July 4th, besides being a patriotic holiday in the US, is also the height of swimming season. I measure this as when my pool in Maryland warms up to it’s maximum temperature and the pools in Florida are so hot they are no longer refreshing.
AMAZING STATISTIC – 80% of people who die from drowning are male!
Why? Just guesses, but many women have natural flotation devices (breasts), women may not show off as much as men, and, just like asking for directions, women are more cautious about everything. Or it may be occupation related, crew on fishing vessels, etc.
AMAZING STATISTIC #2 – 20% of fatal drownings are CHILDREN!
And five times that many children end up in the hospital Emergency Department with long- term medical issues.
Naturally, when the temps outside heat up, people jump into water to keep cool. Swimming pools, kiddy pools, oceans, beaches, lakes, even ponds and canals. And they do cool you off, the problem is that they can also kill. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that there are over 3,500 fatal drowning accidents every year, which is about 10 a day, and more in the summer.
SAFEGUARD YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN THIS JULY & LEARN TO SWIM
Your children need to be watched every minute they are in the water. But go beyond just
supervision – and teach them to float and to swim. It’s easy to find free swimming lessons. I give free lessons in my neighborhood – and most public pools, the YMCA’s
and scouting groups give lessons. AND THE LESSONS ARE FUN!
Besides using pools, lakes and oceans for fun cooling, swimming is a great aerobic exercise, whether you are swimming, or dancing in the water, or just dog-padding, you burn tons of calories because the water is below your body temperature.
And check out water toys – foam noodles, plastic tubes, diving games, rafts and little fish add to the fun. Did you know they also make dumbbells for the pool, so you can tone your arms while you cool off.
REMEMBER – If you’re a parent and want to teach your child to swim – check out free online lessons at http://www.uswim.com/, which will teach YOU how to teach your child to swim. Or check the community resources where you live.
MAKE this a safe summer and teach your kids and others to LEARN TO SWIM!