Benefits Swimming Offers to People With Special Needs
1. With correct supervision, swimming is practically a low-risk form of therapy for people with special needs. Water’s buoyancy relieves the stress that gravity normally places on muscles, thereby providing a greater range of motion and coordination. Such an environment gives an opportunity to build muscles and improve coordination. In addition, the sensation of water on the body is good for neurological development.
2. Swimming is considered to be safer than land-based physical therapy because in the pool there are no hard surfaces to fall on. As long as there is a qualified swimming therapist present, the water is a safe environment.
3. For people with special needs, swimming can increase their independence, which in turn can increase self-confidence and lead to a better quality of life.
4. Greater social integration is something that can be seen at first hand at groups such as the one in Velenje. Parents of children have noted how they have started to socialize more at school and elsewhere, not only amongst themselves but also in the community generally.