Can swimming lessons correct posture defects?

Among civilization diseases, posture defects occupy a leading place. How to deal with them? Learning to swim may be a cure, which is becoming increasingly popular as a modern method of correcting posture defects.

The problem of posture defects applies especially to those who don’t move much and spend a lot of time in a sitting position, e.g. in front of electronic devices. Meanwhile, ignoring posture defects in childhood can result in serious health problems at a later time: back and spine pains and headaches. Learning to swim is helpful to ensure the proper posture.

Why?

Why does swimming prevent posture defects?

The key factor that makes swimming prevent posture defects is that it is a sport that engages all body muscles. It especially strengthens the back muscles, which are needed to maintain the correct posture. When we swim on a regular basis, we become more and more aware of our muscles, which makes it easier for us to control the correct posture. However, swimming does not work only in general, specific swimming styles and exercises in water help to correct the most common posture defects in children: flat foot, genu varum, kyphosis, scoliosis and lordosis.

Swimming and prevention of posture defects

Swimming is one of the healthiest sports and its positive effect on the musculoskeletal system has been known for years. For example: classic style swimming promotes scoliosis and flat foot correction, and the dorsal style helps prevent genu varum and lateral curvature of the spine. Swimming also increases the strength of weak muscles without straining the joints and improves motor coordination. However, the secret is that the performance of swimming movements is correct and the swimming style is adapted to the defect of the posture. Otherwise, the effect may be counterproductive and the posture defect will worsen.

Learning to swim – a cure for posture defects

To correct posture defects, it is crucial to start learning to swim with an experiences and qualified instructor who will show you the mistakes you make and show you the correct movements in an accessible way. Posture defects are easiest to correct in the early school age, which is why it is worth registering your child for swimming lessons. If you are wondering how long it will take to learn and what it depends on, read the article: How long does it take to learn to swim?

Summary – learning to swim and posture defects

When it comes to posture defects, the sooner they are diagnosed, the greater the chance of correcting them. Therefore, it is not worth to postpone learning to swim, it is better to start immediately to increase the chance of both effective prevention and correction of specific defects. It is also worth considering another aspect that is crucial for children who have difficulty maintaining the proper posture: swimming in the pool with an instructor is often one of the most liked and attractive sports for them that they can do regardless of the weather outside.

We hope that we have convinced you that learning to swim is important for maintaining correct posture and that it is worth trusting qualified instructors with relevant experience in this regard. So exactly the ones who teach at ISwim Academy where we invite children from Dublin 12, 24 and 3 near Tallaght, Clontarf, Crumlin and near the airport to learn to swim