WORDS BY STEFFY MCCOURT
the benefits of
YEAR-ROUND SWIMMING Swimming isn’t just for warm-weather months. Make a splash this winter and swim indoors!
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eaves crunch underfoot and a crisp wind ushers in brisk mornings. The sounds of summer — children laughing and splashing in a crystal-clear pool — have been stowed away along with our flip-flops and pool bags.
Except they don’t need to be stowed away. Even if a tropical vacation isn’t in the cards for your family this winter, you can make your children feel like they are on vacation by taking them to your local indoor pool for swim lessons and indoor swimming. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports swim lessons for most kids ages 4 and older. And yes, swim lessons do continue from summer into fall and even through those cold winter months. Here are some excellent reasons to continue swimming through the winter.
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CINCINNATIPARENT.COM I December 2019
Water Safety Should Always Be a Top Priority The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. Many winter swimming lessons target this age group. Parents are often invited into the pool, as well. “Retention of skills and safety information is the number-one reason for parents to keep children swimming in the winter,” says Jenna Igel, senior program director for the Clippard Family YMCA in Cincinnati. “Every time a child gets in the water, they have a different experience.”
Keep Them Active, Relaxed and Happy “We consider swimming not just a year-long sport, but a lifetime sport,” Igel says. “Swimming keeps your heart rate up, takes impact off your body, and builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness.”
