One of the most amazing Parasport fields is Swimming because water is comforting, relaxing, and floating in the water. It brings a sense of lightness and dynamism that is enjoyable for most disabilities. Staying active keeps people healthy, and this is a sport that makes the whole body movement, and the cardiovascular system works. The amount of calories which burn during an hour of Swimming is as running.
Who Can be a swimmer in the ParaSport world?
Swimming is open to everyone with any disability such as physical impairment, visual impairment, intellectual disabilities, or hearing impairment. Individuals will need to swim unaided if swimming competitively.
Cerebral Palsy and Para-swimming Classification
There is no single classification for individuals with CP disabilities in Swimming,
but the classification system is designed to make sure individuals are classified fairly according to; how their impairment has affected them, how this has then affected their functional ability and ability to do different swimming movements, and whether the effects of their impairments are similar to the other individual with another medical condition.
This sport’s classification system runs from S1 to S15, and individuals with physical impairments are classed between S1 to S10. Individuals are given a lower classification if their impairment affects their Swimming to a more considerable degree and a higher classification if their impairments affect them less.
Swimming is not just an enjoyable sport; it has lots of benefits.
Swimming benefits for Cerebral Palsy
This kind of parasport is a great and efficient sport for those people with disabilities. It’s not just having fun; it’s a perfect way to improve the disability. Among all disabilities, Swimming is an aquatic therapy for people with cerebral palsy. Water-based exercises help improve physical functions, strengthen the muscles, and make the body more flexible. The term swimming is somehow different for CPs, and as mentioned, this way is a kind of therapy for them.
Reducing stress and discomfort
As it mentioned previously, water itself is relaxing and comforting. While the CP individual goes into the water, the water pressure on the body effectively relieves the muscles and joints’ pain. More exercises in water make more comfort and less pain.
This water-based parasport also decreases stress or anxiety, and it’s a great solution to relax while the person is in the water.
Strengthening the muscles and joints
Due to the water’s density, moving is not easy, especially when there is a disability. So, This kind of parasport is a proper exercise for CPs to strengthen the muscles and joints. More practices mean more control of muscles and balance. The warm water combined with hydrostatic pressure helps to more effortless movement in the water, which is very useful for lower muscle tone problems.
Better cardiovascular function
When the body is under the water, the heart should pump more blood to increase the pressure. Even if the person does not move or doesn’t do any exercise under the water, being in water improves cardiovascular fitness and increase endurance.
Increasing self-esteem
Any disability can make the person feel different, and sometimes this differentiation depressed some people. This is a great sport to stop thinking negatively, have fun, and enjoy life. Hydrotherapy exercises gradually improve the physical functions of the CPs, making them do many daily tasks independently, which is a great feeling of independence. Swimming is all about joy, improving self-confidence and mental health to CPs.
Injuries prevention
Doing water-based exercises prevents CP patients from hurting or injuries their joints by mistake. This situation allows them to perform aerobic and anaerobic activities with no injuries because of the water environment.
There are more benefits than what is mentioned above of swimming for CPs. Knowing how to survive under the water is essential for anybody. The whole body is engaged in this sport, which is necessary for CPs health. And best of everything, making new and being more sociable through the sport and Swimming.
