Winter swimming helps to keep ‘flu and colds away

We notice that some parents withdraw their children from swimming classes when winter arrives. Two things can happen then: their children’s swimming progress takes a step backwards, and the chance of getting sick in winter increases.
Many children who continued swimming with us last winter said that it was the first winter ever that they didn’t get a cold or the ‘flu.
Swimming is great for the immune system
Higher fitness levels are gained through swimming year round, and better fitness makes the immune system more resilient to stress and illness.

Recently a group of US researchers found that those who exercised the most were least likely to suffer from colds in the winter months. And when they did catch a cold, it was much less severe.

The message is clear. Along with eating well, staying fit can help your children to avoid sickness this winter.

  

But what about the risk of getting chilled?

“Don’t go out in the cold and rain, you’ll get sick!” Sound familiar? This is an old wives’ tale with a touch of truth in it.

A continual reduction in body temperature challenges your immune system. So having wet hair or standing around with a wet body in a draught may cause a breakdown in resistance, which can give cold and ‘flu viruses the opportunity they were waiting for. That’s why we keep things warm at Hilton Brown Swimming.
 

The warmth factor

Our swimming pools are kept at a comfortable temperature all the year round. We also try to keep our changing facilities as warm as possible, so that our customers don’t get too cold.
 

Tips for winter swimming lessons:

Wrap children up warmly before and after their swimming lesson
Don’t let them stand around wet and shivering – an extra-large fluffy towel is a good idea
Bring a hair dryer and dry your children’s hair after the lesson or get them to wear a woolly hat
Make sure children put shoes and socks on before going home – running to the car in bare feet is not a good idea.