Why Swimming Is More Than a Sport

Soccer, Tee-ball, ballet, piano lessons. The options and available extracurricular activities are endless for children these days. There are oodles of sports and teams to join, and most of them take place during a dedicated season. Swimming, however, splashes in the face of seasonal sports and offers an always in-season availability. So, before you place swim lessons into an extracurricular box or ask yourself, “Is swimming a hobby?” here is a list to learn why swimming is more than a sport and goes beyond a seasonal pastime.  

Five Reasons Swimming is More Than a Sport

1. Swimming is an essential life skill

Swim lessons equip children with essential life-saving skills, and the overall goal of swim lessons is to save your child’s life. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death among children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 14. Year-round swim lessons give children every skill they need to remain safe in and around the water as well as the instinctual knowledge of how to react in an emergency situation. Competitive sports, music and dance lessons certainly contribute to valuable life experiences, but swim lessons are one of the only activities that can be classified as a necessary life skill. Similar to reading, writing, learning to cross the street and tying shoes, swimming is an essential skill that other sports and activities simply can’t claim.

2. Swimming boosts brain cells

Did you know that participation in regular swim lessons can benefit children academically? There is strong, compelling evidence that shows why swimming is important for young brains. In a study by Griffith University, children 3 –5 years old who swim frequently were shown to be:

3. Swimming is a full body workout

Is swimming a sport? Well, swimming encapsulates all three fitness elements—endurance, strength, flexibility— into one extremely healthy and exceptionally fun activity (if we do say so ourselves). Swimming also burns 500-700 calories per hour. In fact, according to Swimming World Magazine, swimming is an all-body exercise that uses more muscles than baseball and football! Maybe, the new question we should be asking, “Is swimming the hardest sport?”

4. Swimming improves social skills

Some may perceive swimming as an individual sport, and in some ways that’s true. However, swimming—swim lessons, in particular—provide children with a safe and familiar environment to socialize. In fact, a study from the University of Minnesota found that children who socialized while exercising had improved mental health. The study also showed that some of the best benefits from exercising resulted from the social aspects. At Aqua-Tots, our tots make friends in their classes, interact with their coaches and have friendly faces waiting to welcome them in the door (and pool) every day

5. Swimming promotes goal development

Swim lessons will help your child develop goals and become goal-oriented from a young age. Whether it’s learning breath control, perfecting their chicken-star-rocket or treading water for 30 seconds, our swim lessons will help your tot discover the rewarding feeling of achieving a goal. They will learn through hard work, dedication and practice that they can achieve anything. Swimming lessons help set the framework for a lifetime of goal setting both in and out of the water.  

At Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, we understand the level of commitment it takes on the part of parents, grandparents and caregivers to keep children participating in year-round swim lessons. For over 30 years, we have witnessed millions of children—just like yours—develop into safe and confident swimmers. Water safety skills are worth keeping at the top of your to-do list all year long. So, say it with us, “Swimming is more than a sport.”

To learn more about your local Aqua-Tots Swim Schools or to enroll in lessons today, please visit our location finder.