Swim

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Swimming During a Pandemic

By Ingrid on 11/5/20

The benefits of swimming now from swim instructor Yasmeen Sobaih

Here at Ocean First, we are committed to providing a fun, safe environment for your children to learn and develop new swimming skills. We are aware of the uncertainties of the current global pandemic, and we are dedicated to abiding by the guidelines and regulations put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC currently states that there is no evidence to show that coronavirus can be spread through recreational waters such as the pool because the use of disinfection of the water with chlorine or bromine should inactivate the virus. With that being said, it is still important to adhere to COVID-19 precautions even in a pool. At Ocean First, we have a strict adherence to maintaining social distancing guidelines (in and out of the pool), wearing masks at all times (except when children are in the pool), teaching smaller classes, and disinfecting swim equipment, bathrooms, showers, and pool decks consistently (check out our blog: Saftey & Wellness Update). We want to ensure that both staff and customers are provided with a safe environment to continue teaching and learning new skills. The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us through isolating and distancing from family and friends, and the canceling of recreational activities enjoyed pre-COVID. It can be especially hard on young children who are not able to participate in extracurricular activities or socialize with others their age. Swimming, however, allows children the opportunity to take a break from online school, and still be able to do things kids do. Below are 5 reasons why you or your child should enroll in swim lessons during a pandemic.

1. General Well-Being

As a low-impact aerobic exercise, swimming offers many health benefits. It is a total body workout that increases your heart rate without stressing your body, while it tones muscles, builds strength, and builds endurance. Swimming is also the best form of cardiovascular exercise. It works the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, making it a great long-term benefit to staying in shape and improving your overall well-being. There has also been research done to show that swimming improves your sleep. Since it engages your entire body, it encourages a good sleep pattern to recover all your muscles.

2. Stress Reliever

Let’s be honest we could all use a way to relieve stress after this impactful year. Exercise, like swimming, triggers a release of the feel-good compound known as endorphins. This helps with muscle relaxation and promotes the growth of new brain cells in brain areas that atrophy under chronic stress.

3. Keeps the Mind Stimulated

Along with its physical benefits, swimming is proven to provide mental stimulation and improvement. The precision needed for each stroke movement utilizes a swimmer’s nerve fibers in the corpus callosum, the part of the brain which allows communication between both sides. This engagement between both hemispheres results in increased cognition, memory improvement, and easier learning.

4. Socialization In-Person (From a Safe Distance)

Online versus in-person interaction is hard to compare. Many of us have been isolated from family and peers, and many schools are incorporating strictly online education only. This is to slow down the spread of the virus, but it can impact children negatively when they are isolated from others their age. Swim lessons provide them the opportunity to interact with others from a safe distance. We are in no way allowing up-close interactions, and we ensure that whether they are in or out of the water, everyone is kept at least 6 feet apart to avoid unnecessary contact. With that being said, there is still a benefit to being in person with your peers even at a safe distance. It provides children the chance to step away from their screens, and revert to a semi-normal educational setting where they can socialize and safely interact with other kids.

5. Blue Mind Science

Blue mind science is the study of aquatic environments’ health benefits. According to Wallace Nichol, the marine biologist and author of the book “Blue Mind”, there is a deep biological connection that has been shown to trigger an immediate response in our brains when we’re near water. The sight and the sound of water induces a flood of neurochemicals that promote wellness, increases blood flow to the brain and heart, and promotes relaxation.

Swimming is a great cardiovascular activity for people of all ages, and with the current times, getting yourself or your children into swim classes is a wonderful way to stay active, engaged, and in good health.

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Comments

Saturday, 07 Aug | post by Jeff

Thank you for your article there is a lot of awesome information here! You got me interested in Blue Mind Science now. I was not aware of this but now I want to keep reading. I would appreciate if you put out an article on this subject, I would enjoy reading it.

You mentioned that swimming was a great stress reliever - I agree! I used to work in the Special Olympics and after a few years I volunteered to promote physical literacy with all abilities in my community. We would frequently go swimming for team building as it was an activity everyone could do. This was a great way to get some exercise and socialize - both great aspects of keeping a positive outlook and mindset, especially during a pandemic and isolation.

I decided to put my passion in to business and started a swimming pool cleaning service for in-ground and above-ground pools. A very stressful part of owning a pool is the maintenance and can quickly turn to a stressful task, that is what we are for. Take a look at our services: https://bluepoolcleaner.com/ongoing-maintenance

Keep writing! This was a great read and great flow through the article!