Health Benefits of Swimming
Cynthia Madison explains why owning a swimming pool is beneficial for your child's health.
Today's parents struggle to help their kids make healthy life choices and stick to healthy lifestyle habits. Every parent knows the struggle of convincing their child to eat all their vegetables, get outdoors and exercise instead of playing on the computer and respect their sleeping schedules.
Yet, in today's digital world, kids have access to technology from a very young age, which limits the time they spend outdoors practicing physical activity. Consequently, medical specialists have noticed a concerning rising trend of childhood obesity which can have tremendous health and social consequences in their adult years as well.
Childhood is the most crucial period for your child's healthy mental, physical, intellectual, and social development and growth. So, as a parent, you have to look for the best ways to ensure you help your child grow into a well-developed adult. Luckily, to accomplish that, you should not look any further than a swimming pool. Here is why owning a swimming pool is beneficial for your child's mental and physical health.
Increased interest in sports since early childhood
Teaching your kids what are the benefits of exercising and sports at very young ages can be a difficult task. They cannot understand why exercising is vital for their healthy growth and development. However, if you find an entertaining physical activity that they enjoy doing, they will not perceive it as an effort but rather a fun time spent outside. Encouraging your child to practice sport since early childhood can play a huge role in helping them set healthy habits and have an active lifestyle in the future.
Medical specialists explain that kids who show interest and practice a sport at an early age are more likely to be physically active as adults too. For example, owning paddling pools get kids interested in swimming since early childhood because all kids love splashing and spending time in the water.
Swimming has many health benefits
Swimming is one of the most beneficial sports for the healthy growth and development of children. It is a low-impact exercise that has a multitude of physical and mental health benefits both for kids and adults.
- Physical health benefits - Not only swimming is an extremely beneficial exercise for the healthy development of the heart and lungs but also for the healthy development of muscles and bones. Also, it plays a role in increasing endurance and strength, flexibility, and improving posture.
- Better cognitive development - Swimming can help kids with better cognitive development. Because it is an exercise that involves the use of both sides of the body and involves bilateral cross-patterning movements, swimming can improve your child's cognitive functioning. Kids who develop aquatic skills from very young ages also tend to have a better school performance than their peers at the same age who do not swim.
- Improved mental well-being - Regardless of what you may think, kids can experience depression, anxiety, and a wide range of negative emotions just as much as adults do. Luckily, swimming can help them improve their mental well-being because the sensory experience of being in the water is very relaxing and calming. When we are exercising, our brain releases chemicals called endorphins which give a positive feeling to the entire body and boost a happy mood. Thus, swimming is also beneficial for your child's mental health.
Improved sleeping and eating habits
Are not you tired to spend a lot of time convincing your child to eat their vegetables or going to sleep when their sleeping time arrives? Both healthy nutrition and a good night's sleep play a vital role in the healthy development and growth of your child. But it can be challenging to make your child understand their benefits. Well, a swimming pool can also help you improve your child's sleeping and eating habits. After spending the entire day swimming, not only that your child would have consumed most of their body energy but will also feel very hungry. If you own a swimming pool and encourage your child to swim every day, it will be a lot easier for you to convince them to have healthy meals and go to sleep at a reasonable hour.
Summertime entertainment
When summertime arrives, many parents start worrying about how they are going to help their kids spend their free time productively and healthily. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you just found a great activity that will be not only fun but also extremely healthy for your kid.
If you do not want your kids to spend their entire summer vacation in front of the screens of their electric devices, you can unplug them by offering them a fun and healthy alternative. It is very likely for your child to choose to leave their smartphones and computers over spending a fun day at the pool where they can play in the water.
Quality family time
In today's busy world, most parents find it very difficult to balance their jobs and parenting. As a result, many kids feel neglected because they do not spend enough time with their parents. Kids who feel neglected are more prone to develop insecurities, behavioural issues, and depression, and find it very difficult to establish a strong relationship with their parents as they grow up.
Since the time spent with their parents has a significant impact on their mental health, personality development, and education, you need to find the best ways to spend as much time as possible together with your little one. Thus, last but not least, owning a swimming pool in your backyard can be a great way for you and your kids to spend quality family time together. You can enjoy hot summer days together in the pool, have fun, and create great memories that will last a lifetime.
Conclusion
Owning a swimming pool is a move towards a healthier life for your kids. It will help them become more interested in sports and will encourage them to establish healthy lifestyle habits that will help them grow and develop into well-shaped adults.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MADISON, C. (2019) Health Benefits of Swimming [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article449.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Cynthia Madison is a young blogger and economics and marketing graduate.