Contents:
- Medical Video: 7 Swimming Rules That Will Save Your Life
- Why should you choose swimming for children?
- Vulnerable children sink in the pool
- Tips to teach children to swim safely
- 1. Recommend with water
- 2. Teach "creep" first
- 3. Develop style movement skills in swimming
Medical Video: 7 Swimming Rules That Will Save Your Life
Swimming is a type of sport which can be done by people of all ages, including children. In fact, swimming as a choice of physical activity your little one is actually good for supporting growth and development. However, how to safely teach children to swim?
Why should you choose swimming for children?
Introducing swimming as early as possible in children will foster a sense of love with water.Swimming itself has many benefits for the health of the body and the social life of children. Swimming can help maintain a healthy heart and lung system, increase flexibility, and maintain a healthy body weight.According to research, swimming that is done regularly is an effective way to prevent and overcome obesity in children.
Vulnerable children sink in the pool
But even though swimming has many benefits, this does not mean that the sport is safe without parental supervision. Because in fact, the case of drowning in a swimming pool is quite high.
Research conducted by The Royal Life Saving National Drowning in 2015 showed that children under 5 years old were the most vulnerable group to experience drowning. More than half of the drowning cases reported occurred in swimming pools.
Therefore, parents must know how to safely teach children to swim.
Tips to teach children to swim safely
According to the American Red Cross, there are several safe stages to teach children to swim. Here's how:
1. Recommend with water
The goal is to make the child feel comfortable and not panic while in the water. If the child is still not brave enough to enter the pool, start by sitting at the edge of the pool first accompanied by parents or instructors. Give toys to his liking when the child sits at the edge of the pool and must always be watched. By doing this, the child will start exploring around the pool and begin to adapt to the pool. But remember never to let go of your supervision.
Next, show the child how to breathe when entering water. Inhale with your mouth before entering water, then exhale in the water using your nose so that there will be bubbles that appear in the water. Then, invite the child to try it on the edge of the pool
Keep in mind when you first get a swimming pool with your child, especially if it's the first time, don't jump while holding the child, use the stairs and enter slowly, don't rush to make the child afraid and don't want to enter the pool.
2. Teach "creep" first
Of course, a new kid in the pool will not immediately be able to smoothly swim in the butterfly style like the world champion Michael Phelps. Teach your child to be creepy first, like sliding, pedaling, moving in water, diving for a while, holding your breath for at least 5 seconds in water, and how to get out of the pool.
In an emergency these kinds of basic abilities are very necessary. This basic ability is also the main foundation for learning the next 4 style swimming techniques.
3. Develop style movement skills in swimming
After the child has courage, start to teach swimming style techniques. It can be started by giving freestyle or breaststroke leg kick training, followed by hand movements, and other swimming styles gradually. Also keep in mind that this process is not instant, so it needs to be done repeatedly in the following exercises.
Apart from the swimming technique, also make sure the condition of the swimming pool when teaching children to swim:
- Make sure the condition of the pool to be used is clean and well maintained, the ideal water ph for swimming pools is 7.4-7.6.
- Make sure the water temperature is right for learning, not too cold or not too hot (28-30 ° C).
- Check the depth of the pool, usually to teach children it will be easier if the depth of the pool is used as deep as the waist or as wide as the instructor. Also choose a pool area with a flat depth so that it is easy to hold the child
- There are pool guards who have the expertise of CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and First Aid at some swimming pool points especially if the pool is olympic size or large.
- It is better for parents or instructors to also have the expertise to do CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and first aid to provide direct treatment by the closest person if a drowning occurs.
In addition, make it a habit before you start swimming exercises to warm up to become a habit for children in the following exercises. Streching has an important role to reduce the risk of joint and muscle injuries.
