Learning to swim should be a priority for every family. It’s an important life skill that can play a key role in helping to prevent drowning—a top cause of death among children. Children, and their parents, need to learn how to swim to help keep time in the water safe and fun!
The benefits of swimming are endless, and your child should
learn to swim as early as possible. Here’s why:
1. It’s essential to safety.
According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, drowning is
the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children ages
one through 14. It is absolutely crucial that all kids know how to swim at a
young age. There is water all around us, even if it’s as small as a bathtub.
Making sure that your child is comfortable in and around water is essential to
their safety.
I’ve been swimming since I was three years old, and almost
all of my teammates began just as early. Even if your child isn’t
interested in competitive swimming, ensuring your child knows how to swim
should be done as early as possible. Their interest in the actual sport is just
an added benefit!
2. It’s a low-impact sport.
Swimming is obviously low-impact, as it’s performed in
water. According to Bucknell University, the body is 90 percent buoyant when in
the water up to your neck, so you’re not hitting the ground with the weight you
carry on land. Swimming is the ideal sport for the well-being of one’s body in
the long run.
Yes, anything in excess can cause your body to break down,
so swimming injuries are common. But if you get a shoulder injury, you may
still kick during practice to stay in shape. This isn’t so easy in other
sports, where you often have to stop the sport altogether because of the
impact.
In swimming, you can often just rest the injured part of
your body, and still, use the healthy part of you in the pool. The most common
swimming injuries are from overuse, showing that swimming is generally very
easy on one’s body as opposed to a critical injury such as a sprain or break
from running or jumping.
Note: The lack of serious injuries from swimming does not
include dryland training, where often clumsy and uncoordinated fish out of
water (also known as swimmers) are more likely to injure themselves.
3. The value of teamwork is learned along with individuality.
Like any sport, the team atmosphere is the greatest aspect.
College athletes admit that post-graduation, they miss their team and the hours
spent together while training and traveling. In an article I previously wrote,
I stated the significance of using your
teammates to help you get through the hardest times, because your
friends on the team endure the same hard work that you do every day. From this
shared experience, swimmers learn to support their teammates, which creates a
positive atmosphere. This is a skill that can be carried throug life into the
workplace and beyond.
But teamwork is learned in plenty of sports, so why is
swimming special? The great thing about swimming is that there is also an
individual aspect to it. In competitive swimming, you learn self-motivation and
goal setting/reaching. Swimmers have their own personal set of times for their
events.
At each meeting, competitive swimmers try to beat their
personal best times, while at the same time swimming for their team as a whole.
In high school and college swimming, the primary motivation is to earn points
for your team so they can win the meet. I always swam on a club team in high
school instead of swimming for my school. So when I reached college swimming, I
realized the gravity of teamwork and support, and I was able to push myself to
a new level. Swimming packages teamwork and individuality into one sport.
4. Time management is inevitably learned.
Time management has been one of the most valuable skills I’ve attained over the past 15 years of competitive swimming. I have learned how to take the little free time I have to get what needs to be completed on time.
Especially in high school, when I was practicing nine times
per week while studying, my free time
was limited. I would wake up before school and swim, go straight to school, and
then swim again after. On weekends, I practiced twice a day on both Saturday
and Sunday.
I was able to train myself physically and mentally to know
when it was more important to stay up and get an assignment done versus getting
the sleep I needed for my brain to work properly the next day. My work ethic
was often praised by my friends and teachers, and I didn’t realize how well
prepared I would be for college until my first year at the University. I learned time management at an early age, and this skill has carried
me through my four years of swimming in college.
This is a skill that swimmers will hold for the rest of
their lives. Being able to divide and manage one’s time, to prioritize what
needs to be done first, second, and last is an invaluable talent that is
gained through competitive swimming.
5. Swimming is an incredible workout.
The sport involves moving multiple muscle groups in a
high-intensity, cardio workout. All four strokes involve working different
muscle groups. Oftentimes, children and adults take up swimming for weight
loss. It burns calories quickly and is easier for overweight people to pick up
because it’s low-impact. According to Bucknell, swimming offers 12 to 14
percent more resistance training than life on land- offering an exceptionally
challenging workout.
Aside from weight loss, introducing your child to swimming
early on will promote a healthy life. Once he or she learns to swim, they may
hop in a pool at any point in their life to get a low-risk, high-intensity
workout.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
swimming can help with chronic diseases and mental health. Water-based
exercising like swimming improves the use of joints affected by arthritis.
The CDC also states that “Parents of children with
developmental disabilities find that recreational activities, such as swimming,
improve family connections.” Swimming also releases endorphins, which aid in
decreasing depression and improving moods.
6. You can swim for the rest of your life.
If your child knows how to swim at a young age, this skill
is forever with them. In their later years, their longevity and
quality of life will be enhanced by swimming. The CDC says that water
exercising helps to decrease disability and aids in the quality of life in
older adults. Since swimming is a low-impact sport, this makes it a safe option
for older adults, rather than risking a fall while biking or running. Swimming
feels good on joints and boosts one’s mood at the same time.
