Is your child at that age where he or she is learning to swim? Studies show that physical activity goes beyond just fitness and health benefits, it can also stimulate the brain and boost cognitive performance! Most importantly, though, swimming teaches children to be safe in the water.
The South African Medical Journal recently reported that drowning mortality rates are high in South African children younger than age 15, and particularly those younger than 5.
This is consistent with global patterns, where boys younger than 5 years have been found to have the highest drowning mortality rates.
“The high proportion of drownings that occur in and around the home in this age group highlights the need for campaigns to increase awareness and implementation of safety measures around the home including barriers to access, improved supervision and water safety education,” the report notes.
In a 10-year review of drownings in Pretoria published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine in 2016, the authors note that most drowning deaths in the city were among children who died in a swimming pool.
They note “the majority of deaths appear to be preventable” and also suggest that public awareness and legislation should aim to prevent further drowning deaths.
They learn water safety skills
The first step in increasing water safety among children is to teach them swimming skills. The focus should really be on parents and swimming coaches teaching children to swim for water safety.
Swimming lessons help children become stronger swimmers, which will stand them in good stead if they happen to get into trouble in the water.
That said, even children that know how to swim are still vulnerable in the water. Therefore, it’s always important to supervise your children in the water – even if they know how to swim.
Improves physical health and emotional wellbeing
Swimming provides a complete physical workout and helps to strengthen your child’s heart, lungs and respiratory system. It is known to improve eating and sleeping patterns in children and encourages a healthy lifestyle.
In addition, swimming is a way to prevent childhood obesity, which has been linked to juvenile diabetes, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
Learning to swim at a young age reduces the chances of a child fearing water at a later stage in life. It also promotes greater self-esteem among peers, especially at friends’ pool parties in the summer.
In addition, spending time in the water can also be positive for a child’s mental health by improving their mood and decreasing anxiety.
And makes them smarter!
Research from Australia showed that kids who regularly participated in swimming were able to master language development, fine motor skills, confidence, and physical development sooner than the control group.
Sources:
http://www.scielo.org.za
https://www.sciencedirect.com
https://www.livestrong.com