Swimming is one of the best ways to control the symptoms of asthma and reduce the reliance on medication. Even though asthma can be caused by exercising, famous athletes with asthma such as Paula Radcliffe, Mark Spitz, and Amy Van Dyken have also overcame their conditions.

Speaking of Amy Van Dyken, she was an American swimmer who won 4 Gold medals during the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Her gold medals were won in 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4 x 100m freestyle and 4 x 100m medley events. Amy’s asthma has a limited lung capacity of 65%!

How does swimming help with asthma?

Children with asthma should be allowed to swim as it can improve lung capacity. Air near the surface of the water is usually warmer and more moist than normal air, therefore less likely to agitate the symptoms of asthma. When a child is able to pick up good breathing techniques, swimming can increase the volume of the lungs. Swimming is also an ideal low impact exercise that promotes general fitness and fun for children!

A scientific study published by Wiley-Blackwell in Respirology revealed that swimming helps reduce the symptoms of asthma in children. Improvements in symptoms have been observed in by asthmatic children who underwent a 6-week swimming programme, which included a reduction in asthma severity, mouth-breathing, snoring and chest deformity. Self-confidence was also boosted!

The lead author at Taipei Medical Univerity, Wang Jeng-Shing, reported that the children continued to enjoy the improvements in their health even a year after the swimming program.

“Unlike other sports, swimming is unlikely to provoke asthma attacks… swimming promotes normal physical and psychological development, such as increasing lung volume, developing good breathing techniques and improving general fitness.”

Some parents may be concerned about chlorine in the water. This is generally safe as long as the child does not spend long hours in the pool. Some children may find that their asthma symptoms are triggered in the pool, thus parents should practice discretion. If the child feels uncomfortable with the strong smell of chlorine, it is advisable not to step into the pool until the child feels better.

Seek Professional Advice

Parents should always get a green light from the child’s doctor before arranging for swimming lessons, especially if the symptoms of asthma are more pronounced during and after exercising. A doctor may consider prescribing medication to prevent the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma from surfacing. Heeding the doctor’s advice is absolutely necessary!

If the doctor gives the go ahead to let your child learn how to swim, you can make it enjoyable by letting him learn together with his friends! Click here to find out more about KiddySwim’s swimming programme.

Children learn best while having fun, so why not create some games in the pool to encourage your child to swim?

Playing allows a child to learn about his environment and develop new creative ideas. Through exploration, a child is able to practice the skills necessary for critical thinking. This is how they will eventually learn to solve problems independently and develop confidence when they succeed.

When a child is enjoying an activity, it becomes a natural motivation to learn. Learning with friends not only add to the fun factor, it also helps the development of strong social skills. A child will learn to interact and share while learning a new skill.

Play is essential for early learning.

Play should be encouraged by parents, especially in young children. It is not a distraction from learning, but a tool for learning! Learning how to swim does not have to be technical and boring. By making the pool more fun for children, your little ones will be lured into the water to satisfy their curiousity.

Gather a group of parents and their children to have a blast in the pool (without upsetting the lifeguard)! Here are some pool game ideas:

Wade and Explore

• Drop 10 to 20 floating toys into the pool.
• Say the name of a toy and ask your child to wade over and fetch it.
• With a group of children, get them take turns to a grab a toy and shout the name of it.
• Older children can be divided into 2 groups and swim towards the toys.
• The team that collects the most number of toys in the shortest time wins!

• Some sinking toys to encourage your child to dive underwater to get it
• You can also make it a rule to only swim towards the toys

Fill it Up!

• Place several containers on various ends of the pool.
• Give your child a container and get him to scoop the water from a specific starting point
• Get him to wade over to any container and fill it up, before returning to the starting point to collect more water
• Offer rewards for filling up each container, like an extra 5 minutes in the pool for the nearest container, and an extra 15 minutes for the furthest one
• Children in groups can compete in teams.

Lifeguard Says

• This game teaches kids to follow the rules of the pool by listening to the life guard.
• Play this game the same way as “Simon Says”
• For example, “lifeguard says blow as many bubbles as you can!” or “lifeguard says kick as quickly as you can in the water!”
• This can also be used with older kids to get them to follow instructions
• Older children can follow rules such as “Lifeguard says swim as fast as you can to the other end of the pool!”

Muscle tone determines a child’s performance in sports. Children with low muscle tone often have problems balancing and may fall because there are not enough muscles to expand and contract to maintain equilibrium. Helping your child to gain good muscle tone not only enhances balance and agility, it will also help him to develop gross motor skills.

Since the brain is responsible for sending signals to the body on which muscles to expand and contract, exercising can improve cognitive functioning and coordination.

