Swimming Delivers Physical and Mental Health Benefits

October 2 is Child Health Day, and Big Blue Swim School looks to remind parents and caregivers of the importance of swimming and the numerous physical and mental health benefits it provides. Swimming is a significant milestone in a child’s life and should be prioritized with other key developmental goals.

In honor of Child Health Day, Big Blue Swim School offers their top ten benefits of swimming for kids:

1. Enhanced Safety – Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in kids ages 1 – 4 and the second leading cause of accidental death for children under 14. Learning to swim is a life skill that helps kids stay safe in the water.
2. Greater Muscle Development – Swimming requires whole-body strength and helps children safely develop muscle. In addition, it is a low-impact sport, which means kids have a lower chance of injuring joints or bones than when playing other sports.
3. Healthier Heart – Swimming promotes cardiovascular health. It strengthens the heart, making it more efficient in supplying blood throughout the body, improves blood vessel function, and lowers blood pressure. Coupled with stronger muscles, a healthier heart boosts stamina and endurance in other sports and activities.
4. Lifelong Love of Exercise – Children learn to associate exercise with fun at a young age, which translates to a positive relationship with exercise in the future.
5. Better Sleep – Swimming is a full-body workout that requires significant energy exertion, which can result in improved sleep.
6. Superior Mental Health – Swim lessons can help the mind relax. Being in the water is naturally calming, while exercise releases endorphins and reduces the stress hormone, cortisol.
7. Increased Confidence – Swimming helps children gain confidence because they can see themselves advancing in the sport, which teaches them they can set goals and achieve them through hard work and discipline.
8. Better Cognitive Function – Improved cognitive function is a natural side effect of swimming. Kids who learn to swim early in life tend to have better-developed visual-motor skills, and kids who begin swimming early in life achieve mental and physical milestones earlier than their peers.
9. Improved Coordination and Balance – Swimming helps improve strength and flexibility, which results in better balance and coordination.
10. Elevated Social Skills – Kids interact with fellow young swimmers during lessons and may join a community-based swim team, which offers camaraderie and social-skill development.

“Swimming and water safety are top of mind in the spring and summer, but it is critical to remember that the need for water safety does not disappear with the warmer weather,” says Chris DeJong, Founder and President of Big Blue Swim School, and five-time U.S. National Champion swimmer. “Year-round swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88%, and our goal is to provide the opportunity and convenience of weekly swim lessons for children and parents. Swimming is a life skill that should be prioritized by caregivers not only for safety, but also due to the physical and mental health benefits it provides.”

If you are looking to build your child’s confidence in the water and teach them a lifelong love of swimming, visit www.bigblueswimschool.com.

ABOUT BIG BLUE

Big Blue Swim School is one of the nation’s fastest-growing swim school franchises, offering best-in-class swim lessons for kids ages three months to 12 years. The franchise was founded in 2009 by competitive swimmer Chris DeJong, and with support from Level 5 Capital Partners, now has 28 pools open across 14 states. Big Blue continues to grow through franchising and plans to have a minimum of 380 pools sold by the end of 2024. Big Blue Swim School’s real estate expertise, strong brand, proprietary technology, and leadership support, coupled with its unparalleled consumer offerings, position its franchise partners for long-term success. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Big Blue Swim School, visit http://YourBigMomentStartsHere.com.

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