Swimming is the propulsion of the body through water by combined arm and leg motions and the natural flotation of the body. Swimming as an exercise is popular as an all-around body developer and is particularly useful in therapy and as exercise for physically handicapped persons. It is also taught for lifesaving purposes.
Benefits of Swimming
There are many benefits of swimming, not the very least being that it’s FUN! Some children would say that swimming is like flying through water, others love the ebb and flow of the waves in a large lake, yet others just find the whole experience to be exciting and enjoyable. Imagination abounds in the form of mermaids, play shark attacks, and diving games. Swimming also has important benefits for social, emotional, and physical health. Read on to find out the top 3 benefits of swimming and why it’s so much fun!
Social Benefits of Swimming
Swimming at the pool with a group of peers will make swimming that much more fun, because your child will share their experiences with others their age, which will have a positive impact on their social health and well-being. During swimming lessons children get to be in a small group with a caring instructor sharing their experiences together, while parents get some time to observe. For infant swim lessons, parents and infants swim together and experience the joys of being in the water, maybe for the first time. Watching the interactions with others, while splashing and having fun, shows infants and kids that they can learn a skill and have a blast at the same time.
Emotional Benefits of Swimming
The emotional benefits of swimming are not as well-known; the sea of our emotions is complex indeed. It’s clear that time in the water can be calming and therapeutic for children and adults alike. In a literal sense, water cleanses and clears away debris that is stagnant and stuck. When we apply this same theory to our emotions we experience the same phenomenon. Water is meant to cool, cleanse, and heal our emotions, and kids are no exception to the wonderful experiences in water. Emotional confidence can be gained with learning to swim as well. If your child is nervous or anxious about starting to swim, check out these fun swimming books for kids.
Physical Benefits of Swimming
The physical benefits of swimming are more studied and well known. When children swim in a pool, lake, pond, or ocean, their brains release chemicals called endorphins that are designed to make us feel happy. Swimming also builds cardiovascular endurance, keeping those little hearts healthy. Getting physical exercise and having fun at the same time? You must be swimming! Swimming also builds muscle, burns calories, and invigorates our bodies.
Swimming is fun for children and it has so many benefits. Learning to swim is great for the body, mind, and spirit. It doesn’t take an expert to see why swimming is so much fun. When in doubt, watch your favorite swimming character, whether it’s Nemo, Mr. Limpet, Ariel, or SpongeBob Squarepants, and you’ll see right away why the water life is the fun life.
History
Archaeological and other evidence shows swimming to have been practiced as early as 2500 BCE in Egypt and thereafter in Assyrian, Greek, and Roman civilizations. In Greece and Rome swimming was a part of martial training and was, with the alphabet, also part of elementary education for males. In the Orient swimming dates back at least to the 1st century BCE, there being some evidence of swimming races then in Japan. By the 17th century an imperial edict had made the teaching of swimming compulsory in the schools. Organized swimming events were held in the 19th century before Japan was opened to the Western world. Among the preliterate maritime peoples of the Pacific, swimming was evidently learned by children about the time they walked, or even before. Among the ancient Greeks there is note of occasional races, and a famous boxer swam as part of his training. The Romans built swimming pools, distinct from their baths. In the 1st century BCE the Roman Gaius Maecenas is said to have built the first heated swimming pool.