Improve motor coordination

Various studies have shown that learning swimming can help your children improve their motor coordination. By sending your children for swimming lessons, they can learn to walk, talk, and count faster than their peers!

The movements involved in swimming helps to improve your child’s movement and coordination, thus teaching them how to move their body.

Another reason for this faster learning is due to the methods used in swimming lessons. Did you know that almost all instructors use a counting method to teach swimming strokes and movements? This leads to children counting while they learn to swim.As they become more familiar with the strokes, they naturally pick up counting skills at the same time. You might not have to spend so much on tuition after all!

Swimming programs can also help build self-confidence in children

Participating in a swimming program can also help build your children’s self-confidence. Instructors will often talk to your children during lessons to teach and guide them. This interaction provides opportunities for your children to talk to adults and other children. 

In the process, they pick up valuable social skills which are important in school, thus building their self-confidence. If you’re worried about your child not talking and making friends, why not send them for swimming lessons so they get a social head start?

Improved Balance

If your child seems to fall over a lot while playing or walking, learning swimming at a young age can help by improving your child’s balance. 

While floating in water, your child’s focus turns towards balancing and not flipping over. This makes them become more aware of their movements and body position. As your child learns to swim, their reflexes naturally become better at correcting body posture, leading to better balance both in and out of water.

Increased Development

It is well known that exercise is beneficial to a child’s physical development, but did you know that it can improve your children’s grades as well?

Research has shown that children who swim not only showed increased physical development, but also improved performance in school. Children who swim demonstrated higher cognitive abilities and were about 6-15 months ahead in terms of cognitive skills as compared to their non-swimmer peers.

So, if you want to give your child a head start in school, consider sending them for swim class!

Swimming Eases Asthma Symptoms

While not found in all kids, asthma still affects about 20% of Singaporean children. This condition has no cure, and can only be managed through prevention and treatment.

Over the years, many studies have found that swimming is beneficial to children with asthma. If you’re a parent looking for ways to better manage your child’s asthma, consider getting them to pick up swimming!

Swimming helps to reduce the severity of asthmatic symptoms, with 70% of children having reduced asthma severity after just two years in a swimming program. That is two short years which can help you save on medical costs later in your child’s life!

Not only is swimming one of the lowest impact sports available for your child, it is also the least likely sport to worsen asthma symptoms. Combine these together, and you can see why swimming is one of the safest sports available to asthmatic children.

Even if your child doesn’t have asthma, swimming can still benefit your child by improving his/her lung capacity. This is especially beneficial if your child is interested in participating in other sports.

Conclusion

Swimming is not only relatively easy to pick up, it is also one of the most useful and beneficial sports for your child. Of all of the benefits that swimming lessons can bring to your child, which one is your favourite? Don’t wait! Send your child for swimming lessons today!

Reference

1. British Dietetic Association. (n.d.). Benefits of Swimming. Retrieved 10 June 2020
2. Wardell, C. P., & Isbister, C. (2000). A Swimming Program for Children with Asthma. Medical Journal of Australia, 173(11–12), 647–648
3. Sigmundsson, H., & Hopkins, B. (2010). Baby swimming: Exploring the effects of early intervention on subsequent motor abilities. Child: Care, Health and Development, 36(3), 428–430
4. Swimming A Smart Move For Children, Michael Jacobson
5. Asthma in Children, SingHealth
6. Rosimini, C. (2003). Benefits of Swim Training for Children and Adolescents with Asthma. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 15(6), 247–252.
7. Ogawa, T., & Ikuta, Y. (2014). Pulmonary function and respiratory response during exercise in children. The Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 3(4), 441–444.

Hey there! My name is Ray and I am one of the co-owners of Swimray Private Swimming Lessons Singapore. My articles draw from my experiences during my time in the Naval Diving Unit in Singapore, and my experiences as a private swimming coach. I am also an avid traveler who is the author of Crazy Curious Traveller. Hope you enjoy my articles!