When swimming or playing in water, children enjoy the beneficial effects of movement and socialize. Find out how much swimming helps them, given the sedentary lifestyle and widespread fascination of kids with gadgets these days!

Swimming helps children to have more confidence in themselves. Photo: Shutterstock

The lack of physical exercises causes children to have an improper posture, but also a reduced body resistance and flexibility, which arouses parents’ concerns. For all this, swimming, with all the appropriate safety measures, is a solution. The beneficial effects of swimming for children make it one of the best ways to exercise at a young age. Moreover, it is a very valuable skill that the child would do well to learn.

Swimming is a great way to create a beautiful bond with other children. He will learn to swim faster with children of his age and through play, with an instructor. This activity can transform him from being shy or afraid of water to a confident person. However, safety measures should not be forgotten either. Whether it is a private pool or a public one, ensuring safety while swimming is of great importance. The swimming helmet, goggles, bathing suits and other accessories not only give the little one the feeling of well-being that heralds a short period of swimming, but also contribute to his safety.

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Advantages over other sports

One of the biggest advantages of swimming is that it allows children to be naturally adventurous and have fun. Children tend to exercise in the water for a longer period of time than if they were doing other sports. Also, swimming is less demanding on the body compared to other sports. A major physical benefit is that it triggers the release of endorphins. Known as the “hormones of happiness”, endorphins raise morale, which is why swimming is an effective form of exercise for both mind and body. It also improves cardiovascular fitness while increasing muscle strength, providing a good alternative to higher-impact activities like basketball or weightlifting. According to studies, thanks to swimming, children develop the connection between mind and body. This, in turn, helps children significantly improve their brain development and intelligence. By stimulating young children’s senses, regular swimming improves mental and emotional development.

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Dispels fears and increases self-esteem

When learning to swim for the first time, many children seem to fear the water. However, when they overcome this fear of swimming, children benefit from developing confidence and self-esteem. And this confidence can become very useful for them in social situations when they enter into discussions with peers. Children also develop a positive attitude towards physical activity by improving their self-esteem.

Improves heart health

For children, swimming is a sport that can help them in many ways. If they have problems with their body weight, it gives them the opportunity to lose more pounds and even maintain their optimal weight. It increases their muscle strength and tone, improves their heart health, gives them flexibility and better skin hydration. It is important for children to learn to swim as early as possible for the simple fact that this skill can save their life in the future, in the event of an accidental fall into deep water. Parents can start with an accommodation session to stimulate their appetite, then continue if the child wants it too. Once he is comfortable in the water, he will become eager to set goals and improve his own times. This process will go a long way in forming self-motivated and high-achieving adults. In addition to mastering swimming moves, he can participate in water games that make the pool a great place for group activities.

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– Swimming offers 30% more mobility than other sports, without straining the joints.

– It is a type of movement that helps prevent and control juvenile diabetes.

Expert advice

Anca Grecu, Doctor in Physical Education and Sports, swimming club manager

Hydrotherapy or water therapy is beneficial for all children, including those with disabilities. The temperature of the water is a factor that relaxes their muscles and allows them to make movements with a greater amplitude than outside the water. Aquatic education programs are based on lightness of movements in water. By stimulating aquatic motor acquisitions, the foundations are laid for land-based motor acquisitions as well. The exercises that children perform in the water strengthen their cardio-respiratory system, which translates into an increase in their capacity for effort.