Swim, baby! Start your baby swimming early for lifelong benefits.

swimtrainer swim aid babies

"The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” flotation aid by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY places babies from 3 months in the correct swimming position and is a great tool for practicing kicking"

Babies can be introduced to water from birth. Olympic swimmer Laurie Lawrence’s granddaughter famously starting swimming lessons aged only 4 days! Recommendations differ regarding the appropriate age for babies to begin swimming but the recommendation of the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association is that babies start swimming in pools at 4 months of age, with water familiarisation occurring regularly in the bath prior to 4 months.

Deciding when to take your baby swimming for the first time can be a daunting decision for parents but the benefits of starting swimming early are amazing! Here we run through our top 10 benefits of starting your baby swimming as soon as possible.

  1. Babies are born with a kicking reflex. They lose this reflex around 6 months of age so be sure to take bub swimming before then to see this incredible reflex in action. Practicing kicking will allow your baby to retain this reflex which gives bubs a huge head start for learning to swim.
  2. Swimming is a gentle exercise that works the whole body, encouraging your baby’s muscle, lung and heart development.
  3. Babies that begin swimming early show long term health benefits in the form of better balance, catching and grasping skills.
  4. Swimming encourages mental development. Babies that learn to swim early in life are up to 15 months ahead of their peers in math, counting and language by the time they start school.
  5. The whole family can enjoy swimming together as part of an active lifestyle. With obesity levels rising it is important to establish healthy habits early in life. Taking your baby swimming regularly is great exercise for you and your baby.
  6. Exercise can benefit the mental wellbeing of exhausted parents. Increase your workout by walking in the pool or place baby in a SWIMTRAINER “Classic” flotation aid by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY and swim along beside her. Babies as young as 3 months will begin kicking around the pool in the SWIMTRAINER “Classic” and you will get a good workout trying to keep up!
  7. The pool is a place free of day-to-day distractions such as phones, washing and meal preparation. In the pool you can focus exclusively on your baby. Enjoy those precious bonding moments with lots of skin-on-skin contact, cuddling and splashing.
  8. Gentle exercise will help your baby to eat better and sleep longer. Need we say more?
  9. Lavishing praise on your child as they begin to master their swimming strokes is great for baby’s self-esteem.
  10. Sadly, drowning deaths are common in Australia. Taking you child swimming from a young age will teach them to become more aware of water safety.

There are many ways of teaching your baby to swim. Formal swimming lessons are great social occasions for meeting other parents. Online videos can instruct you how you can teach your baby to swim. The SWIMTRAINER “Classic” flotation aid by FREDS SWIM ACADEMY places babies from 3 months in the correct swimming position and is a great tool for practicing kicking. Whatever method you choose enjoy the wonderful moments as you watch your baby splash and giggle and enjoy the water. Learning to swim is a wonderful journey for your baby!

 

references: https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/news/2012/11/15/swimming-kids-are-smarter/