8 Benefits of Baby Swimming

It might feel a bit early to take your baby to the pool before they even start walking. However, the experience of being in water offers numerous benefits. Immersing your baby in water provides a unique sensory experience that stimulates their body in ways nothing else can, helping the development of billions of neurons as they kick, glide, and splash.

Children who are introduced to swimming at an older age often develop feelings of fear or negativity toward the water. In contrast, younger children tend to be more open to floating on their backs — a skill that is achievable even in early childhood!

Let’s explore the many benefits that early swimming sessions can offer your baby.

Bilateral, cross-pattern movements — where both sides of the body work together to perform an action — help your baby’s brain develop. These crossing movements build neurons in the brain, particularly in the corpus callosum, which facilitates communication, feedback, and coordination between the two hemispheres.

Over time, this can support improvements in reading skills, language development, academic learning, and spatial awareness.

While swimming, your baby moves their arms while kicking with their legs. Performing these actions in water allows their brain to register the tactile sensation and resistance of the water. Swimming is also a unique social experience, which further enhances its brain-boosting benefits.

A four-year study of over 7,000 children conducted by Griffith University in Australia found that children who swim make significant gains in both physical and mental development compared to their non-swimming peers. Specifically, 3- to 5-year-olds who swam were ahead by eleven months in verbal skills, six months in math skills, and two months in literacy compared to the general population.

Swimming can reduce the risk of drowning in children older than 4 years. For children aged 1 to 4, swimming may help lower the risk, but the evidence is not strong enough to be certain. It’s important to note that swimming does not reduce the risk of drowning in children under 1 year old.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), drowning is one of the leading causes of death among young children and toddlers. Most drownings in children under 4 occur in private pools. If you have a pool, early swimming lessons can be beneficial. Even the youngest babies can learn basic water skills, such as floating on their backs.

However, for babies under 1 year, this does not mean they are completely safer from drowning. Even if your child has had swimming lessons, they must be supervised in the water at all times.

Most preschool swim classes include activities such as water play, songs, and skin-to-skin contact with parents or caregivers. Children interact with each other and the instructor, beginning to learn how to function in groups. These elements, combined with the joy of learning a new skill, can boost your baby’s self-esteem.

A 2010 study suggested that four-year-old children who had taken swimming lessons at some point between two months and four years old were better adjusted to new situations, more confident, and more independent than non-swimmers. Earlier research supported these findings, showing that a year-round early swimming program for preschool-aged participants was associated with greater self-control, a stronger desire to succeed, higher self-esteem, and more comfort in social situations compared to non-swimmers.

4. Increases quality time between caregivers and babies

5. Builds muscles

Swimming helps promote important muscle development and control in babies from a young age. Little ones need to develop the muscles required to hold their head up, move their arms and legs, and engage their core in coordination with the rest of their body. According to Swimming.org, swim time for babies not only improves muscle strength and endurance externally but also provides internal benefits by keeping their joints active. Swimming is also great for cardiovascular health, helping to strengthen your little one’s heart, lungs, brain, and blood vessels.

6. Improves coordination and balance

Along with building muscles, time in the pool can help your baby improve coordination and balance. It’s not easy for little arms and legs to move in sync, and even small, coordinated movements represent major developmental milestones. A 2003 study found that swimming lessons can help improve children’s behavior as they grow older. The study didn’t explain why children who took lessons behaved better outside the pool, but it may be because they learned to listen to an adult instructor and follow instructions before entering the water.

7. Improves sleep patterns

As mentioned earlier, swimming takes a lot of energy for babies. They are in a new environment, using their bodies in entirely new ways, and working extra hard to stay warm. All this activity uses a lot of energy, so you may notice your little one is sleepier after a swim lesson. You might need to plan a nap afterward or adjust bedtime on days that swimming is part of your routine.

8. Improves appetite

Nothing beats a day at the pool or the beach for working up an appetite, and it’s no different for babies. All the physical activity in the water, combined with the energy their little bodies use to stay warm, burns a lot of calories. You’ll likely notice an increase in your baby’s appetite after regular swimming.

Newborns and babies should never be left alone near water, such as bathtubs or pools. It’s important to remember that a child can drown in as little as 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water. For children under 4 years old, “touch supervision” is recommended, meaning an adult should be close enough to touch them at all times. Here are some other safety tips to keep in mind when your child is near water:

- Be aware of even small bodies of water, such as bathtubs, ponds, fountains, and even watering cans.

- Always supervise your child with an adult present while swimming.

- Enforce pool safety rules, such as no running or pushing others underwater.

- Use a life jacket when on a boat. Do not substitute inflatable toys or mattresses for a life jacket.

- Fully remove pool covers before swimming (if your pool has one). 

- Avoid alcohol and eliminate distractions (such as talking on your phone or working on a computer) while supervising children in the water.