10-year-old child with CF

Question

My son has been attending swimming lessons for 5 years now.
He is tired of it now and I cannot force him to go on. He prefers soccer. Would you recommend such a change?

Answer

Dear friend,
A regular exercise regime is necessary for a person with CF. The cardiorespiratory capacity improves and the musculoskeletal integrity is preserved.
Swimming and soccer can both be of benefit to your son. Soccer (European football) has the additional advantage that it contributes more than swimming to the preservation and enhancement of bone mineral density due to the burden that is imposed on the bones during the training and actual game. This is important, due to the fact that several patients with CF present osteoporosis (especially the older ones). Swimming, due to the nature of the sport, i.e. the absence of burden on the bones in a water environment, does not especially contribute to the treatment of osteoporosis in any type of person (healthy population, patients, etc).
In any case, you should bear in mind that the important thing is for your son to exercise regularly, which means that he should choose something he really likes, in order to keep on doing it.
Friendly,
Kostas Katsoulakis

03.01.2015