It’s essential that every child learn to swim, especially to
be water-safe. But there are so many levels of swimming and benefits that come
along the way. Introduce your child to swimming early on so that they have the
skill for their whole life. This can help improve their overall physical and
mental health. Hopefully, they will fall in love with the sport and lap it up
for years.
When Should My Child Start Swim Lessons?
Recent studies suggest that water survival skills training
and swim lessons can help reduce drowning risk for children between ages 1-4.
Classes that include both parents and their children also are a good way to
introduce good water safety habits and start building swim readiness skills.
Children develop at different rates, and not all are ready to begin swim
lessons at exactly the same age. When making your decision, keep your child’s
emotional maturity, physical and developmental abilities and limitations, and
comfort level in the water in mind. If your child seems ready, it’s a good idea
to start lessons now.
By their 4th birthday, most children are ready for swim
lessons. At this age, they usually can learn basic water survival skills such
as floating, treading water, and getting to an exit point. By age 5 or 6, most
children in swim lessons can learn the front crawl.
Remember, swim lessons don’t make kids “drown-proof.” Always
keep in mind that swim lessons are just one of several important layers of
protection needed to help prevent drowning. Another layer includes constant,
focused supervision when your child is in or near a pool or any body of water.
It is also essential to block access to pools during non-swim time.
11 Best Swimming Locations for Your Toddler in Nairobi
Swimming is one of the best ways to train your child on
fitness, confidence, discipline, strength, and coordination. However, finding
the perfect location can be tricky.
We’ve compiled a list of child-friendly pools that may be in
your neighborhood. Be aware that some places do charge a fee, others may not.
Please call ahead to confirm prices as well as any regulations the hotel may
have and availability.
1. Jacaranda Hotels
Location: Woodvale Close, Westlands
Tel no: (254) (711) 089000
Email: cro@jacarandahotels.com
Operating hours: 7:00 am – 7:30 pm
Cost: Ksh.600 for children and Ksh.1000 for adults
Temperature: not heated
2. Ole
Dume Suites
Location: Ole Dume Road, Kilimani
Tel no: +254 722 385 280
Email: reservations@oledume.com
Operating hours: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
Cost: Ksh.200 per child per day and Ksh. 400 per adult per
day
Temperature: not heated
3. Best Western Executive Suites
Location: Corner off Riverside Drive and Riverside Grove,
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel no:+254 (0) 733 407 100
Email: reservations@bwexecutiveresidencynairobi.co.ke
Operating hours: 6:30 am – 10:00 pm
Cost: Ksh.1000 for adults and Ksh.500 for kids
Temperature: heated at around 30-40 degrees celsius
(regulated according to weather)
4. Methodist Resort (formerly known as Methodist Guest
House)
Location: Oloitokitok Road | Off Gitanga Road
Tel no: +254 733 699994
Email:reservations@methodistresort.co.ke
Operating hours: 10:00am – 8:30pm
Cost: Ksh.300 for kids and Ksh.500 for adults
Temperature: not heated
5. Sarabi Pool at Sankara
Location: Woodvale Grove, Westlands
Tel no: +254 703 028000
Email: connect@nairobi.sankara.com
Operating hours: 6:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: Ksh.200o for under 13 and Ksh.2500 for over 13
Temperature: heated (regulated according to weather)
Swimming classes for children also available!
6. Fairmont the
Norfolk
Location: Harry Thuku Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel no: +254 20 2265555
Email:kenya.reservations@fairmont.com
Operating hours: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Cost: Ksh.800 for kids and Ksh.1800 for adults
Temperature: heated at 28 degrees celsius
Location: Kasarani
Tel no: 02023900500
Email: info@stadiumskenya.co.ke
Operating hours: 7:00 am- 5:30pm
Cost: Ksh. 150
Temperature: not heated
8. YMCA Nairobi Central Hostel
Location: Sate House Road
Tel no: +254729152816
Email: centralymcahostel@kenyaymca.com
Operating hours: 9:00 am – 7:00pm (closes early at
5:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and weekends)
The Hostel allows guest to use indoor facilities within the
complex at a fee.
Cost: Ksh. 50 per for members and Ksh. 100 per day for non
-members
Temperature: not heated
9. Impala Club Kenya
Location: Ngong Road
Tel No: +254202111951
Email: info@impalaclubkenya.com
Operating hours: 6:00 am – 7:00pm
Cost: Ksh. 300 for adult non-members and Ksh. 200 for
children who are non- members.
Temperature: not heated
10. Rowallan Club
Location: Kibera Drive near Jamhuri ASK Showground
Tel no: +254020220819
Cost: Ksh. 100 a day
11. Nairobi Club
Location: Ngong Road opp Kenya National Library Services
Tel no: 0722 203649
Email: info@nairobiclub.com
Temperature: not heated
Only for members
They also have organized swimming galas quarterly during
every school holiday including April, August and December, usually from 10:00
a.m. to 1:00p.m.
12. Cloud Hotel Suites
Location: Parklands
Tel no: 0715404994
Email: info@cloudhotelsuites.com
Operating hours: 7:00am-7:00pm
Cost: Ksh.600 for adults and Ksh.400 for kids
Temperature: heated (regulated according to outside weather)