Persuade/Learn to Swim

8/2/10
Persuasive Essay

Everyone should learn how to swim. Swimming gives a wide range of benefits for people of all age groups. It can help prevent calamities from happening and is a great way to stay active. It is a simple and affordable way to keep busy year round and have a great deal of fun. Many people begin swimming as a child and become very passionate about the sport as they grow up, and some even swim professionally. Knowing how to swim can avoid many injuries and accidents from occurring. Although there is lots of fun to be had in the water, it can be dangerous for those who are not capable to keep themselves afloat. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children between the ages of one and fourteen, according to a document published by the Centers for Disease Control in 2003. Are these deaths preventable? Absolutely. Everyone should at least have a basic skill to keep their head above water and ideally the ability to help save someone else if they are in trouble. Swimming can be a great way to make friends and meet new people. Joining the local swim team is a popular activity among children and teens. While there, they are able to spend time with friends and even meet new ones while maintaining an active lifestyle. Many kids spend their summers at pools or beaches. These are wonderful ways to relax and have fun, but beaches and pools can be very dangerous for those who are unable to keep themselves afloat. It is not necessary to master difficult strokes. Knowing a simple freestyle or even the “doggie paddle” will be adequate to make the water a much safer place. Children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at-risk of drowning, according to the USA Swimming Foundation as of 2009. Swimming is a common way to stay healthy and maintain an active lifestyle. Swimming has also become a major part of many physical therapy routines for those recovering from surgery or injuries. According to Livestrong.com, when compared to running, swimming burns approximately 89 percent of the calories burned during running. Elderly people can also benefit from swimming and other water related exercises because it is a low impact activity which decreases their chance of injury or joint stress. Some might dispute that swimming is a waste of time or that it is an unnecessary pursuit but, they have the wrong impression. As swimming is not only a popular and enjoyable pastime, it also has numerous benefits. Learning how to swim is important for everyone and it should not be overlooked. The process of learning to swim is a great way for younger children to gain independence and confidence in their own abilities. It teaches them that if they try hard they can accomplish a task all on their own and gives them the ability to stay safe in the water at the same time. Everyone should give swimming a try at least once in their life. It might not become a lifelong passion for everyone but it will for a select few. And no matter how someone feels about swimming, they will at least have gained a valuable ability and can now safely enjoy the many other water sports and activities. So, to sum everything up, everyone can benefit from learning how to swim.