One in seven children suffer from asthma in Great Britain, but this shouldn’t stop them from exercising and becoming good swimmers. It didn’t stop Adrian Moorehouse from winning the 100m breaststroke gold medal at the Seoul Olympics! Yes, your child can have swimming lessons with Asthma.
“Unlike other sports, swimming is unlikely to provoke asthma attacks. In addition to improving asthma, swimming promotes normal physical and psychological development, such as increasing lung volume, developing good breathing techniques and improving general fitness,”
Science Daily
Asthma & Exercise
While breathing at a normal rate a human draws one gallon a minute of air into the body. As we do this it is warmed and moisture is added via the nose, mouth and throat before it enters the bronchial tubes. At this point, it has already reached the same temperature as the bronchial tubes and contains a similar moisture content.
During strenuous exercise, the rate at which you draw air into the body can double or triple. This air may have to have moisture added to it and be warmed in the bronchial tubes. This reduces the temperature of the bronchial tubes and deprives it of moisture.
For those with Asthma, this process causes the bronchial muscles to contract and lead to a narrowing of the air passageways. This is why people with asthma are more prone to attacks during exercise in cold or dry conditions.
Exercising in an atmosphere where the air is already moist and warm such as an indoor pool are the perfect conditions for an asthmatic. Here they can successfully enjoy their aerobic exercise. Although we would of course always insist on keeping your inhaler or asthma medication on hand.
“Not only is swimming an excellent form of exercise for children with asthma, the health benefits reaped continued to be observed for at least a year after the completion of the swimming program.”
Science Daily
Health & Safety With SwimWay
SwimWay Swimming School has its instructors complete a health and safety course at the beginning of every term. More than the required legal requirement, and more than many other swim schools. As well as this training all our coaches have many years of experience. We are extremely proud of the high quality of our instructors.
We have a specialised health and safety consultant (Dave Perry) on our team. With over 15 years’ experience, he inspects our pools and our classes. Because the majority of our pools are private, we can ensure the highest standards. We are committed to teaching your child to swim and enjoy their swimming lessons in safety.
If you would like to learn more, have a look through our website, or contact us here.
NB: SwimWay advises anyone with a medical condition or concerns to contact a healthcare professional before engaging in classes. All pertinent medical conditions for any person entering the water have to be disclosed upon booking.
http://www.asthma.partners.org/newfiles/BoFAChapter4.html
http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/