Developing through Swimming

One of the best ways to help improve muscle tone is to teach your child how to swim. Since low muscle tone affects the body’s ability to balance and perform well in sports, swimming is ideal as it is a weightless exercise. Muscle tone is improved because the lack of it no longer hinders performance but instead, encourage the normalizing of it.

Ironically, the weightless effect of swimming also offers some resistance to help build muscles. The arms, shoulders, chest, legs and core are all met with resistance in the water as the child learns how to move in the water. Over time, the muscles will grow and strengthen. It can also be an intense form of aerobic exercise once your child is able to pick up speed. If swimming becomes an enjoyable exercise for your child, he may not even realize the intensity of it. If your child has asthma, he can benefit from an improved lung capacity since swimming als strengthens the chest muscles.

What about other sports?

Swimming should not be the sole form of exercise. Variation is always recommended, so encourage your child to run around the playground, play some frisbee or jump rope. Swimming, however, can begin from as young as infancy, so it is usually the first type of exercise which is recommended by doctors to improve low muscle tone.

Another type of exercise that can benefit low muscle tone is yoga, which helps to build endurance by stretching and lengthening the muscles. Stamina will also be improved while children learn about connection between the mind and body. Other types of exercises to help low muscle tone are skating and horseback riding.

Competitive Sport

Children with low muscle tone do not benefit much from team and competitive sports as they may feel an immense pressure to perform well. Thus, individual sports are usually more ideal as they can focus on only improving themselves rather than being on par with their peers. Parents can also participate with the child during such individual sports which improves family bonding.

It should be highlighted that a doctor is to be consulted before the commencement of any form of exercise for children, especially those with low muscle tone. Sometimes all it takes to improve low muscle tone is to just get your child moving and doing an activity that he enjoys. With the right kind of exercises and lots of encouragement from parents, low muscle tone can be improved over time.

Childhood obesity has tripled over the past 20 years thanks to the convenience of fast food, computer games and well-meaning parents who restrict outdoor play. For every 10 children, at least 1 is obese. It is widely known that the best way to prevent childhood obesity is to encourage a healthy diet and regular exercise, but how much exercise does a child need?

Children should exercise for at least 90 minutes a day.

-Department of Health, UK

Childhood obesity can and should be prevent. The saying goes, “prevention is better than cure.” It is easier to prevent childhood obesity than to fight it once it begins to cause harm to the child.

You are the role model

For a young child who knows nothing about the benefits of exercising, parents have the responsibility of educating their children. One of the best ways to do so is to be a role model and adopt a healthy lifestyle ourselves.

Parents can make exercising more fun and acceptable for a child if they can turn it into a family activity. Exercising does not necessarily have to involve a 2.4km run at the nearby park. It can be an enjoyable family bonding activity where the children will look forward to it. Making exercising more fun will also encourage your child to continue this habit into adulthood.

Doing it together!

In a tropical climate like Singapore, one of the best ways to exercise is to hit the pool where it is cooler. Swimming is also a low impact exercise which is suitable for the young and old. Even letting your toddler waddle in the pool can be beneficial to his health and help prepare him to learn how to swim. To step up the game, the family can also enjoy pool games by bringing beach balls and floating toys.

It is not difficult to arrange a weekend swimming session as a family. There are 24 public swimming complexes in Singapore and almost every town offers a convenient and low-cost access to a swimming complex. If you live in a condominium with swimming pool facilities, there should be no excuse!

Other than swimming?

If swimming is not your ideal form of exercise, there are also other ways to make exercising a family activity such as basketball and frisbee. These are activities which are easy for young children to pick up and develop their motor skills.

No parent wishes to see their child in poor health due to obesity. On top of a healthy diet, childhood obesity can also be prevented when coupled with exercise. If exercising is incorporated into regular family bonding sessions, promoting a healthy lifestyle will be effortless.

Why is my child so afraid of the water?

There can be no apparent reason for a child to be afraid of water. Some children adopt this fear from aquaphobic parents. Others may have experienced a traumatic accident with water, such as nearly drowning or having witnessed a water-related accident. Sometimes the reasons that your child is afraid of water may not be obvious and it may just be due to a natural hesitance against it.

Some parents try to get their toddlers to learn swimming at an early age or let them waddle in shallow water, before they pick up external cues that induce a sense of fear towards water.

Slow and steady wins the race

When introducing your child to the water, there is no advantage in rushing him or her. Encourage him to approach the pool and let him know that you are around to help him. The objective is to get your child to be comfortable with being in the pool. If he prefers to keep a distance, let him be but encourage him to take a step closer.

