Look, you already know that swimming is excellent for your child’s physical health. Can it be true that it also enhances their cognitive development? Yes, it can! Exciting new research coming out of Australia gives you, even more, reasons to encourage your kids to hit the pool.

Robyn Jorgensen and her research team at Griffith University have completed a long-term study that assesses the impact of swimming lessons on young children. They surveyed the parents of 7000 children from Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. for a three-year period and individually evaluated 180 children.

Jorgensen’s team found that swimming produces cognitive, emotional, and physical benefits that can improve your child’s life now and into the future. Let’s take a closer look at what research has told us about the benefits of swimming.

Cognitive Impact of Swimming Lessons

– Children who swim regularly demonstrate advanced cognitive development relative to their age-mates.

– Children who learn to swim as preschoolers are better prepared for the expectations of the classroom. They have learned to focus and follow instructions.

– Kids swimming classes enhance a child’s language development. This is believed to be a result of the language-rich environment that is typical of swimming classes.

Quality instructors will give your child precise directions. This helps your child learn new words and begin to understand more complex sentences. At Pengu Swim School, we have always known how important it is to have qualified teachers working with your children. This latest research reinforces our belief that our students gain so much more from their relationship with our teachers than merely swimming skills.

Emotional Impact of Swimming Lessons

– Swimming builds confidence! Here’s the deal: Anytime your kids gain a new skill, they feel better about themselves. They know they can learn, and kids know they can succeed, even if it was a little tricky at first.

Whether they swim competitively or for their enjoyment, setting goals and achieving them makes kids feel competent and able. This kind of confidence can make your children more successful at school and more resilient when facing all the challenges that life will be throwing in their paths.

– Local swimming lessons in a group class give your child the opportunity to develop social skills and form lasting friendships. Why does this matter? We are living in a “social” world!

It is more important than ever for youngsters to learn how to interact with their peers at an early age successfully. Working as part of a team, showing consideration for others, and being comfortable joining in with the group are vital skills that will help your child build a vibrant, connected life.

Physical Benefits

– Jorgensen’s team was a little surprised to find that children who swim have better exceptional motor skills than those who do not. Physical skills mean that they are better able to control the small muscles that are used in drawing, writing and manipulating objects.

Excellent motor skill development is one of the components of the enhanced readiness for a school that we mentioned as a cognitive benefit. When kids have the motor basics down when they hit school, they can move on to the content.

– The motions of swimming are great for developing coordination. Not only do all four limbs have to move at the same time, but breathing has to be controlled, too.

Having to coordinate both sides of the body rhythmically is a workout for the brain as well as the body. The left and right hemispheres of the brain both have to do their part, and they have to communicate with each other to make it all work. Fostering this kind of communication between the hemispheres can lead to better problem-solving ability and greater creativity.

– Learning to swim helps prevent and combat childhood obesity. Whether your child is slender or hasn’t entirely lost that baby fat yet, time in the pool is such a fun way to exercise and regulate the metabolism.

The best part is that bringing your child to swimming school at an early age will produce lifelong rewards. Swimming builds endurance, flexibility, and strength. Kids that have fun swimming are likely to continue the sport as they mature and age. Swimming is one of the few athletic activities that can be enjoyed even into advanced age.  Houston swimming lessons are an excellent choice for any child.

Earlier Research

Research that came before Jorgensen has a couple more interesting things to say about the positive effects that swimming has on a child’s brain.

Exercise, in general, enhances neurogenesis, which is the growth of new brain cells. It also makes the brain more flexible in the sense of being able to switch quickly from one task to another. Increased blood flow to the brain and reduced inflammation round out the significant neurological advantages of exercise.

The rhythmic, repetitive motions of swimming, specifically, can reduce stress and anxiety and can even help alleviate panic attacks. Swimming has a certain meditative quality that can produce the state of mindfulness that is so important for inner calm.

How Can You Use This?

Now you know why swimming is such a significant activity to support!

Your child will have a fantastic time at swimming school. You know your child will be learning language skills, social skills, and exceptional motor skills during swimming classes. You can support and encourage these skills to give your child an even more significant cognitive boost.

Are you ready to help your child reap the rewards of swimming? Pengu Swim School is prepared and ready for you. We have a small group and individual lessons for children as young as four months.

Our year-round, indoor facilities are convenient for parents in Houston, Katy, and Sugarland. If you are curious about our swimming school, give us a call or see us! Pengu Swim School employees great teachers. We look forward to seeing you for Houston swimming lessons.