Healthy Lungs! Last post I talked about staying healthy this winter and how swimming can help. Today I want to talk specifically about kids lungs. There seems to be a lot of asthma out there today. More than when we were kids. Is it because kids are more sedantary? More allergies leading to asthma?

There has been some concern about the chloramines in pools causing irritation in the lungs of asthmatics. However it has been my experience to the contrary. When I swam on the National Team, there was an unusual amount of swimmers on the team who had asthma. Why? Because their Doctors recommended swimming to strengthen their lungs. Tom Dolan, an Olympic Gold Medalist had one of the worst cases of asthma I'd ever seen. The team physician told him swimming saved his life.

Another story of swimming helping strengthen lungs. One of my best friends, had her daughter at only 28 weeks gestation. She was just over 2 lbs at birth. But, she was a fighter and survived. Because she was born so early, she had weak lungs, and if she got sick, it often led to pneumonia. The Doctor told her to start swim lessons. Her lungs grew stronger. But what really made a difference was when she started swim team when she was older. No more winters with the albuterol, inhalers and nebulizers. She rarely got sick let alone had pneumonia. It was thanks to swimming that she has grown so strong in her lungs.

So whether you child has asthma or not, swimming can make your lungs stronger and therefore making them healthier!

Keep this in mind this winter when the inevitable cold virus comes knocking on your door. Swimming will help make the lungs stronger and clear out their noses.