WATER WELLNESS
WATER EXERCISE YOUNG AND OLD TAKE TO THE WATER
T
he benefits of taking to the water and swimming are one of the few things which unite the young and the old. The healing power of water from a simple case of swimming or learning to swim right through to special spa treatments using water therapy and massages there’s now no doubt about the healing power of water. For a three month old who is still too young to walk through to the pensioner with arthritis and painful joints swimming and water is the theme which links both. In 2009 a record number of pensioners took advantage of the Government’s free swimming scheme across the UK. Also last year baby swimming classes continued to boom. We are getting our children to swim before they can walk and doing it in record numbers. Swimming is fun for all age groups. It is also one of the few activities that you can participate in as a family. Swimming also boosts confidence in
Baby and toddler swimming lessons
There’s a wide choice of places to go to enrol your baby or child into swimming lessons. The best place to start is The Swimming Teachers' Association (STA), a registered charity founded in 1932 which has had incredible success over the last few years. It runs courses and trains swimming teachers.
Contact STA on 01922 645097 or visit
www.sta.co.uk
To find your nearest swim school see
www.starfishswimming.org
www.aquababies.co.uk offers lessons and classes for the youngest of swimmers
www.aqua-babe.co.uk offers lessons for babies and toddlers.
www.seriouslyfun.net is an award winning provider of swimming tuition and coaching for babies, children and teenagers
Water Babies has a list of their local courses at
www.waterbabies.co.uk
BABY... THIS SWIMMING IS FUN!
Human beings are the only mammals that lack the instinctive ability to swim. So it’s vital to introduce swimming at a very young age with baby swimming lessons, so that children grow up learning how to swim.
Baby swimming is something of a boom industry as mothers are queuing up all over the country to enroll their babies and toddlers into classes. Schools stress that the baby or toddler should be as accustomed to the water as possible. One way to prepare children for baby swimming lessons is at home in the bath by pouring small amounts of warm, non soapy water over the child's head so that it trickles down the face. Incorporating toys into bath time also helps build position associated with being in the water that can transfer over to the swimming pool. The best time to start a child in baby swimming lessons is between six and 12 months old, because the water still has some of the natural associations of being in the womb. Some mothers choose to start baby swimming lessons as early as 12 weeks while others wait until their babies are about 18 months old. After this time, it can be more difficult for a child to learn water adjustment and breath control. Before starting baby swimming lessons, visit the pool during non-peak hours a couple of times to allow the baby a chance to get accustomed to the water. Some pools hold weekly “parent and baby” swimming sessions reserved specifically for this purpose. Always maintain eye contact when first entering the water, and hold the baby close to make them feel relaxed and confident. As their confidence increases, move the baby around slowly in the water to ease them into the feeling of swimming.
the young and the old. It also keeps both age groups active, healthy and fit. Research has shown that swimming can have a positive impact on sleeping and eating patterns for the young and old. Dr Ian Bachelor an Ipswich GP and former member of the GB swimming squad for the 1972 Olympic Games and who swims most days of the year said: “Swimming isn’t the most obvious form of diagnosis for my patients who are
suffering from arthritis or generally creaky and troublesome bones. I have recommended swimming to 60 year olds, 70 year olds and even 80 year olds as the best form of safe, gently exercise which can rejuvenate the elderly. “The support the water gives you allows bones and muscles to work at healing and becoming more supple. If there’s one message to get through to any 65 plus men and women it is to take up swimming.
12 WHAT POOL & HOT TUB
WWW.WHATPOOLANDHOTTUBMAG.CO.UK
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