Praise each advancement and highlight to your child that the pool is not as scary as it seems. Get him to kick or splash the water. Try to make it a positive experience as possible and if he shows any resistance, try not to impose on him if he doesn’t want to.

Be a Model

Young children learn best through modeling, especially if the behavior is carried out by their parents. Some children are also afraid of water because their parents are too. Show your child how much you are enjoying yourself in the pool and tell him that you hope he can play with you in the water as well. The family can play in a shallow pool to build your child’s confidence of being in the water.

Reward Every Milestone

Set short, achievable goals for your child and reward your child for his willingness to explore. For example, tell you child that if he wades around in the pool, you will buy him a new toy on your way home. When you hand him the toy, remind him that you are rewarding him because he was willing to try and wade around the pool earlier. This will encourage him to associate his adventurousness in the water with a positive outcome.

Patience is key when helping your child to overcome the fear of water. If time is not available for you, there are swimming instructors who are able to handle children with aquaphobia. Ask a swimming instructor about the programmes available and their expertise may help your child to overcome his fear of water more effectively.

Generally the fear of water is not a big concern, but if there are strong aversions and resistance towards the water, seeking professional help may uncover underlying anxiety issues.

If you are interested in getting your 2 to 5-year-old child into toddler swimming lessons, there are a few things you should know in order to help comfort them and gain confidence in water. You may read our article on why your child might be afraid of water. It may be a daunting experience for both you and your child to begin swimming lessons at such a young age, but by introducing your child to the water young, you encourage a love of swimming later in life. Plus, it is a safety measure to make sure your child knows how to swim.

Here are a few simple things to incorporate as you introduce your toddler to a swimming pool.

Making it a habit during bath

Fortunately, your toddler is old enough to know that when they take a bath, water will get on their face. Therefore, they already know how this feels. This is an important first step to achieving successful toddler swimming. When you initially take your toddler to the pool’s edge, be sure you stay with them and keep in constant physical contact with them. Never leave your child unattended because of the risk of drowning if they slip or get too far from the edge of the pool in deep water. You want their pool experience to be fun, not traumatizing.

Bring their favorite toys

Bring some familiar toys from home for them to play with in the pool. This will help to comfort your toddler if they seem to be having a hard time in the water. Encourage them and make sure they know that swimming is fun, but mommy or daddy need to stay close at all times. This will help them become more confident in the water but not too confident that they will attempt to swim without your supervision. This is an important balance that must be established with toddler swimming.

Never leave them alone!

From now on when you and your family take a trip to the beach, a lake, or a water park, you will have greater confidence in your child’s ability to stay afloat. Of course, you should still never leave them unattended. Even older children are at risk for drowning if they are not very strong swimmers. Still, you should never be afraid to expose your child to water as long as the environment is safe enough to do so.

Your experiences with toddler swimming will surely be enjoyable as you see your little one take to the water and have fun in this new, wet environment.

The decision to sign up your child for swimming lessons is probably one of the best recreational activities you could choose for them to participate in. Swimming has many great physical benefits, and being in a class setting to learn how to swim has many social advantages as well.

Here are the top 5 qualities we look for in a swimming instructor.

1. Fun yet responsible

Children do not learn a new skill from someone who cannot relate to children. Because of this fact, this is one of the qualities to look for in a swimming instructor. Along with being fun, the instructor must have a high level of responsibility to ensure the safety of your child in the water.

2. Professional

While swimming instructors should certainly be friendly and lighthearted for the children, they should be professional in the way they deal with the parents of the children. Any enquiries you have should be answered politely and with understanding. Without this important quality in a swimming instructor, you may regret your decision to have them teach your child.

3. Disciplined yet kind

Water safety and new swimming skills are taught through proper education and discipline, not with trauma. Therefore, some qualities to look for in a swimming instructor include those that show they are willing to drill a certain skill until the class gets it, but they will be kind in the process to avoid traumatizing your child. Trust is a huge issue with swimming, so the instructor should have this quality.

4. Patient

Teachers who have a big ego and expect the children to perform up to their level are not the kind of instructors you want teaching your child. They should never show off but encourage and praise the children in the class when they do something right while gently helping them along when they are struggling with a certain concept.

5. Lack of favoritism

In any kind of class situation, some students may excel more quickly which can turn them into a teacher’s favorite student. This may be inevitable, but it should never be displayed for the class to see. This is one of the qualities to look for in a swimming instructor to keep your child from getting down on themselves at lessons.

Your Feedback

Your child should look forward to swimming lessons each time they are held, and these qualities to look for in a swimming instructor will help this become a reality. There is only how much we can do, and the most important part is still your feedback on our instructors!

