We’ve all heard the saying, “Practice makes perfect.” There’s been a lot of research on this, and the science behind it is fascinating. However, it all boils down to the same simple concept: If you want to improve your skills, you need to practice them. When it comes to swimming, in addition to improving performance-based skills, there are some potentially life-saving benefits directly related to frequent practice. That is why at Aqua-Tots, we recommend multiple lessons per week.

More is better for:

• Muscle memory – Creating muscle memory is crucial for a very young child who is learning how to be safe in the water, and then how to swim. The goal is to create an automatic response in the child so they react to a situation without having to think about it. Like riding a bike or tying shoelaces, building those muscle memories takes lots of repetition and practice before it becomes second nature. As the child grows and advances in swimming lessons, muscle memory allows him or her to focus on adding new strokes, techniques, and speed while maintaining form.
• Social development – It’s estimated that children ages 2-5 are now spending approximately 4 hours per day in front of some sort of screen, be it a phone, video game, computer, or television. Use continues to increase as they age. All that screen time means fewer opportunities to develop real life social skills. Taking multiple lessons per week gives children more time to interact with other students in a small group setting. Aqua-Tots’ small class ratios also mean swimmers get more face-to-face time with their instructor. As they master skills and progress to new levels more quickly, they are praised by their instructor for their accomplishments. Overall, children’s confidence increases as they grow in our Lessons for Life program!
• Exercise – Excess screen time also contributes to what has been called an “Inactivity Pandemic”. According to Phit America, 2 out of 3 school aged children in this country don’t meet healthy standards for activity. Sadly, American children were recently ranked 47th in the world for overall physical fitness. Taking multiple swim lessons per week gets children into a routine of exercise. And swimming is an exercise they can do life-long. For more on why swimming is an exceptionally great form of exercise, click here.
• Feedback – “To improve your performance, you need to practice frequently and get lots of feedback so you practice correctly.” (excerpted from The Science of Practice: What Happens When You Learn a New Skill) In other words, perfect practice makes perfect. Therefore, the importance of practicing in an environment where you’re getting feedback from a qualified instructor cannot be overstated. It’s crucial that the child is practicing the correct form or technique. Our instructors are rigorously trained before teaching. All instructors are routinely evaluated and educated, both in the water and out, by leaders in the industry. Aqua-Tots Swim Schools has been teaching infants, toddlers, children, and adults to swim for over 25 years.
  Once a week lessons are still a great way to introduce your infant or child to the water, but to get maximum results, we recommend multiple swim lessons per week. Ask the front desk staff at your local Aqua-Tots Swim School today about the many different plans we have to offer!

View Original Story