Benefits of Swimming for Children

Perfect to develop children’s motricity, the sport that is attractive due to the very environment where it is practiced, requires efforts that combat the overweight, but does not cause injuries to the children.

In times of fighting obesity, in addition to good nutrition, it is necessary to make children aware of the importance of physical exercises. Theoretically, this is fairly easy, just expose the benefits that sports bring. But in practice, the situation gets complicated, because most people love to stay in front of the computer and even when they are not overweight due to their physical inactivity, they get tired quickly during a Physical Education class. In addition, unusual efforts can cause injury to students. That is why swimming is still an ideal practice. Water, the raw material of the sport, naturally attracts children who find themselves immersed in an environment devoid of aggressive effects, but which presents relaxing characteristics that favor organic functions.

Advantages of practicing sport

Water, by itself, provides a freedom of movement not comparable to other “dry” activities. Therefore, swimming is able to work the children’s motor system and, in parallel, the cardiorespiratory system, so much so that with each arm stroke given, breathing gains pace, the heart becomes stronger and the risk of cardiovascular diseases decrease. The advantages of practicing sports are immense:

• The activity reduces the heart rate and stimulates blood circulation, which leads to the burning of excess fat, especially around the heart, which ends up acquiring the ability to pump more blood throughout the body.
• It strengthens the muscles of the chest wall and while giving elasticity to the lungs, it makes them able to absorb a greater amount of oxygen. As a consequence, there is a significant improvement in the infant respiratory process.
• The joints are also benefited because as they increase in size, the muscles more effectively protect the tendons and ligaments. In addition, as all of them are worked during sports, while agility increases, it also gives them greater lubrication.
• The amortization of the impact of the swimmer’s movements by water makes the probability of some injury almost null.
• Psychologically, swimming increases the self-esteem of children, who are safer and, in general, more independent.
• The ludic character of the activity leads to mental relaxation.
• Sport still fights stress, because the concentration necessary to reconcile breathing and movement causes a sublimation of tensions and a distancing of the problems of the day to day.
• Among children with disabilities, swimming provides an increase in physical potential, improvement of self-image and greater social integration. Those who are temporarily free from the mechanisms of locomotion used (wheelchairs, Canadian, orthopedic appliances, etc.) enjoy independence and a gratifying feeling for doing something that many people do not know.