Family Health
LEARN TO SWIM Swimming is an excellent activity for fun and fitness. It exercises the whole body and provides a gateway to a huge range of water-based activities. Not only that, learning to swim can save lives!
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WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU START? There is no age limit to learning to swim, but starting young can lead to a lifetime of healthy habits. Babies are surrounded by water in the womb, and warm gentle baths are an excellent way to maintain a baby’s affinity with water in the early months before swimming lessons can begin. Most babies find the buoyancy and movement of water soothing - and many parents agree that a calm bath before bedtime can help their baby sleep. In Australia, babies can begin swimming lessons in some programs from around 4 months of age. Classes are small and a parent or guardian must be in the water in full supervision of their child throughout. From around 3-4 years of age, children can begin formal swimming lessons without their parent/guardian in the water with them.
Your Local Families Magazine October / November 2020 www.familiesmagazine.com.au