For most parents, summer seems like the perfect time for their kids to learn how to swim and practice water safety, as water resides in almost every environment we vacate to during the warmest months of the year. However, what happens when their swim lessons end and it’s time for school and other extracurricular activities to begin? Without the consistency of practicing year-round, our kids could lose touch of their strong water safety and swim skills they’ve learned over the summer.
In addition, swim lessons provide extreme benefits to our swimmers that expand beyond the pool!
To explain the importance of year-round swimming lessons, Amy Joyner, owner of British Swim School in Raleigh, joined a Fox-affiliated television station to discuss. Click here to watch the segment!
Below are 7 reasons why taking year-round swimming lessons benefits the overall health, safety, and personal development of children.
Boosting your immune system
A common misconception exists about swimming in the fall and winter months: being in the water will increase someone’s chances of getting sick. The truth is, especially when the water is slightly chilly, swimming increases your white blood cell count so that your body further activates its health defenses. Simply put: taking year-round swim lessons helps to prepare your child’s immune system for reacting to germs and other changing conditions.
British Swim School understands that immunity and health are critical priorities given the concerns presented by COVID-19. We are committed to providing a clean environment that enables our critical mission of water safety for students of all ages and abilities while addressing these health and safety concerns regarding the virus. Click here to learn more about our reopening procedures and COVID-19 safety measures put in place so we can welcome swimmers back into our pools.
Improving early childhood mental health
The coronavirus pandemic has brought upon more stress and unpredictability than many of our children have experienced before. During these times, it’s especially important to stay active and engage in hobbies that bring joy and reduce anxiety. Swimming can be a stress-relieving and endorphin-releasing activity for children and young adults, and it provides social interaction with both instructors and peers. When children have a place where they can do something they love while also gaining physical benefits, they will likely be happier outside of the pool as well.
Maintaining swim skills
The truth is, water is everywhere – and because kids are naturally going to be near pools, lakes or even bathtubs beyond just the summertime, their swim skills shouldn’t stop, either! Consistent swim instruction helps to build muscle memory, which is important in any scenario where children encounter a water-related emergency.
Learning to love water
Taking year-round swim lessons is one of the best ways to help children develop a healthy respect for the water, especially for those who have already worked through a fear of water. Maintaining consistency in swim lessons ensures that they don’t have to reacquaint themselves with water the following summer and boosts comfort and confidence around water-filled environments all year.
Staying in shape during off-seasons
When kids get back into their busy academic schedules and the weather gradually gets cooler in most regions, activity levels often drop. Enrolling in year-round swim lessons ensures that they stay active and occupied, especially in the fall and winter months.
As most of us know, swimming is an extremely beneficial form of exercise. It keeps the heart rate up while avoiding heavy impact on the body – so not only does year-round swimming help children maintain their cardiovascular health, but muscular strength and endurance as well! Swimming also strengthens your posture, coordination, balance and flexibility. Whether your child prefers recreational or more competitive forms of swimming, they are experiencing physical gains alongside their water confidence.
If your child takes part in other sports or extracurricular activities during school, we recommend accompanying those with swim lessons to develop and maintain strong water safety skills. Our team will happily work with you to determine a schedule that allows your child to stay in the pool while also enjoying other fall and winter sports.
Strengthening student-instructor relationships
Consistency in swim instruction helps children develop a strong sense of trust and respect for their instructors. Learning to respect adults in a fun and social setting allows them to apply these values when interacting with parents, teachers, and other guardians as well.
For most families, school schedules look unpredictable this fall due to the coronavirus; however, signing up for year-long swim lessons can provide children with valuable social interaction – in a safe setting – during these often isolating times. And because many schools will continue virtual learning, or plan to implement a hybrid schedule of both virtual and in-person instruction, having an activity like swim lessons will provide kids with a sense of routine and continuity that they may not get elsewhere.
Fostering early self-confidence
Spending time in the pool helps children learn how to handle unfamiliar environments, interactions, and activities with more mental and physical confidence. Not only does attending year-long lessons improve children’s safety and confidence in the water, but it may also help them learn about themselves along the way! Whether they are making new swim buddies, interacting with their favorite instructors, learning new swim tactics or transitioning from one British Swim School level to the next, each lesson is designed to teach them something new, adding to their sense of self-confidence and development.
Ready to get started?
British Swim School highly encourages you to sign your kids up for year-long swimming lessons to maintain those strong water skills, grow their confidence, and most importantly stay healthy during this time. Click here to find the British Swim School location nearest you, or contact us to learn more about our programs.
