Community pools are great investments for communities for many reasons. Community pools serve as an encouragement to community health and increase the social cohesiveness of the area. Community pools have many benefits on the physical, mental, emotional, and social health of the community, here are the top ten health benefits from HFR!
Improves community bonds
A community pool increases the bond between community members. Community pools achieve this by bringing people from the community into close contact with other members of the community that may otherwise have never met. This fun environment can create friendships, which will encourage more and more community members to visit and interact with each other.
Convenience
A community pool places a healthy fun thing to do basically in the backyard of every family in the community. Even after a long day at work a family can walk, bike, or drive a short distance to enjoy some time swimming and playing at the pool as a family. Without worrying about traffic or having to drive too far, families and individuals will be able to enjoy some fun healthy entertainment. In fact, a community pool may be chosen as an alternative to doing something unhealthy that the family would have otherwise done.
Adds to communities’ recreational and property values
People want to live near fun things to do. They also want to live in communities that have strong bonds with each other, because that’s what makes a community feel safe and inviting.
Encourages fitness for the whole family
Swimming is fun and safe for all ages. Swimming is a great sport or hobby because it is a low impact form of exercise meaning almost anyone can participate. Elderly, pregnant, those with knee, ankle, and back conditions are all special groups of people that cannot participate in strenuous or high impact workouts, so they will greatly benefit from a community pool
Increases public safety
Learning how to swim can be a lifesaver! Drowning continues to be one of the top killers of kids in the summer months and while accidents do happen, giving children a place to take swimming lessons close to their homes can save lives in the future.
Increases access to fitness classes
Community pools can offer fitness classes such as water aerobics or synchronized swimming, which both have a significant number of health benefits. By doing this, community pools have the ability to make fitness classes more accessible to the public and the community the pool is located in.
Combats childhood obesity
Childhood obesity in America is rising every year. By adding community pools to at-risk areas, where the prevalence of childhood obesity is highest, communities can begin to give their youth a safe place to exercise and have fun. Swimming is one of the best ways to maintain physical fitness, so it can greatly decrease the number of children struggling with obesity and excessive caloric intake.
Can promote healthy foods and snacks
With a snack bar that only carries healthy foods, or at least healthier alternatives, community pools can encourage healthy snacking. This can be a valuable tool for the city or community to promote healthy eating to a large number of people without having to invest large amounts of money into education programs.
Creates jobs
Community pools create summer jobs for teens and young adults as lifeguards and
Can be an important introduction to the world of athletics
As most parents can attest to, sports can be expensive. In fact, many sports are exclusive because of their high equipment costs. Fortunately, not all sports are, like swimming. Swimming can be a perfect introduction into athletics for kids that otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate because of the affordability of swim lessons.
