The Benefits of Baby Swimming with Water Babies.
We all know swimming is good for physical health. It keeps our heart rate up and builds endurance and muscle strength. And it gets our little ones' limbs moving so that they have a little workout and they (and us) can get that much-needed shut-eye. But did you know there are so many more benefits to your baby swimming than meets the surface?
Water Babies know introducing your baby to the pool can do wonders for their growth. Everything they teach your baby in the water is structured to align with their key development milestones. And not just their physical ones but their cognitive ones, too.
Read on to hear from Water Babies, the world’s leading baby swimming school, on why you should start lessons with your little one.
Physical benefits for your baby
Being in the water helps your baby move independently before they can crawl or walk. It’s a safe place for them to explore their balance, meaning they’ll become much more coordinated out of the water too – so fewer bumps as they learn to stand on their own two feet!
• Cross-lateral movements (ones that cross the midline of the body) like reaching for a ball help with hand-eye coordination.
• Activities like chasing toys (or grasping hold of them to give them a good ole’ chew) in the pool help with finer motor skills, those smaller movements that occur in the wrists, hands, fingers, feet, and toes.
• Swimming strengthens the heart, lungs, arm, leg, and neck muscles.
• Bouncing and splashing in the water stimulates the vestibular system, aiding balance.
• Baby swimming is proven to help with little one's eating and sleeping patterns.
Intellectual and social benefits for your baby
Those cross-lateral movements that we mentioned also build nerve pathways, helping the brain to store and retrieve information.
• Research has indicated that baby swimming increases social, academic and personality development.
• Increases confidence. The thrill of grasping a new skill or achieving something they’ve been working on will give your little one the confidence to try and learn new things.
• Focused time in the water strengthens the bond between you and your baby by holding them close and making skin-to-skin contact in the water's comforting warmth. Your baby can smell you, feel your heartbeat, and hear your breathing, which helps calm and relax them (and you). This stimulation reminds them of the security and safety of the womb. The warmth of the water is the perfect place to connect with your baby, away from the bustle of daily life. And it’s also a place for you to have fun.
And there's more...
Keeping them safe
Drowning is sadly still one of the leading causes of death in children. There’s no better peace of mind than knowing your little one can keep themselves safe around and in the water. Introducing them to the water from birth will help prevent fear from developing later and make them feel confident should they ever be in an emergency.
Accessibility
Water is a leveller where everyone can flourish and have fun in a non-competitive environment. Swimming has many benefits for babies and toddlers with disabilities and learning difficulties. As well as the physical rewards swimming brings (things like the buoyancy in the water helping to reduce pressure on the bones and joints), it also helps improve their confidence. By focusing on the achievements of your little ones and not their limitations, their confidence will grow and grow.
So, what are you waiting for? Head to Water Babies to learn more about their lessons and start baby swimming today!