A few decades ago, the prevailing view was that an asthmatic child, in order to avoid any dangerous attacks, had to be limited or even excluded from sports activities.
This view has recently changed and it is considered that the asthmatic child, who is undergoing appropriate treatment, not only can, but must play sports. In fact, it is considered that his/her involvement in swimming can be done not only at a recreational level but can even reach the level of championship. A typical example is the American athlete Amy Van Duken, who won 4 gold medals in swimming at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, while suffering from bronchial asthma since the age of 18 months.
Swimming, compared to other sports, is considered the most suitable for asthmatic children, because the humid and warm air of the swimming pool protects them from the bronchospasm that usually occurs after the end of other sports. With swimming, asthmatic children improve:
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their health status, because their cardiorespiratory capacity increases and they are psychologically stimulated,
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they are not afraid and gain self-confidence,
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they reduce their stress and feel like they are living a completely normal life.
In a study on "A swimming program in children with asthma" published in the Medical Journal Asthma in 2000, it was shown that the participation of 73 asthmatic children in a swimming program yielded the following results:
97% of the children enjoyed swimming
77% felt more confident
50% improved asthma severity
67% improved asthma control
46% reduced the number of visits to the doctor
64% reduced the number of hospital admissions
74% reduced the number of absences from school.
Ultimately, it can be said that swimming improves the quality of life of asthmatic children, as well as their parents.
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