Community Update

I have been thinking lately about all the wonderful benefits my own children have gotten out of competitive swimming at the Meadows Swim and Tennis Club, and as members of the Meadows Swim Team.

The Meadows Swim Team has openings for members and non-members. If you have been thinking of getting your kids involved in swim lessons or a swim team, come join us! The Meadows Swim Team combines fun and learning and welcomes swimmers at all levels! 
http://www.themeadowsswimclub.com

Safety around the water is the top benefit to me, no matter what age your children are. Swimming has helped my kids learn important life lessons like perseverance and commitment to a team. Swimming also helped foster an "I can do it" attitude to tackle new challenges in school and in life.   

I was curious about whether others also saw these benefits, so I did some internet searching on this topic and found a great summary from The Australian Sports Commission. Here is their summary of benefits:

Benefits of Swimming

Swimming is a great way to have fun in the water, but did you know that there are also many other benefits to recreational swimming?

Swimming is about more than just doing laps. Aside from being a great way to exercise, keep active and improve your stroke, learning to swim provides skills that may one day save a life.

With a little bit of imagination and some tips from us, you’ll find that swimming can be a fun activity that’s great for people of all ages and at all levels.

Here are just a few of the many benefits of swimming:

Each year, almost 50 children under the age of 15 drown*.

That’s why it’s so important for children to be introduced to the water in a safe and positive environment – it’s the best place to work on swimming skills and boost water confidence.

It is essential for everyone to learn vital skills such as floating, treading water, sculling and basic rescue skills, as these may one day save your life or the life of a family member.

Swimming in the ocean, lake or river is completely free and can be a wonderful experience.

For those who are lucky enough to own a pool, or to have access to a backyard pool, skills can be practised regularly without the sand or waves.

Even visiting a public pool can be fairly inexpensive compared with other forms of exercise/activity. A membership or season pass to your local pool can be a real money-saver.

The feeling of buoyancy experienced in the water is naturally very calming.

When you’re swimming alone, it’s just you and the water. There are no distractions, emails, phone calls or music. As such, it’s quite a relaxing and meditative activity. Swimming with friends is also a great way to relax and be social at the same time. Sometimes it’s great to unwind with a friend, paddle about and having a chat.

Jumping into a pool and seeing how many laps you can do is the ultimate way to get fit and feel refreshed at the same time – without the sweat of a gym work out.

Swimming helps to burn calories and tone muscles. If you’re working on speed and keeping your heart rate up too, it’s also a great cardio workout. Aim for thirty minutes or more, at least three times a week.

Swimming is a low impact activity, which means it is gentle on the body – while still working muscles and helping to build endurance.

This makes it an excellent option for people recovering from an injury and those who are just getting started with regular exercise. It also makes it a great sport for building stamina, as you can swim for long periods of time without impacting your joints.

Swimming provides an all-over body workout.

The action of pulling yourself through the water and working against the resistance the water provides exercises everything from your arms and shoulders, through to your core and legs. By changing your strokes, you are using your muscles in different ways, which assists with building your muscle strength evenly.

Plus, swimming is something you can do at all ages – young or old!

For those that have well-established swimming and survival skills and have shown interest in taking swimming to the next level, why not try competitive swimming or lifesaving.

Just get in touch with Swimming Australia or the  Australian Sports Commission.

* 2012 National Drowning Report; Royal Life Saving Society Australia