6 Benefits of Teaching Young Children to Swim

Posted by Callan School on September 17th, 2019

Water safety is an essential element of overall safety. Drowning doesn’t just occur in pools, lakes, and oceans. It can happen in the bathtub, a water table, or other areas where water collects. Engaging children in swimming lessons from a young age can help them stay safer and become more water aware. There are numerous benefits to teaching young children to swim.

How Old Should Children Be to Start Swimming Lessons?

Infants are born ready to learn how to swim, but it’s a good idea to delay their exposure to chlorine for a bit and allow them to build up their neck muscles. You can find San Marcos swim lesson programs for children of all ages. Callan Swim School starts with infants as young as three months, though other programs may have different age requirements. The sooner children are exposed to the water, the more comfortable they will become.

Benefits of Swimming Lessons

1. It can save their life

Unintentional drowning is one of the leading causes of death of children age 4 and under. Your child doesn’t have to be an exceptionally strong swimmer to have skills that can save their life and keep them safer until help arrives. Something as basic as knowing how to float on their back can go a long way.

2. It can create less fear of the water

Children tend to develop more anxiety and fear regarding the water as they get older. By starting them in swimming lessons at Callan Swim School from the time they are infants, they become more accustomed to and comfortable in the water. This makes learning to swim easier and allows them to start building foundational skills early on.

3. It builds personal confidence

There is no denying that personal flotation devices help save lives, but you don’t want your child to become dependent on them. This can give them an altered sense of safety because they think that when they are in the water, they will automatically float. Most drownings occur during non-swim times, meaning children wouldn’t be wearing a flotation device. Children should know how to react in the water without one.

4. It strengthens their muscles, heart, and lungs

Swimming is a full body workout. Participating in a San Marcos swim lesson is a low-impact way to gently strengthen and stretch the muscles. It also strengthens the heart and lungs as children learn to hold their breath and breathe underwater, and later on to regulate their breathing with their arm strokes.

5. It improves coordination

Infants naturally kick their legs and move their arms in the water. It can be easier to teach them basic swim techniques from the start, rather than once they are older and more effort must be focused on coordinating movements. Swimming also uses both sides of the body (and brain) simultaneously which can stimulate brain growth and neural connections. As children continue practicing in the water, it can enhance their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills as well, which can be beneficial for other sports and activities.

6.It can become a lifelong hobby

Swimming lessons can lead to lifelong enjoyment of swimming, which is an activity that can be done at any age. Children may swim throughout grade school, continue on into college, and then keep pursuing their love of the water even as adults and senior citizens. Plus, there is no equipment required – all they need is access to a body of water.

Callan Swim School uses a soft-touch, no-fear method of teaching young children water safety and how to swim. There are no more than three children per class, meaning each child gets personal attention from a highly trained instructor as they develop water skills. It’s not too early to sign your child up for a San Marcos swim lesson program to promote their safety and development. 

Orginal Content: https://medium.com/@callanswimschool/sbab6-benefits-of-teaching-young-children-to-swim-c4de7ece479e

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Callan School
Joined: September 17th, 2019
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