently many places where babies experience in the water with their parents, which is an experience that helps strengthen the emotional bond between them.

At that age, the experience in the water is very attractive. Coaches understand that children learn by playing and make the moment in the water, a playful experience in which the baby listens to music and interacts with toys.

Benefits without injuries

  • Swimming, unlike other sports, minimizes the risks of injuries, while the practitioner strengthens his entire body and has fun.
  • Swimming prevents respiratory diseases and if the child suffers from them, their condition improves, as infants who practice swimming learn to breathe properly and expand their lung capacity.
  • Exercising the body with swimming is also beneficial for the cardiovascular condition of children and improves their physical endurance and not only that but also improves their entire circulatory system.
  • Another benefit of swimming is that it lowers blood glucose levels because aerobic exercise causes increased insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it reduces insulin needs in diabetic children.

Tips to enjoy the benefits of swimming

It is convenient for your child to progressively start swimming sessions and that the duration of these sessions is gradually increasing, which prevents the muscles from becoming overloaded. After the initial phase, it is recommended that the child practice swimming at least three times a week and that each session is extended for at least 30 minutes.

It is highly recommended that your child takes a shower before and after being in the pool and that in the showers wear shoes to prevent fungal infections of the feet. Another recommendation is that the child wears a sunscreen if the swimming practice is outdoors, that he wears a cap inside the pool and also glasses to prevent his eyes from getting irritated by the pool’s chlorine. For understanding water literacy, using the swim vest for toddlers can be a great idea. This will support the degree of independence of a baby in the water.

Reasons to swim

Certainly, the benefits of swimming are multiple, among which it is possible to defend yourself in a dangerous situation in the water, however here we summarize nine reasons why it is good for your child to go into the water:

  • It controls body weight, which prevents obesity in children (and 80 percent of obese children will also be adults).
  • It helps keep lower blood pressure figures.
  • Lowers blood cholesterol concentration: reduces the development of arteriosclerosis since childhood.
  • It lowers blood glucose levels because aerobic exercise causes increased insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it reduces insulin needs in diabetic children.
  • It contributes to qualitatively increase the physical effort capacity in children, conditioning a better cardiovascular response.
  • Improves flexibility, coordination, agility, speed, and muscular strength.