Why Swimming Lessons Are Important in the Winter
While you may be thinking about pool winterization and the best ways to protect your custom pool from damage during the cold months, don’t forget to have your children keep up on their swimming lessons. Many people think that the cold weather and swimming don’t mix, but there are benefits to continuing lessons throughout the winter season.
Exercise Helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder
Whether children tend to feel sluggish and lack concentration during the long days of winter or suffer from more severe seasonal affective disorder, exercise is one of the lifestyle changes recommended by experts. Unlike regular depression, which is not tied specifically to the time of year it is experienced, seasonal affective disorder is linked to the months when daylight hours are shorter. The symptoms, however, are the same, these being a tendency to sleep more, lack of energy, appetite changes, irritability, sadness, and challenges related to concentration. In addition to light and medications, exercise can help to provide some relief from symptoms.
Lessons Create More Opportunities for Socialization
With children spending more time indoors, there can be a tendency to socialize less in the winter than other times of year. The chances of running into a friend at the park or in the neighborhood are lower, and it requires more planning to get children together. Having a weekly swim lesson gives children a scheduled time to meet up with their friends and to enjoy an activity together. This can be a welcome break from hours spent indoors and help to combat loneliness that your child may be experiencing during the winter.
Moderate Exercise Boosts the Immune System
Moderate activity has been shown to give the immune system a boost. If children already are sick or are starting to come down with an illness, it is best to allow them to rest and not put additional stress on their bodies. As long they are healthy, however, regular, moderate exercise during the winter months may help them to ward off illness. During the winter months, most people become less active since there are fewer opportunities for outdoor sports, long walks, and other forms of exercise that seem so easy when the weather is warm. Having a regular swimming lesson helps children to stay active and
Regular Lessons Prevent Skills from Back Sliding
When the warm weather returns, children will want to enjoy their outdoor swimming pool with friends. Particularly for children who are still in the early stages of learning to swim, regular lessons can help them to maintain and even improve their skills. Winter swim lessons go a long way toward ensuring that swimming abilities don’t backslide.
Safety Is a Year-Round Concern
Even though children may be spending less time in swimming pools during the cold weather, they do still encounter lakes, ponds, and other areas that can pose a danger. While there are many opportunities for children to find themselves in a threatening situation, regular swimming and swim safety lessons can help to increase their chances of knowing the best way to get themselves out of harm’s way.