Most people worry about weight management when they’ve hit adulthood, but it’s something that should be taken into consideration at an early age. Many children struggle with childhood obesity— something that is becoming a problem all over the world, most especially in urban cities.
As the modern child is continuously being exposed to fatty and sugary foods, they are also more inclined to spending their free time stationary on a gadget rather than doing outdoor physical activities. Childhood obesity is not about appearance, but about health. With the excess body fat and caloric imbalance, childhood obesity brings with it a string of potential diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease.
Preventing childhood obesity is not only important for their immediate health, but also for their lifestyle. The lifestyle that someone has during their childhood is likely to be carried along with them into adulthood. In fact, over 70% of adolescents that struggle with weight management tend to have the same lifestyle issues and habits as adults.
The most effective way of preventing and tackling childhood obesity is by fostering an environment wherein children can maintain a healthy diet and regularly participate in physical exercise. Swimming has proven to be an ideal workout with great benefits for children’s physical well being!
Swimming Improves Overall Cardiovascular Health
Other than burning excess calories and building strong muscles, swimming as a means of exercise betters your overall cardiovascular health. It strengthens your heart muscles to improve your heart contractility, decreases blood pressure, and lowers your heart rate (both at rest and during exercise). Having a low resting heart rate means less work on your heart’s muscles, which can also help prevent strings of heart disease.
Swimming isn’t only great because of its health effects. It’s especially great for children because it's a low-impact exercise that’s easy on joints. As water density puts less weight on bones and joints, it doesn’t put pressure on areas where children may be experiencing growing pains.
Swimming is a great way for children to have an active lifestyle! It’s a lot of fun, which makes working out an enjoyable experience for your little one. Even if your child doesn’t have weight problems, it’s a good way for them to develop healthy habits to carry on for the rest of their life. So what are you waiting for? See you at the pool!