Swim school operators commonly experience a drop in swimming enrolments during the winter months. There may be many reasons for this, from the fact it's perceived to be a summer sport, to the challenge of working around other sporting activities, to the fact that it's just a struggle to get kids interested in going swimming in the colder months. But there are definitely benefits to keeping your child in swimming lessons year round!
1. Improved fitness and immunity
Many parents withdraw their children from swimming lessons in winter due to a belief that swimming when the weather is cold will make them more likely to catch a cold. However, the opposite is actually true! Research shows that improved fitness levels gained through year-round swimming build a stronger immune system that can make your child more resilient to illness. Children who swim during winter, especially in heated indoor pools, are less likely to catch colds and flus as they spread around schools and daycare centres, which means less sick days — and happier kids!
2. Improved confidence, stamina and skills
When a child only attends swimming lessons during the warmer months there will be a marked drop in their skills and performance after the winter break. Swim instructors commonly note that children whose lessons are discontinued during winter experience a decline in confidence, independence, stamina and technique. This means that once they resume lessons it will take them a period of weeks to regain those skills before they can again progress. Children need to maintain and reinforce existing skills regularly to develop their ability in the water. Months of summer lessons end up ‘going to waste’ as swimmers lose their ‘feel for the water’ both physically and psychologically.
3. Improved brain development (really!)
A study by Griffith University found a strong link between swimming classes and improved cognitive ability, literacy and numeracy, and social skills. Swimming has been proven to assist in brain development, and for school-aged children, is regarded as vital for the development of academic performance, as well as coordination, motor skills, balance and concentration. By continuing their swimming lessons over winter children not only benefit from continued development of their swimming skills, but their brain benefits too meaning they may be able to avoid the "winter fog" when they're sitting in the classroom on those cold winter days!
So, find a Royal Life Saving Endorsed Swim School near you at the link below and just keep swimming!
