Many people think of swimming as a summer sport and take their children out of their swimming lessons during the winter period. Is it because they think a child will catch a cold if they go out in the cold with wet hair? Frankly, we are baffled with this perception as this is false. We would like to set the record straight and let you know why it is even more important to keep swimming in the winter.
1. Swimming is all weather sport, making it easy to get children active
We all know that children should get some level of physical activity every day. But when it is cold, dark, and damp outside, most of us would rather stay indoors, curled up on a sofa. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that research from the University of Cambridge says that children are less active and spend more time sitting in autumn and winter compared to other times of the year; average activity levels across the group peaked in April at 65.3 min/day and reached their lowest levels in February at 47.8 min/day. For parents, it is not easy to get reluctant children out to brace the cold weather. In addition, your child’s football match or rugby training sessions often get cancelled due to rain and/or strong wind. But with your child’s swimming, you can be sure that they get the exercise they need, regardless of the weather all year-around and you as a parent don’t get wet or muddy in the process. It is worth mentioning that it is a full-body workout, which is unique to swimming. You can also swim whilst recovering from injuries as it is low impact on your muscle.
2. Swimming builds a stronger immune system
Sorry Grandma, you are wrong about this. The old wives’ tale that says you will catch a cold from going out with wet hair is false. Wet hair in a cold weather does not give your child a cold. You will only catch a cold when coming into contact with germs. It is staying indoors spreading germs that make ‘cold and flu season’ in winter and not cold temperatures outside. Therefore, if you want to reduce your chances of catching a cold, avoid being in close proximity with sick people who sneeze, cough or blow their noses rather than avoiding swimming pools. On the contrary, swimming in water that is lower than your body temperature is known to help resist an infection, increasing the number of white blood cells – your body’s immune system cells – which work like soldiers protecting your body against infection. Exercise such as swimming enhances blood circulation and with good circulation, the white blood cells in your immune system will be transported through the body and will ensure your organs are working efficiently. This enhanced blood circulation also helps remove waste produced by different organs which can also reduce inflammation. With these facts, we hope you will agree it makes no sense to avoid swimming if you want your child to have a strong immune system.
3. Swimming improves Seasonal Affective Disorder and mental health
Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem, according to the charity organisation Mind. A recent report from The Children’s Society shows significant decline in children’s happiness over the decade, which is alarming to all parents. Some children struggle more in the winter and experience Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Any kind of physical activity can significantly help improve mental health: However, swimming is particularly effective as immersing in water increases blood flow to the brain and it improves mood. Swimming also boosts production of endorphins which relieves pain and creates a general feeling of well-being. It is also known to increase the number of other ‘feel-good’ chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, noradrenalin, and dopamine. In addition, swimming increases steroid reserves that helps you to become more resilient to stress.
Physical activity such as swimming can lead to a 30% improvement in self-worth, increasing general satisfaction in life. In research carried out with the participation of 4,000 swimmers across the world, ¾ agreed that water-based activities helped release tension, while 68% of people felt that being in the water made them feel happier.
4. Swimming promotes better sleep
As touched on earlier, it is common for children and adults alike to be sedentary and spend more time on screens in the winter. The exposure to the blue light emitted by digital devices for long durations before bedtime coupled with less physical activities can lead children to have poorer quality sleep at night.
Many studies establish that exercising improves sleep for many people. The researchers in New Zealand collected sleep data on the children. The average (median) time it took for the children to fall asleep was 26 minutes. But those who were active during the day took less time to fall asleep than inactive children. In fact, for the inactive children, every hour of sedentary time increased the time it took for them to fall asleep by 3 minutes.
One reason exercising can help you sleep better is it increases your body temperature, and when it drops after a workout, it signals to your body that it is time to sleep. Exercising is also great for your psychological health as mentioned above and the feel-good chemicals produced by swimming helps reduce anxiety and improves sleep..
5. Swimming improves your child’s academic achievement
With lower temperatures and less sunlight in the winter, children tend to feel tired and less motivated, which has negative impact to their academic performance. But it does not have to be that way.
Increasing your blood flow by immersing in water not only helps improve your mood but also enhance cognitive function including focus and concentration as it increases the supply of oxygen, glucose and a nutrient which triggers a positive impact on your brain.
Studies from Griffith University shows that young children who regularly swim are above average when it comes to cognitive skills, problem solving in mathematics and languages. Swimming has also shown to have a significant impact in improving memory function and thinking skills.
Swimming is one of the best and most valuable activities out there for your children, and with this skill it would open doors to other opportunities later in their lives. It is a true worthwhile investment for your children.
We offer swimming lessons to children from age 2 years and above with up to two children per class to maximise learning potential. Lessons, taught by our highly experienced coaches, are engaging, confidence building and results based.
If you want your child to swim with us all seasons, email contact@swimgeneration.co.uk or call us on 0208 940 9431 to find out more.