Swimming is a skill that all kids should learn and it is a skill that remains with them throughout their lives. Children should be involved in swimming lessons to become comfortable with the water. They should learn to swim from a trusted adult so that it can be an enjoyable experience. Children should be given opportunities to swim once they have learned how, so they can continue to build on their new abilities and develop good form and technique.
Health Benefits
Swimming can provide varying health benefits for children. Children shouldn't be performing strength training exercises with weights, but swimming provides natural resistance. This resistance will stimulate their muscles and help build strength. In addition, swimming provides a cardiovascular workout that children can do for an extended period of time. Children will probably not be able to run for the same amount of time that they would be able to swim.
Safety
All people should learn to swim whether a child or an adult. Water safety is valuable knowledge for everyone. Knowing how to swim can save your life in a dangerous situation. Children who know how to swim will be better equipped if they ever face a water emergency.
Fitness
Swimming is a good way to get kids to enjoy physical fitness. There are fitness benefits to both swimming as a workout and simply playing in the pool. Kids who are active are likely to be healthier and of a normal weight. Swimming can be done by children of any size; children who need to lose weight may see results from swimming. Since swimming involves the whole body, you can burn a great number of calories while doing it, making swimming very beneficial for overweight kids.
Lifetime Skill
Swimming is a lifelong activity. It can be enjoyed by both young and old. Swimming is very therapeutic for many elderly people, but many adults don't take swimming lessons if they never learned to swim as a child. They may be embarrassed by their lack of abilities and avoid the water. Swimming should be introduced to a child slowly so she doesn't become afraid of the water, as this can stay with her as she grows up.
Opportunities
Learning to swim as a child can provide many opportunities later in life. Swimming can open many doors, from summer jobs as lifeguards or teaching swim lessons to high school and collegiate sports. Knowing how to swim can lead to not only swimming competitively, but other sports as well. Synchronized swimming, water polo and diving all require being comfortable in the pool and knowing how to swim.
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