There are many great benefits to swimming at all ages and stages of development. Swimming is a sport, a recreational activity, a survival skill, a full body workout, and a form of moving meditation. At Watersafe Swim School we have adapted all of our programs to fit any age and ability for this very reason. However, we specialize in teaching infants and toddlers water safety skills as we believe early intervention is the best way to keep the children in our community safe. According to the CDC, nearly 4,000 drownings happen each year in the US. Drowning is also the number one cause of accidental death until the age of 4, and the number two cause until the age of 14, second only to car accidents. While it is unfortunate that car accidents are often unavoidable, the chances of drowning can be drastically decreased by up to 88% for children that attend swim lessons
Now that we know the risk, let’s discuss the rewards. According to research done by Griffith University in 2013, young children who participate in swim lessons at an early age experience a boost in their development when compared to young children who did not participate in lessons. The research indicates children who participate in lessons are 20 months ahead in understanding directions, 17 months ahead in story recall, 10 months ahead in cognitive skills, and 7 months ahead in fine motor skills. There are also many rewards for adults. Swimming builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness. It improves coordination, balance, flexibility, can help alleviate stress and is a great form of low-impact therapy for certain injuries and health conditions.
It is our mission and passion at Watersafe Swim School to spread community awareness and ensure that all of our local children have the chance to be safe and develop a love for the water because ultimately, we know the greatest benefit to swimming is it’s a ton of fun. One of the messages we believe is important to impress upon the community is “water safety is not seasonal.” The risk of drowning exists year-round, but fortunately, so do our swim programs. Every Fall, Watersafe offers our ever popular All-U-Can-Swim program where customers can sign up for one day per week but take lessons up to 7 days a week for no additional cost. This special is strategically offered in the Fall/Winter months to ensure that our local families, many of whom have pools in their own backyard, understand that water safety is critical at all times and not just on a hot summer day. One of our 9 foundational principles at Watersafe is community awareness, and we are grateful anytime we get the opportunity to inform our friends in the community about the importance of water safety as a life-saving skill. Having the opportunity to do what we love everyday while also ensuring our community is safer, is truly a privilege we do not take for granted. See you at the pool!