The License

In order to obtain a valid license, one must go through the NCAP Swimming Coaching Level 1. In this course, you will learn the basic fundmentals of coaching in particular to lesson planning, class organisational skills, water safety, and teaching of swim strokes etc.

The Criteria

Now, this is the part which takes a bit of time before you can actually go through NCAP Swimming Coaching Level 1.

• 1) Possess a valid Lifesaving 1, 2 & 3 Certificate OR a Bronze Medallion Cert.
• 2) Possess a valid CPR Certificate OR a recognised Standard First Aid Cert.
• 3) Possess NCAP Level 1 Theory Certificate
• 4) Age limit: 18 years & above as on 1st January of the year of intake

Before the applicants are allowed into the course, they must pass the Skills Test. The Skills Test requires the applicants to swim 4 mandatory strokes: Frontcrawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly & Backstroke

Only the Top 40 applicants who pass the Skills Test will be accepted into the course.

SwimSafer

All instructors who pass the NCAP Swimming Coaching Level 1 will also need to adopt the SwimSafer Programme in order to keep their license valid.

All information above are extracted from Singapore Swimming Association

If you are looking to teach your infant age 2 or below how to swim, you need to know the 5 steps of baby swimming to ensure it is a safe, fun experience for both of you. After all, introducing your child to the water at a very young age can be great, but only if it is done properly.

Step 1: Outfit your baby with the right swimming gear

Your baby should wear a swimming diaper that is designed to not leak. A snug swimming suit that is sure not to come off should completely cover the surface of the diaper. Inflatable arm devices might be a good choice as well as long as your child does not fight wearing them.

Step 2: Start small

For your infant’s first baby swimming experience, opt for the infant area of a pool that is typically only 12 inches deep. This will encourage your infant to play in the water with a much smaller risk of drowning.

Step 3: Keep your eye on your infant

Watch his or her reaction to being in the water. If your baby is having a hard time, it might be too soon to encourage pool time. If this occurs, revert to simply walking along the water’s edge and observing other swimmers. Baby swimming should never be forced on your child, especially at such a young age.

Step 4: Stay near your child

It does not matter how deep or shallow the water is. To ensure your child’s safety during baby swimming, you should keep your hands on them at all times. Avoid a traumatizing experience for yourself and your little one by not risking any danger to them during pool time. At this young age, you cannot expect your baby to really swim, but rather simply enjoy spending time in the water to encourage a love of swimming later in life. You can being to briefly let go when they become more accustomed to the water.

Step 5: Have fun!

Don’t just sit at the edge of the pool—encourage your infant to kick, blow bubbles, and play with water toys, all while remaining near your baby and ensuring they are happy and safe. As the years progress, your child’s early baby swimming experiences could turn into a strong love of swimming that can be both a recreational activity and a way to ensure they are safe near the water’s edge.

Your child can begin the process of learning how to swim at a very young age. It is very important that your child learn how to swim. Not only can the entire family have fun at the lake or water park, but also because their lives could be at risk when in a pool if they do not know how to swim.

You may automatically be thinking that this means you should sign up your child for swimming lessons. However, we highly recommend that you teach your own child to swim! Here are 5 reasons to teach your child swimming on your own, particularly if your child is under 5 years old.

Saving Money

Swimming lessons can be expensive, especially if you enroll them into private classes. Here in Singapore Swimming Academy, we concentrate on children swimming lessons for those above the age of 5. Most parents will enroll their child to private lessons which can be quite costly, at a minimum of $60 per hour.

If you know how to swim, you can easily teach your child either in your own backyard pool or at one of our public swimming complexes. Once they get a grasp of the basics, then you might want to sign them up for lessons to learn how to dive or do other more advanced swimming techniques.

Parent-Child Bonding

A good reason to teach your child swimming on your own is that you can bond with your child. Instead of handing them off to a stranger, you can use the time you spend teaching your child to swim as a time to have fun and bond as parent and child.

Avoid Infections

You can avoid infections spread by social activities. When in close proximity with other very young children, they are susceptible to getting an ear infection during the time they have a weakened immune system. When you teach your child swimming on your own, this can be avoided.

Know your child better

Also, another of the great reasons to teach your child swimming on your own is that you grasp their progression firsthand. This means you will not make the mistake of assuming they can swim better than they can on your next family trip to the lake or water park. You are the teacher, so you understand how much they know and how confident they are at swimming so far.

It’s not as difficult as you think!

Finally, teaching your child to swim is easy! Many parents turn to lessons because they think teaching their child to swim will be difficult. However, with instruction videos or tips from friends, you can easily learn how to teach your child swimming on your own without the ongoing cost of professional lessons.