When the quarantine veil is lifted, there will likely be a wide range of reactions. Some people will explode outward like a spring under tension, eager to stretch their social muscles. Others will slowly emerge from their quarantine bunkers, prudently stepping back out into world with caution and hesitation.
Regardless of how you choose to emerge from the covid darkness, one thing is certain for families with children: there will be a need to get your children back into activities and re-establish a routine. Most sports or recreational activities will carry similar risks in the post-quarantine world: you will likely have to go some recreational center or park or facility, there will be other people around, there may be physical contact (depending on the sport or activity), among others.
Given all the choices, swimming should not be considered expendable or optional. There are several reasons why swimming should not be sacrificed this summer.
Swimming season is here, and drowning is still a huge risk
In Canada, drowning is still the number one cause of accidental deaths for kids 5 years and younger. Despite increased attention and government interventions, last year in Quebec there was an uptick in drownings compared to previous years. Now is not the time to forego swim safety, especially with summer right around the corner. Kids will still swim, probably more given that quarantine rules will extend into summer, thus risk of drowning will be higher.
A simple way to prepare for summer pool safety is to abide by the ABC’s of backyard pool safety. While there is a article on this here, the most important element is ensuring that kids know how to swim. Despite the ongoing covid situation, swim schools are adapting their techniques and good options will exist to learn how to swim remotely, from a distance, etc.
If your kids are on the cusp of swimming by themselves
For kids on the cusp of learning to swim on their own, sometimes they just require that little extra push and voila! they are now swimming on their own. Swimming is a momentum sport, and when the confidence starts to grow kids can quickly go from non-swimmer to capable, confident swimmer is a matter of lessons. For families who have kids who are right on the cusp, to kids who have just started swimming on their own, these are the critical times where a few lost weeks can result in months of relearning and rebuilding of confidence.
Swimming provides multiple options for safety
Early studies have shown1 that standard pool chemistry (notably chlorine and bromine) does neutralize the virus. Whether the pool chemicals are sufficient to allow direct contact in the pool is yet to be determined, but pools will have to adopt stricter safety and distancing protocols in accordance to whatever terms are laid out by health authorities.
When swim classes do resume, the more innovative clubs out there will likely offer several options for safety, allowing each client to personalize the safety of their experience. While group classes will have a more challenging time adopting flexible options for of safety, clubs that offer private classes can potentially offer clients a variety of lessons options, from virtual swim classes, to remote swim classes, to contactless swim classes and at-home swim classes.
Following months of less activity, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise
Study2 after study3 have shown that swimming remains one of the best forms of activity, for any age. The first is the low-impact nature of the sport, and thus the low risk of injury (unless you play water polo, which is a discussion for a whole other article). It is also one of the only sports when you must consciously control your breathing, a skill which any elite athlete will tell you is a key to maintaining physical output as well as recovery. Swimming is also a full-body workout, and for young kids especially can help develop gross motor skills and coordination. Finally, as swimming is an outdoor sport, it encourages regular doses of fresh air and a healthy dose of vitamin C (just don’t forget your sunscreen).
Summer will not be staying at home under quarantine, pools will open, and kids will swim. Whether for safety or health, it is important to remember that swimming is more than just a sport: it is an essential lifesaving skill.
1 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html
2 https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/swimming-health-benefits
